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God Helps Us Get Through
It was a calm and quiet day in Iraq. The summer heat made outdoor activities almost unbearable, but the base camp still needed to be protected from the anti-Iraqi forces who attacked our base camp regularly. Security patrols were sent out to protect the outside of the soldiers' camp. About two o'clock in the afternoon, the soldiers heard an explosion off in the distance but didn't think much about it.
Fifteen minutes later, the medic came running to Chaplain Lou DelTufo's office. "Casualties!" the medic shouted. Some of the soldiers in the security patrol had been wounded. Chaplain Lou was needed at the field hospital. The calmness of the day ended as he grabbed his gear and headed over to the hospital. As he approached the dusty ambulance, the medics grabbed the two casualties and rushed them inside to treat their injuries.
The explosion the soldiers had heard earlier was an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) targeting the vehicle these men patrolled in. The soldiers lived through the blast, but they were covered with burns, cuts, and scrapes. The medics cared for their wounds, and Chaplain Lou began to care for their spirits. As the medics cleaned their wounds, Chaplain Lou talked to them and asked if he could pray with them.
The first Marine Chaplain Lou saw was named Jake. Jake believed in God and asked Chaplain Lou to pray that he would "get better" and that God would heal his body. Chaplain Lou leaned over him and gently put his hand on Jake's head and prayed for him. As Chaplain Lou finished praying, Jake expressed concern for his infant son, Little Jake. Little Jake had been born just before Jake was deployed to Iraq. Jake desperately wanted to live to see Little Jake again. It was for Little Jake's future that he joined the Armed Forces in the first place.
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The second Marine, John, lay helpless on the stretcher. He called Chaplain Lou over and asked for prayer that he would feel God's strength and peace. As Chaplain Lou finished praying with John, one of the medics put John's identification tags back around his neck. Chaplain Lou noticed John had an "Enduring Freedom" pendant (dog tag) on the chain. Chaplain Lou picked it up and read the inscription from Psalm 91:14-15: "The Lord says, 'I will rescue those who love Me. I will protect those who trust in My name. When they call on Me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue them and honor them'" (NLT). He placed the identification tags back down on John's chest, looked him in the eye and asked, "John, do you believe it?" John's eyes welled with tears. He grabbed the chaplain's hand and exclaimed loud enough for everyone to hear, "I believe it, Chaplain. It's what helps me get through!"
The chief nurse popped her head in the door to say that the MEDEVAC helicopters were about two minutes out, and they needed to get the wounded to the airfield. As the medics whisked Jake and John away to the helicopters, Chaplain Lou walked out to watch them leave. His faith was strengthened by those two young men-broken, battered, weakened by the attacks of another man, yet their faith in God could not be shaken. In their time of trouble, they looked to God to be their ever-present source of hope and strength. Although their physical strength was weakened, their spiritual strength remained greater than ever because of the promises of God.
Chaplain Lou says, "When we come to the point where our own strength fails us, let us always remember to rely on God who promises to shelter us and sustain us. Knowing that God is there for us in the tough times will 'help get us through.’" This article is reprinted with permission from the Assemblies of God Chaplaincy Ministries.
NOTE: The "Enduring Freedom" dog tags were a BGMC project. Funds for the dog tags came from boys and girls across America.
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