“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD.” “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” — Jeremiah 29:11-13, Philippians 1:6 (NASB)
I flew to Dover Air Force Base to observe my son’s body being “repatriated” after being killed in Afghanistan. It was surreal watching the refrigerated coffin moved from the plane to the transport vehicle. Longing to touch, to hug my son, I could only watch as the truck drove out of my view to deposit my son in the morgue.
A General from Washington expressed the country’s appreciation for my firstborn’s sacrifice. He flinched when I said, “I’d have preferred you used a drone to drop a bomb to take out the target.” Apparently, those are reserved for “political” targets.
An Army Ranger accompanied my son’s body home and slept on the cold plane’s floor beside his casket. He’d listened on a headset during the mission. He related what happened, easing the torture of wondering, “Did my son suffer?” The explosion from the victim-activated IED was so powerful that my son felt nothing. I praise El Shamayim, The God Of The Heavens, [Psalms 136:26] who whisked my precious son away into his presence, sparing him from experiencing any pain—and his mother obsessing about until the end of her days.
The three Army Rangers, who attended the ceremony shared stories about my son and his character that reinforced my faith in Elohim—the father of the fatherless, the husband, provider and protector of the widows and the orphans.
When propelled into single parenthood, the vile statistics that religious leaders and sociologists spew about children from single-parent homes terrorized my heart. Yet, I clung to Jeremiah 29:11-13 and Philippians 1:6. What do men know? God is far greater than any societal myth, stereotype or statistic.
For twenty-six years, my daily heart cry to God was for my sons’ futures. Listening to my son’s buddies describe him, I realized God answered my prayers regarding his future beyond my wildest expectations.
When breath left my son’s body, God completed the good work in my son’s life that God began years ago. My son has attained his future and hope in eternal life.
Precious single moms and dads, trust God. Call upon Him. Pray to Him. He listens. Seek Him with all your heart you and will find Him and He will find you.
Who Is the God We Can Trust? He is…
Our father and husband: A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows is God in His holy habitation. Psalm 68:5
Our advocate: You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. If you afflict them in any way and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry and my wrath will become hot. Exodus 22:22–24
Our truth-teller: And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on. Luke 21:2-4
Our guardian: For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing. So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 10:17–19
Our defender: Defend the poor and the fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and the needy. Psalm 82:3
Our protector: Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor, defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. Isaiah 1:17
Our righter of injustice: Cursed is he who distorts the justice due an alien, orphan, and widow. And all the people shall say, “Amen.” Deuteronomy 27:19
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