I learned years ago not to pray for patience. God doesn’t just hand out things like patience. HE teaches patience by putting me in situations where I will have to learn and practice patience.
Lately, I have been praying that God would give me peace with regard to Daniel’s upcoming deployment. God has told me over and over again that as much as I love Daniel, HE loves him more. And I do believe that. But I’ve continued to be nervous nonetheless.
This week, God taught me peace! Peggy, a wonderful family friend and Christian, died from liver cancer last Saturday. She was 74 years old. I got to visit with her husband of 49 years, Charles, on Wednesday. He was a junior high science teacher for several decades (which was how my family came to know him), but he has also been a “rock,” always standing firm for what he believes in. He and his wife have been great friends to our family for more than 20 years. And he is always teaching. As I visited with Charles, he talked about the wonderful times that he has had with his wife for “half a century.” He is grateful for the years that they had together and didn’t seem the least bit angry with God for his wife’s passing. He knows he will see her again. Of course he is sad, but he seems very much at peace. What a fantastic lesson he taught me.
God also showed me peace through an experience Daniel had. Two weeks ago, a tire separated from the rim while Daniel was driving to a dentist appointment on base. Fortunately, Daniel was traveling at a relatively slow speed and was able to safely stop his vehicle and call for a tow truck. Once at the tire shop on base, he learned that he needed to replace all four of the rims on the vehicle because they were all somehow damaged or defective. The approximate cost for this repair was going to be approximately $1,000 to $1,500. Later that day, Daniel got a call from the tire shop telling him that there was going to be no charge for the rims. To this day, we don’t completely understand why. But Daniel picked up his vehicle and was only charged $40 (for an oil change).
While I was preparing to share Daniel’s story at church on Wednesday night, God revealed Himself to me. HE told me, “I protected Daniel in the midst of his tire failure and even with regard to his vehicle repair. If I can do that, believe that I can protect Daniel in Afghanistan or wherever the Army might send him.” Such is peace!
Much as our good friend Charles never stops teaching, neither does God!
