Devotionals

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The Little Iraqi Girl
© 2008

by

Stephen A. Peterson


Each afternoon at the end of his duty day, Marine Private Ernie Towe attempts to make it to the hospital to see a little Iraqi girl who was 9 or 10 years old. Private Towe and his squad found the girl in a building terrorists used to manufacture car bombs. On the day the little girl was injured, a bomb exploded killing everyone in the building except the little girl. When the Marines found her she was near death but led my Private Towe her battered body was brought to the field hospital where doctors immediately performed life saving surgery on her battered body. In addition to this sorrow, surgeon determined her to have Hodgkin’s Disease. The surgical team wanted to begin treating her cancer but felt she was so weak that such treatments for the time being would surely kill her. So they put off the treatments for now.

One hot afternoon Private Towe walked from his living quarters to the hospital. As he walked towards the hospital, he noticed his footwear was especially unattractive. These combat boots had seen their better days in the sands of Iraq. “No point in putting on a new pair of boots at this moment. I don’t think the hospital staff would care if I walked in these. After all I just came off duty. And the little Iraqi girl won’t care either. She probably has to deal with her pain to give it much thought.”

But then, in a flash of anger about the present situation and concern for the little girl, Private Towe returned to his quarters. Without a great deal of thought, he put on a brand new pair of military boots. But before he left he shaved and took a shower. He then set off for the hospital. Everything felt right then.

When Private Towe arrived, he realized he could not talk to the little girl without a translator. Finding a translator among the staff, he said a few words to the little girl whose name he did not know. He, at that point, was moved with emotion upon seeing the motionless figure of the little girl in a multiple layer of bandages. “Little girl,” he said, “I will pray to my God that you get well, but more so that if you cannot get better He will take you to His heart where everyone is happy and where there is no more pain.” At no time during the visit did she respond. He was not sure if she could even hear anyone. Running out of things to say but not wanting to just sit in silence, Private Towe said, “and little girl, I have on my best uniform and a brand new pair of boots I just bought. I wanted to look my very best to visit you and to pray for your well being.” And as he said these words, the little girl’s weakened arm lifted to touch the face of Private Towe then his hand. She squeezed his first two fingers seemingly as a gesture of thanks and appreciation for all that Private Towe had done for and on her behalf.


Not long after Private Towe’s visit that day, God gave the little Iraqi girl rest from her suffering. That evening Private Towe received the news of her death and wept as he prayed once again that her soul would be with the Lord. But every time Private Towe put on that pair of boots, he remembered that afternoon when the little Iraqi girl, his special friend and child of God, showed her gesture of thanks by extending her injured hand to thank him for her rescue and to the wonders and joys of the Almighty.

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