Eplilogue

                                 Epilogue   

    For James it seemed like a lifetime had passed since he had made that decision to leave everything that he knew behind and go towards a new and different future. It had only been a few short years ago, but already his life and future had changed in ways that he sometimes found hard to believe... and yet he knew in his heart that this was only the beginning of his journey. So James spent some of his quiet time with the Lord each day pondering what the future might now hold in store for him. James knew that God was in control, but he still wondered about what the future held in store for him personally. What would be asked of him now?  Had he done all the things that God wanted him to do by simply standing firm in his faith at the Academy? Was it possible that those small changes on the Hill were all that God needed from him or was there more to be done?

     As the day approached for them to depart to their new duty assignments James often found the biggest question was simply, what was next? Though he heard no immediate answer; James knew that God did indeed have the answers to his questions. And he knew that in due time God would reveal the answers to all of those questions too. For now all that James could be certain of was that he must go and do what was asked of him by his commanders. Until God was ready to show him something more that was his only duty. The world had changed for James during the few short years he had been away from his home, but somehow the reason he had left home hadn't changed at all. He still felt that he had a duty towards his nation and his God.

    James had heard the command to go when he had been struggling to decide about what his future should be after high school. James knew that he must go once more. He had obeyed that first simple command to go. He had gone to the Academy. Now in spite of all that had happened to him, all that had changed for him and his future, that simple message still hadn't changed. God had told him to go and it would soon be time for him to do that again. It would be time to go into another new and different world. A world where the God James knew and loved was often condemned; a world where those who followed God were cast out and even killed. James would be going into a world where faith and religion had been causing great conflicts for centuries. While James was eager to go; he was also concerned about what he might be facing once he was there.

   Would his faith become a burden he couldn't carry? Would he be asked to hide his faith? Could he do that if he was asked? He had so many questions and so few answers. Then there was also another concern for him; one that had only recently been added to his life. That was Sarah, his wife. She was going into the same new world with him. She would be facing the same changes and challenges that he had ahead of him. But in many ways it would be even more difficult for her, simply because she was a woman. James knew only a little about what was expected and even that little was enough to make him worry. It had been hard leaving behind his family and friends to go to the Academy. Now he was going to not only leave his wife behind for a time; he would have to let her go into an unknown world alone too. It was one thing to face the unknown, but James was finding it much more difficult to let someone he loved face it without him. No matter how much he wanted to trust God it was hard to let go of someone that you loved and let God take over protecting them for you.

    In the end James came to understand that all of his concerns didn't really matter at all. James had known the truth all along, but it was hard to stay focused on that truth in a world filled with complications and distractions from that truth. The truth was that God was in control of everything. God always had been and always would be. That was the simple truth of it all. The only concern that should matter was to be obedient to God. God would take care of everything if we would simply obey God without question. God had sent James to the Academy and that had brought James to this place in his life. Maybe James didn't know what the future held for him, but God did know. That was all James needed to know and truly believe. As long as he could hold onto his faith in God, James could do whatever he had to do. No matter where James was deployed God would be there too. Once James worked all of those thoughts out in his mind and heart he found the peace that he had been seeking. James would go where he was told to go and do what he was called to do by his commanders for his nation... and leave everything else in God's hands, because God was in control.