Archive for January, 2011

Not My Will

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

We have been blessed with two grandchildren–both are still under the age of two.  In my prayers for them, I ask for God’s blessings for them in every way I can think of.  Recently, I thought of a new blessing to pray for them, but I changed my mind. 

Our family is like many others in that we seem to all have poor eyesight–nothing serious–we’re all just near-sighted.  I decided to pray that my grandchildren would break out of this trend of their parents and grandparents, and be blessed with perfect vision.  If they didn’t have to spend time and money on glasses, contacts, and laser surgery, they would have that much more time for other things throughout their lives, and they would be more comfortable. 

However, God put on my mind the words of Christ on the Mount of Olives, as he faced a much more severe situation than any of us ever will.  Luke 22:42 says, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” 

So, I didn’t pray that my grandchildren would have perfect vision.  Instead, I prayed that God’s will would be done in their lives.  Each of us will face our own particular set of problems throughout our lives–issues with health, family, finances, etc.  As we ask God to help us work through our troubles, He will.  However, He will do it in the way that He chooses, and we should pray that the final outcome brings glory to God, not that we will be more comfortable through our struggles.  He will enable us to overcome our trials, and He might even let us struggle with a few problems so that we can learn, and remain humble.  If bringing the ultimate glory to God means that He wants to bless our grandchildren through poor eyesight, then so be it.

We Don’t Have Any Problems

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

I just read about two veterans of the Vietnam War, Maj. Robert Leon Tucci and Col. James Eugene Dennany, who were shot down in combat over Laos in 1969.  They were declared Missing In Action, and their bodies weren’t recovered during the war.  Their remains have just recently been identified, and are just now being flown home for burial.  I can’t begin to imagine the anguish that their family members endured over the years, wondered what happened to them.  Maj. Tucci’s father, Leon J. Tucci, died in 2009, and his last words were, “I’m just sorry that I won’t find out about Robert.”  Mr. Tucci probably spent his first forty years with normal issues like the rest of us, and then the last forty wondering about his son. 

I knew another man with a similar story.  In 1967, Captain James Paul Gauley was shot down over Laos, and his body was never recovered.  In 1992, I spoke to his father, Bill Gauley, shortly before his death.  He told me that he still believed that his son was still alive somewhere, probably being held as a prisoner of war.  Bill had suffered every day throughout those 25 years, wondering what his son might be going through. 

This makes my troubles seem small.  As my wife sometimes tells me, when we discuss such tragic circumstances of others, “We don’t have any problems.”