He is our PROVIDER. {Darrell Bryant}

My friend Darrell tells his story like this:

ALONE!

​It was 1961, and I’d just returned home after an 18-month tour of duty overseas. Carol and I had been apart longer than we’d been married. We were like newlyweds adjusting to married life and getting to know each other again.
Day by day.

The USAF transferred us to Mt. Home AF Base just outside of Boise, Idaho.
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This story has been tucked away in the shadows of my memory for 62 years. We all have or will have tragedies, trials, and disappointments in our lives that test our relationships with each other and with God.

In 1962, Angel Sue became part of our family. Her birth was bitter-sweet. Angel was born with a heart defect. Medicine back then was not what it is today. Her heart was too small for corrective surgery. It would be 6-9 months before her heart would be large enough for the surgery she needed.

When she was 3 months old, her heart condition became critical. She needed medical care that was not available in Boise. Carol and Angel were flown by the USAF to Fitzsimons Hospital in Denver, Colorado. I followed via car with Kathy arriving early the next morning. The USAF had quartered Carol in an efficiency apartment. When I turned onto the street where she was staying, I could see Carolyn standing on the sidewalk. I knew the moment I saw her standing there that Angel had not made it through the night.

My memory of what happened over the next few days has been limited with the passing of time. God knows the weight of the burdens we can bear. This I do remember. We went to the infant section of a department store to shop for a dress. This dress would not be one that Angel would wear at Christmas, at Easter, or on her birthday. Carolyn held up a dress and with a low voice, almost a whisper, she said, “Do you like this one?” I can still see the look on her face. Outwardly, she was strong and calm, but I could hear the pain in her voice and see the heartache in her eyes.

It is remarkable how the strength of love can lift you up and give you the will to endure and overcome. This moment in our lives bound us together, forever as one. We were alone in a strange city. No friends. No church. No family. Just the three of us. At that time, we were relying on the strength of each other. Looking back, I can see the hand of God was working in our lives. We were not alone. God knew our needs.

Arrangements had to be made. Our funds were limited. I didn’t know what I had do to, or how I was going to get it done. I was trapped in my inability to cope with the circumstances I found myself in. I believe that God sometimes puts us in a situation where we have no escape. I was alone, helpless, worried, stressed, and confused. Anxiety, the birthplace of fear, leads to panic and heavy burdens that we need not to carry. On bended knee, with words soaked in tears, I pled for God’s help.

The Holy Spirit, knowing what lay in my broken heart must have rushed my prayer to the Lord and whispered my request into His ear, “Darrell and Carol need Your help.” Sometimes we have to wait for answered prayer. This was not one of those times.

It was a matter of hours when I was told by the hospital staff that Someone made arrangements for Angel to be flown home to Michigan City, Indiana, for her funeral service. We drove home arriving the next day.

Someone had made the funeral arrangements. Someone had purchased Angel’s casket. Someone purchased the cemetery plot. Someone purchased the headstone. I do not know to this day who that SOMEONE was.

No one stepped forward and said, “I am Someone”.  I believe it was one or more of my five godly uncles.

​This I do know, God was there. He provided. He was my Someone. 

Psalm 57: 1-2 says, 
1 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. 2 I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.

Carol and I have never been alone. Jesus, our Salvation; the Holy Spirit, our Comforter; and God, our Heavenly Father, have always been our friends. You cannot ask for three better friends. They will never leave you alone.

God is our provider.

When peace like a river attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well with my soul

In the midst of life's challenges, and uncertainties, and even in times of abundance, let us find solace in knowing that our heavenly Father cares for us.

In Matthew 6:26, Jesus tells us to look at the birds of the air: "They do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" This passage reveals the heart of our Father, who provides for every creature, including you and me. We are His beloved children, and He takes delight in caring for us.

“Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me, for I take refuge in you. I will seek refuge in the shadow of your wings until the danger passes. I call to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me. He reaches down from heaven and saves me, challenging the one who tramples me. God sends His faithful love and truth.”  Psalm 57:1-3

The cry of a father for his daughter echoes as a cry from a child of God to his heavenly Father. To give answers for the loss of a child is foolish– to know and understand is practically impossible. 

For Darryl and Carol God stepped in and provided to meet physical needs. In this case “someone” provided to cover physical and financial needs that were overwhelming and impossible. How many times does God use “someone?” 

David says “I call to God Most High”  and “God sends His faithful love and truth.” When you are in the middle of your moment or season call out to God Most High.

Moreover, God's provision extends far beyond material blessings. He provides comfort in times of sorrow, strength in moments of weakness, and wisdom when we lack understanding. When we abide in Him, our souls find rest, knowing that our Father is taking care of us.

So, my dear friend, whatever you may be facing today, trust that it is well with your soul because God is your provider. Lift up your eyes to Him, cast your cares upon Him, and allow His peace to wash over you. He is faithful, and He will make a way.

May you find comfort, strength, and joy in knowing that your heavenly Father is with you, guiding your steps and providing for every aspect of your life. Rest in His loving embrace, and let your soul sing praises for His abundant provision.

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