Providence Verified pt. I - Providence in Uncontrolled Plans

When I started to read theology for fun in Iraq, yes I am that nerd if you did not yet know; I found a certain level of rationality behind much of the Reformed understandings. Prior to this process of my own theological beliefs I was an ardent supporter of the philosophical free will. Not that reformed theology denies free will per se, but as John Piper explained it, we de-emphasize it. Anyways, this is not an abstract attempt at pop philosophy this time. In the recent years I have encountered true scholars and on the off chance they read this I do not wish them to cringe too much. In this one, I will go through the instances of God’s clear providence in my life. I do not intend this to be an exhaustive record as there are and will be things I have not yet recognized.

Is it providential that I am named after the man whose largest portion of scripture is about God’s providence? To this day my happy place is Hume Lake. I was first introduced to this tree filled epicenter of ministry almost 20 years ago… Woah. The impression Hume left on me in my junior high and high school years has been instrumental in my adult life. Not just in the formation of my ministry pedagogy and discovering a passion for teaching, but in the relationships I have built there. No matter how long it has been, or what staff have moved on, I know this place dear to my heart is always the same because of the mission.

The providential example, when I signed my contract in the Army, it was an even number of years, I could not adjust it according to months to reschedule approximately when my term would be complete. The month you sign on is the month you are finished. I signed the contract in January, as a disenfranchised aimless community college student. While a normal overseas duty is two years, at a single unit, I spent 11 months there; I was literally one month short to accompany my unit to Fort Riley, Kansas. Per Army regulations, I needed to complete at least half a tour before they would consider an exception. At the time, it was a very difficult time. It still ranks among the hardest periods of life, second only to Afghanistan. Against my hopes and prayers, I did not get to return to the US. We were being assigned to a newly formed Combat Aviation Regiment which was getting ready for an upcoming deployment the following year. There were a few dozen of us that were transferred to this new unit.

 It was a bit larger than my previous base but still small when compared to a base in the US. It was there, my first day at check in that I was informed I would be going to one of two battalions at a smaller base about 20 miles from the main base. I was the only one from my old unit going there. I was really going it alone then. When I got picked up by my squad leader and started to learn about the unit. The battalion I was being assigned had just got back from a deployment a few months earlier. Of the seven potential units I could have been assigned, six were scheduled to be deployed, I was assigned to the seventh. I enlisted with the full desire to deploy but despite my best efforts such goals were proving elusive.

I had 13 months left in Germany. There was a vibrant base ministry largely through Protestant Women of the Chapel. The demographics of this unit were similar to my last, no active single Christians to hang out with. The chapel opportunities on base were much better, a weekly Bible study. It was during this time that I was able to go to Czech Republic and Slovakia for about a week each, free! I made new friends and carried on. When my time in Germany was coming to a close I was desperate to deploy. The challenge, my whole active career thus far I was assigned to aviation units, I was not aviation but a combat support role. In the longest of long shots, because my rank was still that of the highest paid nobody, I was able to get in touch with the Branch Manager. This individual is the one that may or may not grant requests during times of transitions. At the time, I was at least two ranks below the necessary level to be considered for any favors. Then again, my request was simple, “Who was deploying, and soon?” That was a request the manager was happy to oblige. I was given the choice of Hawaii or Texas.

Most of you would jump on the chance to go to Hawaii on Uncle Sam’s dime, as I considered it. However, Hawaii was not the goal, Iraq was. I did some research as to what units were slated to deploy around the time of my arrival and I learned it was a Brigade element was slated to go. This was an echelon higher than my previous experience but I frequently worked with the brigade’s section at my previous unit, there was opportunity there. Texas showed the division headquarters was slated to go. This was a DREAM assignment. At the division and corps levels of organization, my particular field actually had dedicated units assigned. At the brigade and battalion levels my job would be a small section within the headquarters company. Forsaking the pineapples, sunshine, and fresh fish, I requested Texas. My other reason for Texas was the ability to travel home. I knew I would be discharged shortly after Iraq and figured it would be much easier to transition from Texas to California than Hawaii to California.

Fast forward several more months and I am, for the first time, in a company of people with my job. Keep in mind, my two previous units we averaged about 1:100 of our Military Occupational Specialty (MOS). Now it was 1:1, I was in a paradise. I was blessed with Brothers and Sisters that nearly every meal consisted of authentic fellowship, praising the wonders of God amidst in the middle of a war. The fact that God preserved me to be with the community who I deployed with was not an accident, it was providence.

For a number of years, the headquarters element of Baghdad was either 4^th Infantry or 1^st Cavalry, both units stationed at Fort Hood at the time. Multi-National Division Baghdad (MND-B) was affectionately called Fort Hood Forward. When I arrived to the unit, almost all of my company was part of the previous deployment the previous year. This was the epitome of deploying every other year. Anyways, at least as we were told, to give 1^st Cav a break we would deploy earlier so that they would not miss two Christmases in a row. I believe the idea was that they would return the favor in kind, but when it didn’t we ended up doing two consecutive Christmases. Part of that mess included me and many others being involuntarily extended what was known as stop loss. We knew when we would be returning to Texas, but we did not know when we were going be able to be released.

I got back stateside in early February, based on a playing with the numbers, I re-enlisted to stay in until March of 2009, but that was not going to happen due to the chaos that was returning from deployment. There were required procedures and checks Big Army needed to conduct to let us out upon returning from a deployment, in theory it is a good idea, in practice… your tax dollars were at work. It was in this mess that I realized I would be released May 30, just in time for summer. As soon as I got back I started an application for Hume Lake. A dream I had years before, hoping to return to Hume, but with no way of the schedules coinciding without wasting a semester it did not seem possible. Instead, God knew of my laments and hopes, chuckled at my lack of faith, and let me return to Hume as the first act of civilian life.
 
Continue on the journey in Part II