Green Light

24th July and I was outfield for the second of three consecutive camps in three weeks. After a late evening jungle ambush exercise, one of my section mates lost the blade of his entrenching tool and we all began searching the area for it. The sun was setting, the blade was black, and my section mate could not find it after retracing his steps. There was little hope of any of us finding it in the vegetation.


God, can you help us find the blade?


Yes. And you will be the one to find it. It’s nearer than you think.


I made that prayer silently, and that answer immediately popped into my head. I continued searching, still doubting if that was really God’s answer, and if the blade could ever be found. Light failed, my sergeant called off the search and asked us to return to the track.


Told you I won’t find it.


I continued shining the torch on the ground as I made my way back to the group standing beside the track -just to be sure- but didn’t find it on the way. As I rejoined the section, I noticed the blade on the floor in front of me- in the middle of the group. And no one had seen it.




As we walked back in the dark, I just could not stop smiling. It was overwhelming.


Is there anything else you want to ask for?


Yes actually, I lost my torch’s green light filter. Can you help me find it?


I had just seen a miracle. I had just heard God talk to me. And I was ready to believe that anything was possible with him.


Over the next two days I searched the area where I slept, which was where I lost the green light filter. But right till the last day, all I found was a blue one. And honestly, I was very disappointed. After all that happened that night, I had no idea why God could not just confirm my belief that he was really speaking to me.




“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”
James 1:5-6


I spoke to my pastor some time later about this passage in James. Why is it when I asked God but did not believe that I could find the blade, I did, but when I asked and so believed that I would find my green light filter, I didn’t? I left church that day feeling some awkwardness in my spirit.


Since that day, every time an instinctive answer popped into my head after I made a prayer, I would ignore it. My faith in God was not shaken, but my newly found belief that he spoke directly to me was. After all, it could just be my subconscious understanding of God that replied in a way that could make myself believe it was his answer.


This week, I found a yellow light filter on the first floor while in camp.


Are you kidding me?


I held the filter with a disappointed smile on my face. Then a thought came into my head. I went up to my bunk, slotted the blue filter into the torch, squeezed the yellow filter in, and turned it on.


Are you kidding me?

Blue and Yellow… make green.