Journey of Transformation, Part 27

Jesus Answers, Life Happens, Life Happens Jesus Answers, Real life stories, Testimonies
Jun 172010

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God Comes Through

The day of departure had arrived. We left the hotel and drove to the Chaplain’s house where our Accord spent the night. God, knowing exactly what we would need long before our move, served up the perfect provision.

And so it goes . . .

A little background: Chaplains are endorsed by various churches or parachurch organizations that provide support and accountability in their roles as Chaplains within the military. Steve and a fellow Chaplain at Fort Campbell happened to share the same endorser. This endorser, located in South Carolina, was holding its annual conference in Colorado Springs at the Air Force Academy. Our Chaplain friend was planning to attend that conference.

Where were Steve and I headed for our compassionate PCS? Colorado Springs. And our house, which had been rented, was a mere 15-minute drive from the Academy. As it turns out, our Chaplain buddy was glad to drive our Honda Accord to Colorado Springs since he was going there anyway. We paid for his expenses and he flew back after the conference as he had originally planned. This couldn’t have worked out more perfectly for us. And, as an additional point of interest, since that conference in the summer of 2002, the endorser hasn’t held any out west.

I find all this very interesting. None of it was coincidental. It reminds me that I never have a valid reason to fret or worry. God has everything worked out in advance. He knows what I really need when I really need it and delivers it right on time.

Back to the story. My memories tend to be sketchy, but for some reason certain moments in time remain etched in my brain. I clearly remember sitting in the passenger seat of our Honda Pilot (we had traded in the Plymouth Voyager minivan for the Pilot), the door was open, and our Chaplain friend’s wife came over to the car and spoke words of encouragement to me. I was so weak, tired, and miserable that I barely responded. I nodded once, turned my head to face forward, and she closed the door. I hoped she didn’t see me as rude or indifferent but rather desperately ill.

I don’t remember the drive home other than it being long. It was the longest ride of my life. When we pulled into my parents’ driveway they were glad to see me but I just wanted to hit the sack.

The subsequent months would prove agonizing but informative. I finally would get the accurate and complete diagnosis I’d longed for.

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES:

In a quest to develop my faith I make an effort to notice the things God does for me that I can’t do for myself. I also pay attention to His creation more. Many of us allow ourselves to get so busy that we lose sight of the beauty around us and, in effect, we lose sight of God.

This summer I’m going to pay closer attention to the birds swirling around my deck. I’m going to listen to their songs and watch the clouds float by. I’m going to breathe the fresh air and let God speak to me through His creation. I’m going to embrace a new appreciation for the obvious, yet often dismissed, blessings in my world.

This summer take time to sit. Look. Listen. Enjoy the blessings that surround you and thank God.

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Life Happens – Jesus Answers is a weekly column addressing the challenges we face in life, coupled with the presence and grace of Jesus, our One True Source of hope and peace. The column’s author, Laura Firtko, can be reached by email here: LifeHappens@pwoc.org

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Journey of Transformation, Part 25

Jesus Answers, Life Happens, Life Happens Jesus Answers, Real life stories, Testimonies
Jun 042010

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Alterations

On Easter Sunday in 2002 I sat at the dining room table in front of my makeup mirror. This was the first time in months that I bothered to apply makeup and the lighting revealed changes in my skin. The texture was no longer smooth and the pores were huge. It looked acne prone but no acne was present. And if that wasn’t enough, I had a beard — a thin layer of light hair or “peach fuzz” outlining my face.

That’s a steroid for ya. It turns men into women and women into men.

I was the unfortunate recipient of prednisone side effects. I’d been using the drug for six months and that was enough to cause damage. As was the case when I discovered bald spots on the back of my head on Steve’s birthday, I tried to make myself look pretty. I felt altered. It took herculean effort to muster a good attitude. I forced a smile at chapel but inside I grieved. Of course, no one else knew the difference, but no one else had my face. I hoped these changes would be reversed if I quit taking prednisone. (I will go ahead and tell you now they never were. Physical changes from prednisone usually are permanent.)

In the meantime I continued my supplement regimen hoping that it would be strong enough to hold off the disease process. But soon my hopes would be dashed. One day in the bathroom I looked down at my legs. They were covered with red-purple blotches. It looked like my blood was trying to escape. Along with this horrifying discovery came irritated elbows and knuckles. Red streaks lined my fingers. An excruciating blend of weakness, pain, and burning attacked my upper arms.

These alarming new developments prompted me to contact Tricare to see if I could get a different rheumatologist closer to Clarksville. They accommodated my request and I managed to get an appointment scheduled for June.

By the time June rolled around my condition deteriorated. Every activity was a chore. I was so listless that even holding my Bible was hard. I didn’t want to listen to the radio. Didn’t want to read. Didn’t want to watch TV. I lay there staring at the ceiling praying to God in my mind, “Lord, I’m too weary to move my lips. Read my heart.”

It wasn’t long before someone recognized the severity of my health. Steve got word that we were being sent back to Fort Carson. It was sort of a compassionate reassignment without the official title. It really was more of a compassionate early PCS. Under normal conditions we would have remained at Fort Campbell for another 6-12 months. God orchestrated this move and had the Army send us back to where I had family and access to better specialists.

Because we only had a month before moving I canceled my appointment with the rheumatologist. What was the point of getting started with a new doctor when I was leaving? I was ready to move on, ready to get back home.

God came through with provisions for our move. It was obvious he had everything worked out ahead of time. Again I would see Him acting on my behalf. Yet, I sense a question circulating, “Why did He allow this to happen to you in the first place?” That question would be answered in months to come.

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES:

“Why?” It’s a question we find ourselves asking at times, especially when something horrible happens that seems to have no valid purpose or reason. I like to have answers. I like information. I try to figure things out. I need to know that somehow God will replace my ashes with beauty, my grief with joy (Isaiah 61:3).

What I’ve come to accept is that God will always be incomprehensible. God has a plan that involves the universe and I’m a microscopic part of that. God’s plan is something so massive and astounding that I wouldn’t understand it even if He tried to explain it to me. When I get outside myself and acknowledge the fact that life involves things much bigger than me, and recognize that God is God and that He has eternity in mind, my perspective becomes a little clearer.

All I can do is throw myself at His feet in surrender and trust that He will make all the suffering worthwhile. . . . He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end . . . (Eccles. 3:1-9).

____________________________

Life Happens – Jesus Answers is a weekly column addressing the challenges we face in life, coupled with the presence and grace of Jesus, our One True Source of hope and peace. The column’s author, Laura Firtko, can be reached by email here: LifeHappens@pwoc.org

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PCS Season is Coming

Tech Tuesday
Mar 232010

We are a mobile community. On average, we move every 2-3 years and these aren’t our parents’ moves. We tend to move long distance, every time. Throw in the occasional overseas move and you’re in a whole new ballgame.

Those of us that have been around for a few moves have nailed the process. Clean out the closets, yard sales or thrift store drop-off’s, undies in a Ziploc, make sure the cat is contained when the packers come, and feed the movers.

Not everyone in PWOC has been through this process so many times, however, and we need to remember to share our experiences with our new-to-the-military sisters.

My first military move came 16 months into our marriage, 7 months in to our first pregnancy, and less than 1 month after my new husband’s return from six months in Afghanistan (early 2002). On top of that, I was leaving home for the first time (with my parent’s second grandchild yet unborn), and not just leaving, we were going literally halfway across the United States which, as far as my parents and I were concerned, was half way around the world. It was not the smoothest move.

I didn’t have PWOC back then and I wonder how different those early years would have been had I known about it. That’s why I’m always quick to tell new military gals all about PWOC. I even keep a stash of the Invitation Cards in my purse so that I have something tangible to hand them when we part.

Once our new-to-the-military sisters get involved, we become an invaluable network of resources, experience and friendship. With our Installation Locator, it takes no effort at all to reach out and make a connection with new friends at the next installation. It’s these connections that provide the most valuable information regarding living areas, schools, daycares, shopping and perhaps most important of all, these new connections combat that feeling of loneliness we all tend to feel upon arriving at a new location.

PCS season will be upon us in the blink of an eye. Remember to take advantage of the resources here at PWOC.org but also remember to be a resource to others less experienced.

We are Christ’s church. We are the Fellowship of Believers. We care for our own.

_____________

“Tech Tuesday” is published every Tuesday. To reach Tracy with comments or questions, email her here.

Posted by Tracy Hathaway at 12:34 am Tagged with: , , , ,

God is Always on the Move

Leadership Development, Leadership Wednesday, President's Pen
Sep 162009

I think God had Henry Blackaby and Claude King write Experiencing God just for me. Well, maybe not only for me. This classic study has helped many Christians see where God is at work and join Him in it.

Don’t you love asking God to show you where He is at work? If you do, you’ve discovered what I’ve learned. Joining God in what He is doing is necessary if we want to see God-sized results.

God is always on the move. He’s not into maintenance. He doesn’t tolerate status quo. He’s always about doing a new thing. God has a progressive work to do, not only in you, but through you. He wants to use you to make a difference in “your neck of the woods.” He wants to flow through you to change your family, community, country and ultimately, the world.

But moving forward with God’s agenda can be challenging. We will likely meet obstacles designed to discourage us and deter us from obeying. And we might come face to face with what Blackaby refers to as a “crisis of belief.” Because, in the end, what we decide to do reveals what we really believe about Him. Do we trust His direction or not? Personally, I’ve found that the cost of not following Him is much greater than choosing His way from the very start.

God delights when we step out in faith. He is faithful to provide the strength and grace necessary. It’s our step of faith that allows God to do the next great thing He has for our lives and ministry.

So I ask you, do you want to grow in sweet fellowship with Him? Do you desire for Him to do His greatest work in your current season? Do you want more than anything to join Him in what He is doing?

I believe you do. So, I’m praying some God-sized prayers for you. I’ve listed a few Scripture texts below that you might also want to pray.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 (NIV)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” Prov. 3:5-6 (NIV)

“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” Prov. 29:25

“…No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him – but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” 1 Cor. 2:9-10 (NIV)

Always in Prayer,

Brenda Marlin
President, PWOC International

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