Gideon’s Story

Even unbelievers take pause, when they see the remarkable. After a cyclone hit the Fiji Islands, the entire village was wiped out. Do you see the cross on the building that was untouched in the middle of the devastation. It is the church in Vuna Village. One person said it simply and well, “It makes you think”.

In the span of one week, another news release reported on a fiery crash on I 385 near Memphis, TN. A 2014 Jeep Laredo struck a pole and many cars stopped to help. Just minutes after an officer and some good Samaritans pulled the driver from the vehicle, it burst into flames. After the firemen put out the fire, the man’s Bible was found unharmed on the front seat of the totally burned out vehicle. Pictures of the car were posted with the officer holding the Bible. Like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. One witness said that he saw God that day on I 385, so it’s enough to make us all think.

Today, a dear friend posted on Fb about her breast cancer progression. She has been transparent in her day to day treatments and prognosis. She told us that the story of Gideon came to her mind after she received her last test results. They were not what she had hoped to hear, but she found strength in her faith.  God was with Gideon. He provided a method to find just the right kind of soldiers to go with him into battle. Those who were lacking courage and trembling with fear were free to go. He started with 32,000 men and the first 22,000 fearful ones left his side. Reduced to 10,000 men, this process of testing continued until God had 300 fearless men. With these brave men, God freed the Israelites from the hands of the Midianites. She found comfort in knowing that the strength of God is not found in numbers or girth, denominations or gender. It is found in man’s faith in God and his trust in God’s power. She has received peace and His power to face whatever the future holds. She asked for her “prayer warriors” to be fearless, too.

In the last month, my favorite Aunt passed away with a little smile on her face. She had been losing weight and at 93, her doctor told us she was in the “dying process”. No one knows the hour or the day of their own death, but she was giving her things away to family she loved.  Over her last few days, she was speaking openly about not wanting to be bedridden like all the rest of her family had been before their deaths. She had cared for her bedridden mother for three years and watched six siblings lying in hospitals or nursing homes for years prior to their deaths.  She knew we would take care of her and she would never go to the nursing home.  She never complained and would always say she was “doing good”. She remained on her feet, caring for her own needs, living alone until she opened the door to a caregiver one Monday morning and sat down to leave this world. When I saw her, a few minutes after her death, she was sitting in the kitchen chair with her head bent and the most peaceful little smile etched on her lips. Although we grieve, I am comforted that she was delivered gently into the next life, just the way she wanted to go.

Why is this Gideon’s Story?  Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life…. James 1:12.

In 30 days, I have been reminded of God’s power on four occasions through family, friends, and strangers on the national news. We all face unexpected events that they call “the storms of life”.  All my small struggles pale in significance to theirs and my life makes more sense to me today. Like Gideon, moving forward fearlessly puts us in position to be happy and blessed.