Meet Matt.
Matt is my younger brother. He and I were best buds all through childhood. He's now married and has a son. Matt joined the Navy as a civil engineer a few years back. After a couple of moves, they've been living peacefully in North Carolina for the past couple of years.
Most, but not all of you, probably know this already, but I found out about 3 weeks ago that Matt is going to be spending a year in Afghanistan. He's set to begin training in November (in Virginia and North Carolina) and head overseas in February '08. We weren't completely caught off-guard with this news. He'd let us know to expect it soon.
In the weeks that have passed since receiving the news, I've been through just about every emotion regarding the situation. Denial. Anger. Scared. Confused. More denial. Right or wrong, I try not to let myself think about it too much. I try to comfort myself with thoughts that he's a civil engineer and not a combat soldier or whatever. The problem comes though at night. Thoughts about it creep into my head as I lie in bed waiting for sleep. My mind travels everywhere as I think about it.
Truth is, I'm scared beyond comprehension about my brother, my best bud growing up, being sent to a country where war is life and reality. (tears flowing)
My mom was told to look up and pray Psalm 91 by someone at Christ Lutheran. Mom passed it onto me, and all I can say is God is good. He know how to bring comfort when it's needed. He holds us tight when we fear our deepest fears. He loves us completely and unconditionally. He gives us his Word to reassure us of all of this.
It's 16 verses and will probably take up quite a bit of space, but I ask that you read it also. Please. Pray it for Matt.
PSALM 91
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
If you make the Most High your dwelling - even the Lord, who is my refuge -
then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
"Because he loves me," says the Lord, " I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call upon me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."
I would ask that all of you would from now until Feb. '09 remember Matt in prayer. Remember Lindsay. Remember Will. Ask that God would hold this family close together in his almighty hand regardless of the miles between them. Pray that God would continue to comfort all of us with the knowledge that he is with Matt in all things, at all times.
Thanks . . .
-a
2 comments:
It's so easy to take for granted how real this war is and to forget all of the sacrifices that are made. My heart breaks at this sobering reminder. All my love to you and your family.
I have another friend whose husband is in Kuwait. This is his second overseas deployment in 3 years. The last was to Iraq. the hardest part is watching the news everyday and hoping and praying that you don't see anything bad about his unit. It will be incredibly hard, but your brother has made this committment to his country and it is an awesome thing to do. He's in my prayers.
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