What are we remembering?

'We expected to die. But as a result, we learned not to rely on ourselves, but on God who can raise the dead. And He did deliver us from mortal danger. And we are confident that He will continue to deliver us.' [2 Corinthians 1:9-10]

So over the weekend I went to church.... not suppose to be a shock or anything, but this service was great I think, so I'm writing about it!
It was remembrance day! I wasn't really feeling God in that time. The morning was long and tedious and the service started slow.
So God decided to give me a wake up call!

this is the red poppy and the white 'peace' poppy which I proudly wear

We had two amazing story tellers in that room. They were a part of the church already, and I was amazed by what they shared. Joan Eldon, who is an English women, came to the front. She is a very tiny women, with a delicate body and a surprisingly heavy hand bag. She approached the stand and talked about her experience in the war, what role she had there. She was a wife to a man surviving in this battle and she was on the home front in England. Her life was filled with challenges, but she remained calm and serene. I could see in her eyes though, the stories still untold. The terrors flashing in her pupils. Joan is an elderly women and she forgot from time to time what she was talking about, but I just loved listening to her.
At this time, while she was going back to her seat, I found myself riffling through the book of Psalms.

"For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life." [56:13]

And this is what I began to write....
There must first be evil in the world, before creating good.
There must be unjust times, to be able to bring justice forth.
There cannot be a peacemaker without a war.
And in this verse,
God cannot deliver us if we do not first stumble.
If there wasn't a war, then we wouldn't ask for peace! Or peacemakers...
If the world was so well off, we would of never met Jesus!
Without sin, I don't think we would of had the chance to encounter grace.

We know we will stumble. In fact, God promises us that we will stumble.'On this earth you will have many trials and sorrow.' but then in the same breath He spoke the words... 'But take heart! because I have overcome the world.' [John 16:33]
Ya! God is deep! It amazes me that He knows what has, is and still is to come. He knows the ending. When we are left in the unknown and confusion, Abba, gives us the insight through the Word. He tells us He knows. So, knowing that God already sees what will happen to each of us, brings me comfort, because I trust Him. He is good. Without there first being evil, He was good!!! Isn't that so great?

'For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the scriptures, we might have hope.' [Romans 15:4]

The other speaker that morning, was James Van Pelt. He is from Holland. His home and land and family had been corrupted by this war. He was a young boy, trapped in a battle that had no victory, because it was a fight created through hatred not through the desire of liberation. Honestly though....that was all I really got from that! His accent was very thick and I am terrible with accents for the life of me! But the things I was able to grasp, was that it was quite traumatic and in that time, he became so dependent on God. I wanted to talk to him after, but I didn't see how that would be possible with his speech. Darn!
Another verse hit me in psalms again!

"They spread a net for my feet - I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path - but they have fallen into it themselves." [57:6]

This evil that we hear ever year on this day, through the weeks arriving and following it. Such horror and brokenness. So many things not of God! But He takes these things, this sin that we host in our hearts and to Him He uses it. These times, He teaches us and loves us and says... I'm here, I'm molding you. I will save you when the time is right, I will come....My precious daughter Joan, I will help you! My strong son, James. I have never left you!
That it what I choose to believe in every part of me.
God asks us to trust Him in this hard time. In a time of war and hurt, because He will bring out something good through you. He has a plan, I know that if He did not, then He would step in and stop the unjust.....He has that power!
God in that day, in that hour, that moment spent to remember, I remember Your love for Your children. I remember the innocent and the guilty. We all need You, we all seek Your face. A pureness,  where there is no war, no brokenness....just You.