When he was about six or seven years old we
stood talking in the kitchen….
just mom and son.
Suddenly he turned to me with the most serious
expression and without hesitation announced,
“Someday I’m going to be in the army mommy.
It will be my way of thanking the United States
for letting me come home to you.”
I remember the day like it was yesterday…
yet it was more than a couple of decades ago.
He never wavered in his decision,
yet determinedly pursued his heartfelt desire
and lived up to those words he spoke so long ago.
When September 11th, 2001 occurred, he was riveted
by it all and if the military would have taken him,
he would have gone immediately.
Tears are making it difficult to type this.
It’s his 8th time over there at this moment
and this mama is feeling every bit of it.
Today we pause to think of those who have given their lives
for our country over the years.
Selflessly.
Sacrificially.
Solely.
Willingly.
They understood what the ultimate price could be.
Yet they choose to serve anyway.
As a teenager in the early 70s there was a popular
song called “Tie a Yellow Ribbon ’round the Old Oak Tree”…
although the original intent was not for the military
somewhere in there the song took on an entirely
new meaning….
During the start of the Gulf War in 1991,
families, loved ones and businesses
would put up yellow ribbons to assure the service person
deployed overseas that when they returned from their deployment
they were waiting for them…
they were wanted and loved.
Our yard doesn’t have an old oak tree,
but the palms have yellow ribbons…
It is therapeutic for me to put them up each time…
and I would love to think that it causes our
neighbors to know that we are one of
“those” families with a hero in it
and we are waiting.
While we wait we pray….
Known to us as
son
friend
brother
husband
daddy
our family’s hero…
May Almighty God minister to you in your inner man,
precious son,
may He surround you with His guardian angels,
may He give you wisdom that surpasses understanding,
may He give you strength,
may He be your shield,
your comfort,
your peace
your fortress,
a very present help in any need you might have
and
may you and your men come home.
Safely.
Together.
We are so proud of you,
and we love you oh-so-much
and we always, always, always miss you!!
Are you a military family?
I would love to pray specifically for your loved one,
whether they are deployed or not at the moment…
Please leave a comment…
Thank your loved one and thank you for being a military family.
Please thank your loved one for their service.
We are America only because of the sacrifices made over
the hundreds of years by ordinary heroes
who were extraordinarily brave and
who loved enough to lay down their lives…
Thank you Tyler….I pray for you while you are away from home….I have friends
that are and have been in one or the other of the special ops, seals, green berets, etc.
over the yrs and I am grateful for your service both to us and to those who you help
become free from tyranny….
I pray for the families that wait at home….
God Bless you….
Love from NC
Thank you for your prayers Sandy.
My son is in the Air Force. He will be going back to the Middle East in a few months.
I will pray for your son. Let me know when he goes. In the meantime we pray for the training {sometimes just as dangerous}.
We are a long serving Military family and I so appreciate your sentiments and I know the fear of a son who serves, Today I am asking for your prayers for a friend, Julie and her family. You see Julie's husband Gordon has been deployed inn AFG since October 2013 for the first time. Julie birthed her 3rd daughter without the support of her husband With her parents two hours away, which for military family is close, they stepped in and brought comfort and help. Yesterday, Jule's passed away suddenly and unexpectedly
What devastation! I pray God's mercy and grace is apparent. Who can understand?
My 19 year old son, who came home to us from Vietnam when he was 5 months old, is a US Marine, currently stationed at Camp Lejuene, NC. I can imagine the pride and the fright that comes with having a son deployed. God bless your family.
Thank you your son for our family Liz. So grateful for young people who love America that much!
Praying with you for his safe return. My husband is active duty Air Force, and although he had many deployments early in our marriage, I am very thankful that we have gotten to have him home for awhile. My prayer is he will get to stay with us in his last year before retiring; it's so nice to have him here while our littles are young. I am one weak mama without my wingman, and I will never take his presence for granted, as I know so many do not have that luxury.
I am so thankful for your family and your husband's service. Please thank him for us. Grateful his deployments have finished!
Thank you for your post! We are retired military and our son will be graduating from ROTC this time next year. So for now, just a thank you for your son and his sacrifice. I'll pray for him. Blessings, sue
Thank you for serving our country as a family. Our family is grateful.
Thinking of you, Linny, and praying for his safety….
Thank you Penny. I am grateful for your prayers.
We are a very proud military family!! my husband has been in over 12 years,he has spent 3 deployments, 3 years in Iraq we are so blessed he is home, praying for your sweet family as well!
Tiffany – Please thank your husband for us and thank you as a family for your service. We are so grateful.
Kudos to your son. Both my husband and I were in the Air Force, which is where we met. Never deployed although after I got off maternity leave, we filled out paperwork since the shah or Iran was making some trouble. Oh my! I just had a baby and I was in mobility squadron. But we didn't go. But I would've gone. Phil never went anywhere. Never knew, that's why we were there. An interesting time in our lives. We've been out for years. Prayers for you and your son. Hugs!
Becky, Thank you to both you and your husband for your service. I'm tearing up as I type. We do not take it lightly, whether you deployed or not, you were wiling. Bless you.
thanks, Linny! Hugs!
My brother Sam joined the Air Force, and would have served proudly with our brother Noah. He's currently in Tech School and will leave for his first assignment overseas (not a deployment, just a duty station) later this summer. I appreciate the prayers. In addition to his safety, will you specifically pray that the Lord will place Godly men on every turn in his path to mentor and guide him?
Oh Ab. I well with more tears remembering your precious Noah. Please thank Sam for us and yes, he will go on our prayer board…for a Godly man/mentor to minister to him as he serves. xo
My husband, Josh.
Jamie, thank your husband Josh and we will pray for him. Thank you for serving as a family. May almighty God bless you abundantly for your sacrificial love for others.
This is so beautiful. My brother James is in the Air Force and is currently deployed overseas. He thankfully is not in a dangerous place but still not on American soil. He gets back in June after being gone 6 months this time. I couldn't be more proud of him.