"In A Good Way Expect The Unexpected"

I want to thank you for all your prayers and support yesterday. Yesterday was one of the toughest and rewarding days of my life. I woke up in the morning to see our bank account in the red with no hope in sight. BUT, I know God. I have set my hope on the One who is faithful and I will not question Him because of all the times He has come through for us and for His promises. I know that when we are effective for the Kingdom we will be a targeted by the devil. But yesterday was a day of utter turmoil both emotionally and spiritually.

I emailed someone yesterday morning that even though things looked very dire that I KNEW God was going to come through with a miracle. I thought the miracle would come through in the form of provisions for us. I received so many e mails, support, verses of scripture to encourage me and prayers that we did meet our shortfall for last month at around 10 pm last night. AMEN!!! But the miracle came in another form.

2 Corinthians 1:8-11 “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.”

As I wrote to you yesterday I know what the Lord has called me to do. In the above scripture You and I suffer so “That we might not rely on ourselves but on God”. The reason we ask you to pray for us and to tell you of what we are going through is two fold. First of all we need your prayers; prayers are powerful. But I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we will be delivered. When we are delivered or see the many miracles that God does each day then I know that “many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.”

I got to the church for the Memorial Service of our friends yesterday around 1:30 pm. As I walked in the sanctuary it was as though I had a blow to my stomach. Every pilot was in uniform. I had not been in that type of setting since I last flew. It brought back memories of regret, loss and why couldn’t I fulfill my dream. Why was it taken away? Then my old roommate who is now a Captain for US air came in. Seeing him opened up a lot of emotions, especially since I had spent the last 20 minutes in the sanctuary. In the sanctuary was music being played showing all the pictures of Steph and Jim Hamilton. What a tragic loss. I should have known Satan was behind this masquerade but I was feeling sorry for myself. I was having a hint of doubt of flying again but in the back of my mind I knew what God has called me to do. I was here now to build relationships with pilots that I used to fly with that need to hear the gospel.

The receiving line was very long as Jim and Steph had many family members that came from Texas and Georgia. Halfway through the line I was introduced to Jim’s sister, brother and nephew. They said “Are you the Brad Henry that wrote the devotional about my brother”? I told them I was but I didn’t remember anyone for the family being on the list.

The service was very emotional and at the gravesite a P 51 (WW II Fighter) made a low pass overhead to honor Jim and Steph. After the service I walked back inside and sat down at the reception where they were serving food with Jim’s brother sand sister. I asked them “How did you get the devotional”? They told me a man that I have never met (about 90% of the people on the devotional I have never met) said that their office in Georgia gets our Daily Devotional from a man in Tennessee who is a client. The man in Tennessee who faithfully forwards out the Daily Devotional had no idea that this office he was forwarding it to had the members of Jim’s family working there. BUT God knew. NO WAY did this happen by chance. God in His comfort and mercy knew this family needed to hear words of comfort and hope. THEN the sister in law told me “God has you doing exactly what He wants you to do”. Yes evil sprung up when I woke up yesterday but the Glory of God prevailed so I can give you hope. God NEVER fails. While we may not understand the path God takes us we can be confident in the journey that He will be beside us every step of the way.