Courageous Faith (Part One): Darkest Night

“The God of the Bible is not weak; He is strong. He is all-mighty. Nothing happens without His permission or apart from His purposes – even evil. Nothing disturbs or puzzles Him. His purposes are always accomplished. Therefore those who know Him rightly act with boldness, assured that God is with them to accomplish his own desirable purposes in their lives.”

(James Boice)

(October 20, 1991)

Jeremiah 29: 11 tells us…

“For I know the plans I have for you”, says the Lord. “Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.”

It was chilly night in October. A few minutes past midnight. My Daddy always told me, “Nothing good happens after midnight.” He was right. Sort of…

I had been to a party on a college campus. The party scene wasn’t my norm, but I made an exception… there were friends I hadn’t seen in a while. The campus being unfamiliar to me, I called ahead to make sure I knew where I was going. My friend’s dorm (that I was staying with) was on one side of the campus… the party was on the other.

Once I got over there, I immediately felt uncomfortable, but I hung around to visit with old friends. After about another hour or so, I had had about enough of the scene. I told my friends I was going to head on back to the other side… they talked me into staying another hour. I finally left around 11:45 pm. I drove back to my friend’s dorm, but being Sunday night (my school was on Fall Break, her school was not) there were ABSOLUTELY NO Parking spaces. I drove around for a while hoping that someone would move out and I could park there. No one ever did. So I drove to an adjacent lot looking for a spot. Nothing.

I ended up going a little farther down and finding a spot at the back of a dark lot behind another set of dorms. I began to make the trek back to familiar territory.

As I neared the back of the building, I heard a voice. As most scared 19 year old girls would do, that late at night, in unfamiliar territory, I began to pick up the pace… Trying to get around that building and into the light as fast as I could. I was not successful. Before I knew it, I was lying on the ground, with a tall dark shadow above me. The next 30 minutes, or so, became my worst nightmare.

All of a sudden, a large group of students rounded the back of the building, making a lot of noise. I remember the sound of raucous laughter filling the air… the perpetrator immediately got up, and ran off. I didn’t waste any time, either. I got back to my friends dorm, and announced that I was going to take a shower. She asked, “Didn’t you take one before you left?” I said, “Yeah. But I need another.” As I desperately tried to cleanse my body, I prayed to Jesus with all my heart. “Lord, please let me be okay. Please take care of me and this entire situation. Please wrap me in your comfort, your strength, and your peace”. I put on my PJs, crawled into bed, and cried myself to sleep.

Really, God? A hope and a future? Even through this?? I don’t understand how that could be. It feels like I have been robbed of all I hoped for… everything I’ve ever dreamed… But I trust you, Jesus. With everything.