they shared.
“Years ago Larry and Jean died to self. They lived for the needs of others and the glory of God. Larry and Jean discovered long ago there was a cause worth living for and a cause worth dying for,” said Jerry Rankin, International Mission Board President.
God I thank you that your cause is worth dying for, because Christ first died on the cross for me.
“They did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” (Revelation 12:11b)
February 6
DOES MY HELP COME FROM?
I was not ready to attend another funeral. Mom and Dad had died only five months earlier. But my good friend’s brother died tragically. She had helped me so much through my grief, and I needed to go. With a few other friends, I flew to Oklahoma. When we got to the church, they could tell I needed a few moments alone. I sat in the car with my cell phone in one hand and a small Bible in the other.
With tears streaming, I cried out, saying, “Lord, now is the time I would call Mom and Dad and say, ‘Please pray for me right now. I am having a difficult time.’ But I can’t do that! I need you to talk to me, to be REAL to me. I am going to open up my Bible and ask you to please speak to me!”
I opened up my Bible to Psalm 121:1–2, “I lift up my eyes to the hills where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
I wondered why he didn’t reveal something more “profound”, but I thanked him for being my helper, trusting that passage was what he wanted me to read. I regained my composure, went inside, and greeted the family. As I waited in the pew, I wondered what the pastor would say, praying for God to give him the right words.
“You know, I didn’t know what I would say today,” the pastor confessed as he addressed the congregation. “What do you say to the family when a tragedy like this happens to a loved one? I asked the Lord and He showed me. I want to read to you a passage from Psalm 121:1–2.”
I sat back with such awe as he read that SAME passage. It was as if the Lord reached down from Heaven, put his loving arms around me and said, “I am your Helper! Look to me and I will take care of you! I will never leave you!” I thanked him for being so REAL to me! To maintain my composure, I focused on the cross hanging behind the pastor. On reflection, I realized the only way my family and I would get through this difficult time was to focus on the cross and let him be our Helper.
Lord, please help me to lift my eyes to YOU and to realize that my help indeed comes from you, the maker of heaven and earth!
“I lift up my eyes to the hills where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1–2)
February 7
DADDY’S LAST WORDS
“Mom, what were the last words your Daddy said to you before he died?” my daughter asked out of the blue.
We were driving one morning a few years after my parents’ death. Her question caught me off guard. I pondered a minute to think about my answer. I had thought about so many things since my parents’ tragic death in Iraq in March 2004 my father’s hearty laugh, my mother’s radiant smile, their fearless commitment to their faith, and simply that people wanted to follow them. For some reason, I had never thought about that one specific question. It only took me a second to remember, though.
“Love you!” Dad had written in his last email to me.
It was a short, sweet one-sentence email that he wrote to me after sending a group email to the rest of our family. They had written they were happy to be in Iraq and believed that no matter what happened, they were in God’s hands. They were where they should be.
“Hey Sweetheart, we are fine, just have not had access to the internet. Love you! Dad.”
I know my Daddy did not know those would be the last words he’d ever say to his only daughter this side of Heaven. Once more, I thought how God had blessed me even in this difficult time by taking care of so many details just like this one. I thanked the Lord for letting the last words from my father be that he loves me, especially since my “love language” is words of encouragement above the other languages of time, gifts, service, or affection defined by relationship expert Gary Chapman.
But then I realized that my father could have died at almost any time and his last words to me would have been ones of love and encouragement. You see, my Dad was so good about using words to encourage people. During this time of indescribable grief and pain, I have remembered the numerous times he put his hand on my shoulder and said things like, “Do you know how proud I am of you?” and then, repeating, “Do you really know?”
I have wondered what my last words will be to those I love. I want to live each day, blessing others with my words, for like my Dad, I will never know when my last words will be.
Lord, may my words bring you glory each and every day. May I be a blessing to those with whom I come into contact every day. Make my mouth a vessel of your love.
“A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11)
February 8
PRIMER 1: THE QUARTERMASTER
Of the three J’s behind this book John, Jocelyn, and Jane (me), I’m the one without military experience. Dr. John Croushorn is author of A Walk in the Sand an army doctor who served in Iraq.
Jocelyn Green has first-hand experience on the front lines of military family life and has written
Working for President George W. Bush in the White House for two years has given me insight into government and political perspectives. My previous books, including one in this Battlefields and Blessings series, Stories of Faith and Courage from the Revolutionary War, have given me a strong historical perspective. Good stuff, but not a substitute for military know-how.
But what I do bring are questions, because I’m not totally familiar with military terms, such as, “When you say the net do you mean communications network?”
“Yes,” the Marine replied.
What I needed was a military primer, and that’s what I received in April 2008, when I traveled to San Antonio
