The One Who Goes Ahead

"The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you, He will be with you, He will not fail you or for-sake you.  Do not fear or be dismayed."  Deuteronomy 31:8

After sharing some of the events of this week, a friend sent me the above verse.  It was a summation of what I had seen but even more a reminder for the days to come.  I have seen in the past week God going ahead of Peter.  And I have no doubt there are other ways he is doing it that I am not aware of.

When Peter came home from his first mental hospital visit less than a month ago he was impaired by the long acting shot that he had been given.  The side effects during the first week or so had turned him into what resembled a little old man with Parkinson.  Peter would often go for a walk and sometimes I would go with him.  On Saturday he went walking while I went walking with a friend.  Midway through the walk I had a call from Peter's phone.  On the line was a police officer.  Peter had tripped and though he was fine, someone driving  by stopped to check and wasn't convinced he was okay.  Peter really did look very drugged at that time.  She called the police to come check on him.  Peter feeling unable to verbally communicate, dialed me and gave an officer the phone.  I was able to explain what was going on.  The police officers walked Peter home and waited until I got there.  Again I was able to explain that Peter was experiencing side effects from Haldal.  I confess at the time it felt like the call had been overkill.  Peter's trip was minor and he was fine. 

What I didn't realize was that it was God going before Peter.  This past Monday when Peter in his psychotic state, was causing a disturbance at a local retailer, the Police were called.  Guess who one of the officers was?  Yep, one of the police officers who we met a few weeks ago  was called to the store.  He recognized Peter and knew he took medication for mental illness. The officers determined Peter needed the hospital over jail and the officers  called me right away so that I was able to be at the hospital for Peter's admission.  Without the familiar officer present, it could have been a different story.

That is one of the things God did to go before this latest episode.  There are others like how normally I would not have seen Peter Monday morning before I went to work. However Peter was parked behind my car and I went to ask him to move  it.  In that interchange I knew he was in crisis and that I needed to stay home that morning.  I am sure God has done many other things I don't know about and is continuing to "go before" us in this journey.

In spite of believing this scriptural truth, I am amazed at how often I forget and started fretting or fixing.  I so often cry with the father in Mark 9 "I believe!  Help my unbelief!"  I believe God will bring about good in this really painful and unwanted story.  I believe God will have the victory and receive the glory. I believe God is going before Peter in every bit of his life story.  I believe God will equip me and supply my needs as I walk along side of him. But Oh Lord help my unbelief!!!