In the midst of battle chaos, confusion and fear reign supreme. When we watched The Patriot with our daughter, she was shocked at the battle scenes. Throngs of men marching across open fields towards enemy lines, guns on their shoulders as the enemy fires away with canons, stepping over dead comrades. If you were one of the more fortunate ones to be in the middle of the pack, all you would see is soldiers to every side of you. You would hear the chaos in front of you, feel the ground shake with the impact of cannon balls destroying life and earth without prejudice. One foot in front of the other, with no clear picture of what was happening. And then the command is given to fire, and all hell breaks loose. The command was given, and the soldiers obey. Defying rational and reason. In spite of the chaos, confusion, and fear.

I don’t know about you, but it seems like everyone I know is in the midst of a battle. I’ve faced my fair share here recently too. Most of mine seem to come in the form of medical issues for me and my family. I can’t even begin to add up the hours I’ve spent in hospitals and doctor’s offices just this year. All too often chaos, confusion and fear where my constant companions. Putting one foot in front of the other, looking from side to side, getting rocked by the explosions around me.

Chaos confusion and fear…well, that is if you are in the midst of it. The commanders sit atop a hill and views the whole battlefield. They can see that the enemy is clearly outnumbered and on the verge of surrendering. All though their hearts break for the lives lost they can see the bigger picture. The freedom that waits on the other side of this battle. Our Commander doesn’t just sit on the hilltop and view our battles though. He comes and walks them with us and still has a perfect view of all things. He knows the beginning and the end. He knows what, when and how this battle will end. He knows the freedom that is waiting on the other side. Our duty is to trust in Him through the chaos. He’s commanded us to trust Him and follow Him. He’s promised that we will have battles in our lives but that He has the ultimate victory, and we will be partakers of that victory with Him.

As I walked through battles this year, I could see God’s hand in the midst of them. When Justin’s lung collapsed back in May, it completely exploded all his plans. In the ER room after the diagnosis, frustration, anger, sorrow, and fear grabbed a hold of us. Jason and I stood over Justin’s bed, and we all prayed and cried, and then put one foot in front of the other. Following our marching orders. Knowing that our Commander had a plan and a purpose through the chaos.

After the battle is won the survivors look back and can catch glimpses of the greater plan. The pain from the battle is still there. The scars and events from that battle will live with them for the rest of their lives. But being able to see the plan through the chaos helps give them peace and builds trust in their commander. The next battle they have a little more confidence in the orders they are given.

While the doctors were doing imaging for Justin’s collapsed lung, they found he had an aortic aneurysm that could have potentially been fatal if he had carried on with his plans. What we see as chaos, is God’s never-failing plan for our lives.