So, there is this story about 6 ex military (Contractors) Special Ops guys that were assigned to Benghazi, Libya with the CIA a while ago (2012), the purpose of them being in the country was to watch out for the sell of illegal arms before they entered the black market. Rebel forces had managed to raid the then assassinated Dictator; Muammar Al Gathafi's armories and with that Libya was thrust into total chaos with different groups fighting for a say in the country's future and the CIA was right in the middle of it.
These guys faced a 13 hour fire fight on 11 September 2012 with Libyan rebel forces. They were outnumbered and were not meant to survive this assault. But, they did under immense adversity and orders to stand down they overcame and survived to tell the story. They managed to save 31 American lives and successfully fought off the rebel forces. These rebel forces are today infamously known as ISIS. Unfortunately victory sometimes comes with loss; they lost 4 American lives that day (Two Navy Seals, one Senator & a IT Specialist). The story is immense and is the ultimate story of heroism and sacrifice and a never quit mentality. There is so much detail to this story that there just isn't enough time to go into it all. If you do have some time please go read their story or watch the movie 13 Hours - The secret soldiers of Benghazi.
So the reason I'm telling this story is: Two of the soldiers who survived the fire fight Kris "Tanto" Paronto (US Army Ranger) & Mark "Oz" Geist (US Marine) described the event as:
"As long as I'm doing the right thing, I believe God will look out for me. Even when we were told to stand down we went out there, because American lives were at risk. You help Americans overseas, especially in high risk areas. We had to go, because it was the right thing to do."
And Mark "Oz" Geist:
"We had to go; consequences be damned."
Sometimes we will be faced with a circumstance in our life that requires us to do the right thing no matter what the consequences are. The worst case scenario in anyone's life, could be an extreme injustice or losing everything (Your job, home etc).
When this happens it's easy to lose sight of God's purpose and get lost in the pain of that circumstance. There are so many emotions that go through us in crisis. Loss, panic, anger, hate, frustration, depression & anxiety.
We are wired to react to crisis, react to fix it, react to solve it, react to plan. We react so much that we forget who is in control. It's not easy to not panic and have it well up inside you, it's not easy to not act out your frustrations to the people close to you. In situations where we are made helpless, true character is built and made. You can flake and freeze and fight everyone who is trying to help you or you could take a step back and hand over the fight to the one who knows how. We all have a warrior fighting for us and He just does not give up no matter what, He's the Navy Seal of the heavenly realm, His name is Jesus.
I remember when I was younger, my worst fear was failing at life. I have been placed in many situations over the years where I have felt exactly that in those moments; a failure at life. I felt so far from perfect, so far from having my life together and so ready to give up.I would look around me and see everyone happy and travelling and having a great time and I would feel utterly miserable and alone. I would come home and sit in the back yard not moving for hours from the pain in my heart. I remember asking God at that time; every night for a week, after a very bad breakup and when I lost all my savings (Which was substantial at that time) God please take me, I can't do this anymore. In return every night, He said: "No, I'm not done yet." I would cry myself to sleep and wake up utterly exhausted.
One night I screamed at Him from my deepest point of pain and He said very loudly:"NO!" I swear the apartment shifted and I became quiet. I didn't ask Him to take me again up until I suffered two major loses in my life and my work environment was crumbling in around me a short while ago. And still the answer was the same.
About a year ago I started facing immense adversity, it would subside and then suddenly it would be aggravated, the extreme ups & downs and the fighting eventually led me to ask God what His purpose was for me and why I was facing so much adversity. I didn't get an immediate answer and decided to put on my earphones and play a song by Elevation worship. Now, what happened next is very hard to describe. If you have ever been in the presence of God, you will know that it is the most indescribable thing that will ever happen to you. There isn't an emotion to describe it and there are no words to describe the feelings within you at that moment. It's unbelievable and a bit scary. I remember wanting to bow down and lay down flat on the floor every time God told me to stand up, I just couldn't stand up in His presence and kept going to my knees. He told me His purpose for my life and what He wanted to do with my story. I remember tears flowing down my face as He told me His purpose of my life and how much He thought of me, how proud He was. He also managed to point out my biggest fear; it wasn't failing at life, but my fear was actually failing people around me. I let what people think of me control my life. The moment He said that I knew it was the truth and that was and is the root of my adversity.
Today I sit in a situation where I have no choice but to face the people who have caused the pain in my life. I have to overcome what they think of me and do what is right for me. My very fear has been placed in front of me to overcome; screw the consequences. That's the way God works, the thing you fear is the thing that holds you back with your relationship with God. If you fear man, and what they think of you then you can't do what God wants you to do. I have to learn that I do have a voice and what people do to me unjustly has consequences on them. It takes one step at a time. Doing one thing everyday. To shift my focus off man and onto God, the achiever of the impossible. It is a scary moment in my life and everyday is hard but everyday brings hope. The Navy Seals have this saying: "The only easy day was yesterday." and that does ring with truth, what you go through today won't be as bad as what you go through tomorrow. It's like Jesus said: "For don't be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow holds enough trouble of it's own."
If we can focus on Jesus and what He has overcome, we can overcome anything man has placed in front of us. Those US soldiers could've have given up at any moment in the face of what was in front of them, but they did what they knew was right and trusted God with the rest, consequences be damned. That is the kind of mentality a Christian should have and a relationship we should have with God. Believe it or not but, us Christians are in for the fight of our lives.
I told a group of friends yesterday, that we all think that Satan is after our souls, He's not, He's after our minds. The more he can distract us with life's challenges the more chance He has to win the battle of your mind. Instead of looking ahead of us at our enemies and knowing God's got this, and just do what is right; we become distracted and lost in our pain and misery. The Bible says that Satan is as cunning as a fox and that we have to be vigilant. Not easy I know. I think in times of adversity we become so engrossed in the crisis we are in we forget that there is always a way out.
Dakota Meyer (US Marine) recently said something that struck a cord in me; he said: "If you were to lay down all your problems on the table and you told someone what you were going through. All of it laid bare, 99.99% of the time people would still walk away with their own problems rather than yours." That truth just amplifies our need for God, because He would 100% take your problems onto Himself if that meant you could live the rest of your life with out adversity. That's how amazing He is.
So in a time where we think our problems are insurmountable God makes a way. All we need to do is what those soldiers did on that rooftop, do what is right and trust God. It's not easy but its the right thing to do.
In closing:
This week my focus is not going to be my circumstance but rather what my God can do to my circumstance. When fear creeps in I will reassure myself and know that Jesus overcame for me. When I begin to think peoples opinions of me matter, I will refocus on how God sees me. The world is temporary, I'm in it but not of it.
Chat soon
T
Ps: If you are facing adversity this week, you are not alone. I am with you, just as God is.
Picture: Kris "Tanto" Paronto (US Army Ranger)