It was a dicey mission at best, there had already been a potential of attacks against the hospital (stolen drugs, needless murder of those in beds needing help, Doctors killed)…a hotbed of insurgency that we were sent to help clean up.

The hospital sat in a small section of winding roads in the middle of a community of stacked homes and winding alley ways. We knew going in that there were several potential issues: there was a very talented, very trigger happy sniper in the area, there were daisy chains (hot looped artillery rounds used to efficiently kill as many US Service members as possible at one time), and wired buildings (the hope is to draw fire at a unit or squad (not really intending to hit anyone) thereby forcing them into a pre-wired building to collapse the building on them at one time, and suicide bombers who had contracted the AIDS virus (making them a biological weapon). Needless to say we were on alert!

We arrived to help build a secure entrance to the hospital and secure the facility to allow the community to get the services that they needed. The facility had recently been hit very hard and there were still remnants of the insurgent and his victims for hundreds of meters. While off loading the bullet proof sheets (4’x8’ and very heavy) we moved our vehicles and a friend of mine got tangled up and ultimately drug about 25 meters by his humvee. He was ok, and ended up only having a twisted ankle. He took a post behind us while we built up the area along with some very scared Iraqi police. We began taking sporadic small arms fire and we established a forward line identifying sectors of fire for defense.

To my right a can of yellow smoke was “popped” to create cover, more small arms fire, then a can of purple. While myself and another Soldier were walking between vehicles to verify the “kill zone” we turned to head back to our FLOT (forward line of troops). As I turned something to my two o’clock drew my attention and through the smoke I could see an insurgent sighting me with a loaded RPG…it is true that you things like pictures of Jesus, your wife, and your children flash before you and then CRACK CRACK CRACK…I closed my eyes and waited for the blast because it was too quick for me to even raise my weapon. The Lord had my friend get injured, and that left him a clean shot…then from the other side a belt fed weapon exploded from the rear…we took off running and I am embarrassed to say that I could not stop laughing….

That night as I sat drinking a bottle of water, replaying that sight over and over in my mind I reached into my “bug-out” bag and grabbed the camouflaged bible in a Ziploc bag and a large Blackhorse on its cover, thanked my Heavenly Father for the struggle, for His grace, for my wife and my children, and I read…

[5] I lay down and slept;
I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.
[6] I will not be afraid of many thousands of people
who have set themselves against me all around.
(Psalm 3:5-6 ESV)

The Lord will never leave you when you are His. No matter the challenge, no matter the circumstance, He is always Sovereign, and is always faithful. When you feel like life is over, weather it is because you are facing an enemies weapon or you are facing one of many weapons from the enemy – God the Father is with you and He loves you as His own child. As Piper says He thinks of you specifically, and He died for you because He loves you that much…please remember that nothing is more important than Jesus bleeding for you, His chosen child whom He washed clean with His blood.

Precious Jesus,

I cannot imagine the pain, the suffering, the heartbreak, or the love that You endured for us – Your children. I pray that we never forget that and that we would live each moment like we have not forgotten but that we rejoice in that very fact. I pray that we would be contagious with your love for the lost. I thank you and I praise you, and it is in your precious amazing name that I pray…Amen.

Adrian “AG” Green