Much has happened in the past month since I last wrote. I have moved from Kuwait Naval Base to Camp Arifjan & I have moved from one location to another while at Arifjan. We now commute to work via contracted bussing because our driving privileges have been revoked by Admiral Redpath. And I no longer work at Shuaiba because I have been re-assigned to the "Transition Training Team" or, in Navy lingo, T3 for short.
All of this was set in motion weeks ago, because big Navy wants to proclaim "Mission Complete!" in this aspect of our support of the Army. The goal is to completely withdraw from all port activities altogether, &, if everything goes according to plan, we should be able to achieve this goal by July during the Hotel rotation.
So, what will I be doing now that I'm assigned to T3? I don't know. I hope to go home earlier than originally anticipated. If I am so blessed then I'll leave here around mid-April. If not then I'm here until mid-May which is my planned rotation date anyway.
With everything in transition & up-in-the-air as it is right now I want so much to be able to know what the immediate future holds. The fact that I know so little & that I can't count on anything for sure until it actually happens is discomfitting. It's like trying to walk on quicksand. But the Command continues to demand flexibility from us claiming our unofficial motto is "Semper Gumby". As for myself, I hope to never see a Gumby show or hear his name again. Ever.
A few weeks ago I had planned on updating this blog but now I'm glad I didn't. For a couple of reasons: First, I was at my lowest point of the deployment &, second, I know so much more now than I did then.
By the grace of God I am no longer being assailed by depressing thoughts which is actually a lack of faith in Him, or, more aptly, functional atheism. Ironically, I was studying the travails of Paul & I knew in my heart that without a doubt he suffered so much more than I have. Yet he strove to be content & joyful in all things.
Also, regardless of whatever my situation, it is still far better than I deserve, for I know the depth of my sins. If I don't see sin as God does then to some extent I will always believe that I somehow deserve God's grace & mercy, & that, even more egregiously, I deserve a saviour & that God somehow owed it to me to have His Son die for the sins I commit! I believe Paul fully understood the depth of his sin & God's view of it; therefore, this understanding added to his contentment & joy.
God is faithful even when I'm faithless. And I am faithless - in more than one area of my life. I can never pride myself on my faithfulness, for in whatever one area I am faithful there are at least ten areas where I am not. Furthermore, the real miracle is not that I'm faithful in just one area - whch is to say, the one area in which God enables me to be faithful - but that God continues to be faithful in all areas in spite of my faithlessness.
As I write this I find myself becoming emotional, & I'm not sure why. By God's faithfulness I'm reminded of the Scripture that reads "... While we were still enemies of God...." & I can't help but praise Him under my breath. Even as I watched "Facing the Giants" - which also schooled me on the faithfulness of God - I was on the verge of tears. I kid you not. But I held them back, for I was not alone.
I wish I could continue but I cannot. There are duties I have yet to perform before the sun sets & the day is quickly fading.
Be it the will of God, I'll see you all soon.
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4 comments:
Dear Craig,
I wrote you a couple of times before but one would not go thru. I just want you to know that you are thought about and loved. I enjoy reading your heart. I take your letters to your Uncle Steve and he usually gets choked up. We are sooo proud of you and pray God's very best for you.
Cheri's son, Jonathan, has joined the Navy and will be leaving as soon as he graduates. That will be around the middle of June. The next 3 months will be very busy for him.
I'll write again, after I know that you receive this letter.
With love, Aunt Rose
Hello Son! Inez gave us this before you left and I thought you might enjoy reading it again.
Praying for you daily and trusting the Lord is granting you a peace that passes all understanding as you become more aware everyday that His grace is truely sufficient.
With Much Love ... Mom
Greetings Craig,
I was in the nursery today and spoke with Dee, who told me that Craig Jr. will be going to Iraq. I told her that I had a word from the Lord during worship, but as it came as the very end, there was no time to get down to the front. Also, I do struggle with "is this really the Lord?" She believed it was for you Craig, and here it is:
There is one man here today who feels put into a position like that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego - forced to walk into the fire. You know the story and yet you do not feel as certain as they did and you are not sure that you want to enter in. The Lord says to you that He sees everything, that His "eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him." (II Chron. 16:9) Whatever this lair or pit is before you, enter in knowing that the Lord already knows everything about it and that His eye is upon you.
Dee also said that perhaps I did not give the word because the "one man here today" was at home. I hope that you see the amazing intimacy of the Lord and the reality of His actual presence (Emmanuel!). Craig, I do not know you well but you do have a wondrous depth in the Lord, a firm foundation which will not be moved. To think that the Lord would send you into the pit to be present with so many men and women who do not know the Lord as you do, is an incredible honor. May He recompense you and your precious family in this life as well as in the one to come,
Inez Holger
Aunt Rose,
I got your letter. Do you know if Jonathan will be on a ship or actually boots on the ground? Who is he assigned to? I'm just curious!
Love,
Craig
Dear Craig,
The only info we have on Jon is that he will be at The Great Lakes Naval Training Cntr on the shore of Lake Michigan. I guess we won't know anything else until after his training.
Love, Aunt Rose
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