Day Writing by Heather Hamilton-Maude: With God

It felt like God reached down and squeezed my shoulder, or my hand, in that way my grandma used to. While I didn’t hear any words from Him, I could sense Him telling me, “This is going to be a long, hard road, kiddo. But, I made you in large part to walk it, and you will come out the other side victorious.”

This happened sometime as our situation with the federal government was ramping up last spring. And throughout the trying ordeal, I had a sense of peace and comfort in the depths of my soul that all would be alright.

He wasn’t kidding about the long and hard part. We rode the waves of media attention. The inability to speak for ourselves. The misinformation. The lack of interest by criminal attorneys while civil, private rights attorneys were actively engaged but unable to take on criminal cases. The shunning of numerous officials in capacities to help.

The emotional roller coaster seemed endless. Never slowing down as we also continued with our daily lives.

Then, in January or February of this year, everything calmed down and went silent. I couldn’t decide if that was better or worse. This went on for about two months – I can remember because our daughter broke her leg on February 6, and absolutely nothing happened for the six-week period she was in a full leg cast.

In early March I was praying, asking God if this was the time to be still, or to fight. I didn’t have a clear direction, didn’t know what else to try, or where to turn. We were mentally and emotionally fatigued.

I prayed to be given a direction.

A few months prior, my brother had sent me an app that included 20-minute podcasts by Pastor David Jeremiah. One March morning, the podcast I chose was Dr. Jeremiah preaching on David and Goliath. He emphasized that when Goliath moved toward David, David ran toward the giant.

And that was it.

I ran toward the giant one more time.

Good Friday arrived. The one-year anniversary from when USFS Special Agent Lunders and Patrol Captain Summers first arrived at our house to first visit with us. Only this year we were asked to send documentation to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. We were told our case was being reviewed by the White House. We rounded some invisible corner that day.

The next week a new lawyer, Brett Tolman, came on pro-bono. He first spoke with us on Wednesday and had the criminal charges dropped by Friday. We branded Saturday, were told we were going to Washington DC on Sunday, and flew out Tuesday.

God had it all lined it all up, and on Wednesday, April 30, we were the focus of Secretary Rollins’ first press conference, where she announced the dismissal of the criminal felony charges against us.

While this isn’t over, many of the impossible parts are. It had never happened and was “impossible” for the USFS to bring separate, criminal charges against a married couple over a civil issue. A hard thing to hear, repeatedly, as we faced exactly that.

The government is an impossible opponent. They will get you on something. It is practically impossible to get any criminal charge dropped.

But, we know and are proof that with God all things are possible, and all things work for good for those who know and love Him.

This victory is our miracle. We both delight in it, and are humbled by it.

Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

The everlasting God, the Lord, neither faints nor is weary.

His understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the weak,

And to those who have no might He increases strength.

Isaiah 40:28-29