“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV

My husband and I went for a walk this evening, not long after dusk. The temperature was 71°F and the air was filled with a very gentle breeze. As we walked the path around a lovely neighborhood pond, the sound of fireworks began filling the air.

There I was, in my quaint little neighborhood, walking hand in hand with the man I love, when the sound of those fireworks took me back ten years in half a heartbeat.

Ten years ago, I was in the midst of serving a year long tour of duty in Iraq. As deployments go, we were lucky to be where we were. Still, night after night we heard the sounds of gunfire in the distance. More days than not we had the warning alarms of incoming mortar fire. We were always just this side of secure.

As we walked the peaceful streets of home, my mind and my instincts were existing back on that patch of Iraqi desert. No matter how far I get from that place, a piece of it continues to live on inside of me.

I don’t know how I’d have managed to get through that year without the brothers and sisters who served beside me. By the same token, the love and support that came to me from across the globe kept me moving forward. God made sure I never felt alone in that service.

I recently read a devotional, and the point was made that, the closer we walk with God, the more our own path will diverge from others. However, the more we are joined to Him, the more freedom we find to love and connect with those we love.

If anyone out there is under the impression that any of their accomplishments were managed by their own efforts alone, they’re very mistaken. I often hear pride in the voices of others who are pleased when they manage something with no help from anyone.

The reality is that there isn’t one single thing we accomplish on our own. God is always providing what we need, including the strength and smarts to do whatever is laid before us.

I’m frequently told how strong I am to have been through many of the things I have, especially the deployment. However, God was my saving grace every step of the way. He puts whatever I need right smack in my path, even if it doesn’t look like I expect.

Sometimes we think we know what we need, but what we really know is what we WANT. I’ve had to step back and take stock of the potential idols in my life. There are people in the world who have such significant idols in their lives, yet are completely unaware that those idols are what they are…a career, a relationship, a goal, etc. They come in several forms.

Many things that can serve our good can also be to our detriment. Keeping our relationship with Christ intact is the most critical element of a peaceful life. When we’re living more in fear than in peace, it’s time to step back and evaluate our relationship with God. What are we placing ahead of Him on a regular basis?

It’s difficult when seeing someone we love making choices that we feel are wrong, yet it’s not our path to walk. I have to stop myself and return my gaze to my own path. There are so many places where I’m going wrong, I need to focus on the log in my own eye, and worry less about the splinter in another’s.

This morning I hit a place of difficulty so powerful, I had to reach out for help. Early this morning, I picked up the phone and dialed the employee assistance phone number, and within a few minutes, I was speaking to someone with a desire to help.

I’m learning how to manage the fear of facing what’s hard to face. I’m learning that, no matter how big or small the situation in front of me, God will give me what I need, especially when I remember to ask for it.

When I set down my pride and my fear, He is able to come into my heart and accomplish beautiful things. It’s so important step back and realize how much we compromise our Godly values in order to have the things and people we want in this life.

How many decisions do we make out of desperation to keep what we have or get what we want?

How often to we look on our circumstances with bitterness, resentment, or anger, instead of trusting that we need what God is providing MORE than we need what we want?

Perhaps we need to consider the notion that having to face the absence of what we value most in the world is a prime opportunity for growth. I’m learning to embrace the opportunities for growing closer to Him, even when they are painful.

In spite of the PTSD issues that it left behind, I’m grateful for the time spent in service to my country. I may be the one living this life, but I’m well aware that my purpose here isn’t to serve myself.

My purpose here is to simply serve the Lord, whatever that looks like at any given moment.