Divine Intervention

Many people seek out their God in prayer for answers or help. At one point, I would have said I believe God is active in our lives, but now I know it for a fact. There are no accidents, but faults in decisions which one can learn from.

I came from a background where my mom was a loving mother who did not choose the best partner. She was passive while he was assertive. Darryl was her high school sweet heart and a tyrannical man. His family was known for abusing power, hell his father was a corrupt detective in the narcotics division. Looking back, I can remember stories of grandpa talking about framing kids to get arrests for recognition and praise. I could only imagine what else he did. Darryl’s brother would use the cop uniform to pull women over to get their number. Not sure what other scams he tried. Needless to say, I wasn’t raised with the best motives or lessons.

I had joined the United States Army when I was 18. I was sent to basic training at Fort Steward, Georgia. Our training group had about 220 men and one who was being held back. It was full of Americans from all corners of the country. We even had some people from Guam and the Philippines. There was one Muslim who had been held over. He graduated basic training, but for some reason, his orders never came. He was just in limbo.

There is a mix of cultures in Spokane, but it is nothing compared to western Washington. Also, growing up in a hateful and evil family, I never really met people of different cultures. While at basic, I found myself angry that a devout Muslim was in our ranks. Looking back, I would say I didn’t know enough or experienced enough. My childhood was full of drugs, alcohol, abuse, and not much in the way of positive experiences and meeting of people. This led to a shock I bet, but at least I didn’t hurt people.

For the life of me, I cannot remember the man’s name, I wish I did. Since September 11, 2001, I could remember all the news and stories, the slander of anyone with roots in the Middle East. They were targeted and attacked more than any other minority in many parts of the country. I wonder how many people wanted nothing to do with anyone deemed a Muslim. Week after week, I was always questioning myself, why is he here in our unit, why do they trust him? Of course, like most Christians, I had my prayers from time to time. Asking for help and understanding, for a better day tomorrow and so on.

In the last half of basic, I was assigned weapons guard duty with him while the rest went to chow. While we were standing there, he knelt down to pray the way he has always prayed. It was in that moment, I realized I didn’t understand or know anything about the Muslim faith. I had the random thought “Why do I not like this man? I haven’t seen him be anything but a brother to strangers.” It was that point I asked him “Hey, there are some things I don’t understand, can I ask you some questions.”

He was sincere and kind. As I asked question after question, about his faith, what Allah means, why they pray the way they do, etc. It wasn’t just at that guard duty, but for the next week or so, if I had any questions, he would answer them. He never judged or called me out, insulted me for not knowing anything about other cultures. He was a good brother helping another who needed it. When I asked how he felt about being a Muslim serving in a military that invaded the Middle East, he responded with “Yes, I am a Muslim, but I am also an American. I was born here, I grew up here, I love it here, and I want to make sure it is here for my children and their children’s children.” He wasn’t some crazy zealot, but a loving husband wanting to take care of his family and community. The military was his way of accomplishing that.

I believe the biggest lesson he taught me is “We are not defined by where we come from, but who we consciously decide to be every day.” Every minute, we can choose to be better, to do better. I wasn’t raised to be a proper gentleman, but it has been a cultivation of almost two decades of effort and discipline.

Social creatures that have tribes or herds, have always modified behavior to fit in, to conform. We watch people change drastically when they get into groups that deal heavily in drugs or crime. Sadly, our world is heavily divided, and people attack others with no regard to what is right or wrong. Maybe people try too hard to be accepted, they give up who they are or who they can become. This doesn't have to be.

Instead of this, we should continue to look for those who contribute to society. I am not talking about the radicals who scream and shout for a better tomorrow, but those who bring others to the better tomorrow. The people who uplift the down, bring warmth to the cold, feed the hungry, wipe away the tears and love unconditionally.

I truly wish I remember my fellow soldiers’ name; I want to give him proper tribute for who he is and what he did for me. I pray he remembers me and somehow runs into this message. I want him to know the good his compassion wasn’t in vain, it was passed on and in fact, impacted even more lives than he probably imagined.

I started this with God, and I will end it with him. Our Heavenly father cares for us and wants nothing more than to see us succeed, to love and be loved, to experience peace and joy in its fullest. When we pray for help to change or grow, we need to be open to his responses, willing to accept the hardships and have faith so that we can reach the end and receive what it is we truly need. I came from a hellish raising, instilled with horrendous thoughts, but that isn’t me. When we offer ourselves in service, we can be the impact someone needs and create the path for the future we all wish to embrace. One man did that for me, and I wish to continue doing that for other. This is the moment that had a big impact, and I will be forever thankful. Be safe brothers and sisters, know that you are not alone and we are here for you, God is here for you.