One Crazy Week

As I laid my head on the pillow this week I fell asleep to the sound of 3,000 rioters down the street.  The chants are getting louder and louder.  As I type this helicopters are circling overhead launching flares into the crowd.  Rioters are being sprayed with water, which apparently has no affect on them.  Afghan police are using stun-guns we bought for them to separate the mob.  The crowd is angry.  Tires are being burned and thrown over the fence.  Smoke grenades are being tossed to break-up the crowd.

The entry control point has been shut-down.  The base relies on inbound vehicles to provide services like water delivery, waste removal, septic and laundry.  With no inbound trucks, all bathrooms have been shut down forcing us to use porta-johns.  With no waste removal, porta-johns are not getting emptied, so waste is piling up.  The odor is unbearable.  With no water delivery, kitchens were only serving bare-minimum items and offering MREs.  Laundry has been shut-down all week.  I went 4 days without taking a shower.  I shaved using a rusted metal shack outside as a mirror with a 6 oz bottle of water.  Yesterday the water came back on for a while, long enough to take a quick shower. 

As miserable as the week has been, I found great comfort in reading scripture.  Stef and I are going through a bible reading plan together.  Today’s reading was Psalm 56.  Isn’t it interesting how God’s Word is always relevant to the season of life you are going thru? 

Listen to Psalm 56: “Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me; all day long they press their attack.  My slanderers pursue me all day long; many are attacking me in their pride.  When I am afraid, I will trust in you.  In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.  What can mortal man do to me?”.  It reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew 10:28: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell”. 

Isn’t this an amazing piece of scripture?  These verses tell me the worst thing the enemy can do is to take our lives.  The reason we shouldn’t be fearful is because if our bodies die, our souls are immediately with God in heaven.  If we were to take those verses literally how would it impact our lives?  Would we spend less time worrying?  And what would it do to the anxious people over here in a war zone?  I think, perhaps, it would free our minds to focus on the greatness of God.