Posted on 08/18/2004 9:52:56 AM PDT by NYer
On April 11, 2004, I was in St. Sharbel
Parish in Warren, Michigan, when I saw
Tommy Hamill on the TV. It was Easter.
Tommy Hamill was kidnapped on
April 9, 2004. It was Good Friday.
“This was out of my hand. I trusted that
God would work this out.” Tommy said.
When I saw this guy, I felt like fire in my heart to pray for his freedom.
I started praying asking the Lord on his day of resurrection to deliver
this man from his captors: “Lord, as you set Peter free from the prison,
I believe that you can set Tommy free.”
His captors said to him: “If you deny your
faith and become muslim, we will offer you
a woman and a store in Baghdad.”
Tommy said to them: “I have my God and
He has a Son and his name is Jesus Christ,
and I stand by my God. I am a Christian
and I’ve been with my wife for 17 years.
My God will bring me back to my country.”
Tommy thought about St. Peter who was in prison and how the angel of
the Lord set him free.
After hearing that, they
wouldn’t talk to him for
three days. They were
very upset.
I kept praying for Tommy, and when I heard about the Italian hostage
who got killed by his captors, I intensified my prayers: “Lord Jesus, don’t
let Tommy to die before he comes to know you. Let him experience
your mercy and love.”
Tommy said to me: “I wasn’t anxious, no fear. I felt the peace of the
Lord.” He felt the presence of God and the prayers of his family and
those who love him.
One day, his captors left the room leaving their weapons on the table.
The devil tried to tempt Tommy saying: “If you use these weapons and
kill them, you will be free.” But Tommy rejected the devil’s suggestion,
saying: “I did not come to Iraq to take lives but to do good. I am not a
soldier but a worker.
I believe that God will set me free at the proper time.”
On May 2, 2004, Tommy
escaped his captors.
“After hearing the sound
of [the American] Humvees
nearby, [Tommy] kicked down
a metal- plate door propped
up by a piece of wood and
made a stumbling dash across
tomato fields with only socks
on his feet. He was shouting I’m
an American, I’m an American POW and he was waving his shirt
above his head.” (NBC News)
It was Sunday, I was in St. Sharbel Parish Warren, Michigan, when
I heard the good news that Tommy escaped his captors. It is hard
to express the joy I felt that day. God answered the prayers of many
people.
Tommy came home.
When you pray for someone, you build a strong spiritual relationship
with this person.
Therefore, I decided to go and visit him. It was on July 5, 2004, when
I went with my friend Gary to see Tommy.
Tommy welcomed us. He shared
his story with us and I shared
mine with him. I offered him
the Imitation of Christ book to
be his companion in his journey.
Tommy’s experience was the
beginning of a journey with the
Lord. God is preparing him for
something great.
Tommy forgave his captors. He
would like to see them one day.
He said, “I would like to go back
one day and thank my captors
because they treated me well.
They never mistreated me.”
During his captivity, he was feeling peace. His peace and his
zero fear made his captors confused.
Tommy and Kelly offered us dinner.
And after dinner, we prayed
together in private.
Kelly told me that she had a dream
on the same day her husband was
captured. Tommy came into her
dream saying: “I am OK”.
Kelly had another dream before he
was released.
He said to her: “Don’t worry, I’m gonna be home soon.” Kelly was
completely at peace.
His mother had a dream weeks before he was captured: “Something
bad is gonna happen but everything will be OK.”
The mother said that on Good Friday, the day Tommy was kidnapped,
the very special antique clock started ringing and ringing and ringing
like Church bells without any reason.
Tommy is a very humble person. He
is not a preacher. He is not a minister.
“I don’t know what to talk” he said.
But people are moved to tears when
he speaks about his experience with
God during his captivity.
There is a power that comes out of
him.
“Tommy, your experience is the beginning of a long spiritual journey
with the Lord. God is preparing you for the mission in his Church.”
What we learn from your experience,
Tommy, is to have Faith in God, to cry
out to Him when we are in trouble,
and to trust in Him, in the way he leads
us to salvation.
What I personally learned from the
whole experience was the power of
prayer.
When you pray for someone, you build
a strong spiritual relationship with this
person.
PSALM 26 (27)
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom do I fear? The LORD is
my life's refuge; of whom am I afraid?
When evildoers come at me to devour my flesh, These my enemies
and foes themselves stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me, my heart does not fear; Though
war be waged against me, even then do I trust.
One thing I ask of the LORD; this I seek: To dwell in the LORD'S house
all the days of my life, To gaze on the LORD'S beauty, to visit his
temple.
For God will hide me in his shelter in time of trouble, Will conceal me
in the cover of his tent; and set me high upon a rock.
Even now my head is held high above my enemies on every side!
I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and chant
praise to the LORD.
I Hear my voice, LORD, when I call; have mercy on me and answer
me.
"Come," says my heart, "seek God's face"; your face, LORD, do I seek!
Do not hide your face from me; do not repel your servant in anger.
You are my help; do not cast me off; do not forsake me, God my
savior! Even if my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will take
me in. LORD, show me your way; lead me on a level path because of
my enemies.
Do not abandon me to the will of my foes; malicious and lying
witnesses have risen against me. But I believe I shall enjoy the LORD'S
goodness in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the LORD!
More about Tommy Hamill: thomas-hamill-news.newslib.com
A beautiful faith story.
NYer, this story is beautiful and inspirational. Eva, I thought you could use some examples of dreams coming from the Lord.
That's a testament to faith if I ever saw one. God was looking out for him.
Great story! Glad you enjoyed it. We can learn much from this man's tremendous faith.
It is a great testament to faith. When I heard he had been kidnapped and saw the video of him in the car, I knew this man would survive.
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