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Help my unbelief By MARY
JANE HOLT The story is told by Mark in his Gospel (the third book of the New Testament) of a father who sought help for his son. The boy apparently was prone to seizures. The father had asked the followers of Jesus, specifically the disciples, to heal his son, to no avail. So the father went to Jesus with his story. The way Mark quotes Jesus is very interesting: "You unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you. Bring him to me." The father brought the boy to Jesus with a description of his son's problem and closed with these words, according to Mark: "... but if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us!" Now get this: Jesus said, "'If You can!' All things are possible to him who believes." Then the father cried out, "I do believe; help my unbelief." Now, folks, that's me. All my life. I believe (to an extent) and I need ongoing help with my unbelief. It's a fact. And, if the truth be told, it could be that I'll be right there in the corner of Heaven one day trying to get a peek of those nail-scarred hands and wanting to hear the story firsthand. If my mom and dad had known me better at birth, I'm sure they would have considered naming me Thomasina. All this brings me to a request I have of you. I need you to help my unbelief. I need assistance finding information about the 91st Infantry Brigade of the U.S Expeditionary Army and WWI. The story is told of how this 91st Infantry Brigade (not to be confused with England's 91st Brigade) was preparing to enter combat in Europe. It is said that most of the men were "green soldiers" who had never seen combat. Its commander, reported to be a devout Christian, called an assembly of his men where he gave each a little card on which was printed the 91st Psalm. They agreed to recite the Soldiers' Psalm daily. Supposedly, the 91st Brigade was engaged in three of the bloodiest battles of World War I: Chateau Thierry, Belleau Wood, and the Argonne. While other American units similarly engaged had up to 90 percent casualties, it is said that the 91st Brigade did not suffer a single casualty! I understand this story is printed on the back cover of some printings of the little book "The Ultimate Guide - Psalm 91" by Brenda and Michael Pink. This is where you come in. Are there any WWI historians out there who can help me verify this story? Respond to me at mjhcolumn@aol.com. AND NOW, why does all this interest me? Since the 1980s, Psalm 91 has been "my" Psalm, with parts of it being perceived by me back then as a personal promise from God. I just heard last week, for the first time, that it has been considered the "Soldier's Psalm" for many, many long years. Read it and you will see why. For sure, that one is a no-brainer. Then consider if perhaps you might want to copy it onto a card, or small piece of paper, and keep it on your person in the coming months. You may want to claim its promises for you and yours, as well as for our leaders and soldiers. At the same time, however, I would caution you not to sit idle and rely only on God and faith for successful daily living. Have an active faith, and do go online and check out our government's advice at www.fema.gov/areyouready/ regarding national security emergencies. Duct tape may not be the answer for your safety and preservation in times of terrorist activity or war, then again, it just might be. You'd be surprised at all the uses there are for duct tape. Right now, it's holding my car window because the window-rolling-up-and-down-motor is broke and I have not had the inclination to give up my mode of transportation for a day or two in order to have it replaced. Truly from my heart, I ask you to seriously consider the safety and preservation of your family in the trying times that may lie ahead of us. Make preparations now so your basic needs can be met later, in a potential time of crisis any crisis, not just war. Thankfully, all this recent talk of war has not changed my lifelong motto which I share with you once again. I simply "plan to live like I'm going to live forever, but I actively live like today is all I've got."
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