Yesterday I was out and about with the kids when I learned that there was a group of over a dozen servicemen who had just landed at our airport.
These weren’t any servicemen.
They were young men who had lost either leg, arm or both.
I was heading home anyway, and so I navigated the van as quickly as I could with littles in tow to the airport. I thought we would stand nearby and cheer for them and if close enough, thank them for their service.
Unfortunately we were not there in time to see them.
But Autumn had been working and she was able to help them off the plane. She said it was an overwhelming sight. Each of them were right about her age {very handsome too – so our 21 year old single said!}
Each had been permanently and profoundly wounded. One of her co-workers had to excuse himself as he was too moved to help.
Autumn said that when they came out from behind security into the lobby, everyone stood and clapped.
I was so bummed that I had missed them.
We have no idea why they are here,
but our city is a recreation place nestled against the Rocky Mountains, so my guess is that someone
has provided a place of rest for these young
men who are putting their lives back together again.
I have been praying for them since I heard of them and I have been wondering just how much we appreciate the servicemen and women on foreign soil? Or how much we are willing to help care for their spouses and children waiting at home?
And just how thankful are we that the war on terrorism has not been on US Soil since September 11, 2001?
I am well aware that it is not Memorial Day, nor is it Veteran’s Day, but really sweet friends, it ought to be Memorial Day/Veteran’s Day every single day of the year.
Our hearts should be praying for these
brave men and women who have
dedicated their lives to protecting our country.
Our children should be hearing the stories of
these brave men and women
who have sacrificed so much for us.
Until our son joined the Armed Forces I really never was very aware of how difficult their service is. We were flag-waving Americans but we just really didn’t understand what serving
in our military would mean.
But now we have a speck of a clue:
Our son has missed Christmas – three years in a row. He has missed Thanksgivings and he has missed every major birthday. He has missed Mother’s Days and Father’s Days. He is not always been depl*yed all of those particular days, but his service does not permit him to travel at will. Other times his unit is on high alert and on call.
The families that all military have are profoundly affected by the call of duty. One friend of mine’s husband is about to d*ploy. She is heading with her three little children to live with her parents on the opposite side of the country while her husband is away. It will be nearly a year that she will be there. A few week vacation while hubby is away could be considered an exciting time, but packing up three little children for almost a year while your husband protects our country?
I don’t think so.
One day I was asking our son about what it is like when he goes on a mission. He said, “Well mom, we always start with prayer.” I was dumbfounded. Really? Yes, his Special Forces group even has a specific prayer that each knows. Really? I said, “But what if someone doesn’t believe?” He said, “Mom, before a mission, everyone wants to pray!”
Wow.
In fact, he told me how they were about to go on a mission. A fellow Christian said, “I will pray today.” His prayer went something like this, “Protect us Lord, Give us complete safety, wisdom, strength, and Lord, I am ready to meet you, if someone has to die on this mission, please let it be me.”
With great pain of heart, I tell you that that young man was praying a prophetic prayer. There was a death on that mission. The young man who had prayed. He left behind a beautiful wife and two small children.
Can we even comprehend it?
So my thoughts return to those young men that arrived in our city yesterday. And I have to wonder: Have we prayed for those in the military today? Their families? Those in authority who make life and death decisions on a daily basis?
It’s too easy to forget when we walk easily about our free nation. We get to do what we want when we want. Every Sunday we get to worship in the church we want.
Frankly, it’s far to easy to forget that there are over 6,000 families who have lost loved ones since the war started right after September 11th, 2001. It’s too easy not to think that there are young 20-something men and women learning to walk with prosthetic legs or how to grasp their wife’s hand with a prosthetic hand. It’s beyond our comprehension, yet this is their life.
Please pray with me for our military and their families. Pray for even their training missions here at home – they are sometimes deadly as well! Pray for grace. For strength. For peace. That all would have opportunity to come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior and that our nation would turn back to Almighty God before it’s too late.
And if you are a past or present military family. Thank you! If I could, I would invite you all to our home and throw a gigantic thank you party!! You guys are our heroes!! And from the bottom of our hearts, this family says,
“We do NOT take your sacrifice lightly.
We pray for you and yours!”
Before I was born, my daddy led his platoon onto Omaha beach. It was a day that changed him forever. He was a highly decorated soldier, and when he died, the head officer of the CT veterans heard about my dad's service, not just on D Day, but other strategic things as well. He told his men that THIS was ONE funeral he HAD to be at…he apparently never attends when they are asked to do a gun salute, etc. I was proud that he realized the depth of my Dad's service to his country. Daddy carried pieces of shrapnel in his shoulder his whole life…a vivid visual reminder of his service.
Thanks Linny for always being there, supporting our serviceman. They deserve it, and then some!
Hugs…Nancy in CT
My oldest son turned 35 this year… it was the first birthday since he was 17 that he was home with family to celebrate his birthday… He has been in the service since then. And we ,as their families, can never really know exactly what they go through… I want to thank all of you soldiers out there too… with out you America would not be America…Thank you for this post it was beautiful!
Blessings
Linny thank you for the post. I'm a military wife, now retired, but I sent my husband to Ir@q 3 months after we married He was responsible for 750 troops, his goal was bring 750 troops home alive. Thankfully he did. He's never been the same, nor will he ever be the same man I said goodbye too April 8, 2006.
There is a saying "when a soldier goes to war, the family goes to war." It is so true. We may not be on foreign soil doing the fighting, we're here on the homefront on our knees praying for a safe return.
My nephew was deployed at the same time as my husand. His son was born while he was away. I remember one day calling his wife asking if there was anything I coul do for her, they had 3 little ones. She said she needed to go buy diapers could I come and sit with the kids. I did and 4 hours later she returned home with diapers. She just needed to get away for a little bit. And, I was so glad I was there to give her that break.
It is very lonely when our soldiers are deployed. So if any of you have a military family close by, offer to keep the kids for a few hours, or invite them over for dinner. It means alot to know somone cares.
beautiful post! I am a proud daughter of a man who served 28 years and deployed during the first gulf war. I remember the night the phone rang to tell him his ship was being sent to the gulf. I remember each deployment and each goodbye. I have fond memories of making signs and standing on a pier watching his ship come into view after 6 long months. After having lived my entire life in a military family, then going into ministry with my husband at a military college, I never for a moment take them for granted. I am in tears just imagining the power of this airport homecoming. Lifting prayers of thanks once again for those who lay down their limbs and lives for us…
Dear Linny,
I would have liked to have been at the airport with you to cheer these young men. I'd want to be an inspiration concerning physical inabilities. God bless them as they learn to live with the result of sacrifice. May He grace them with sweet redemption.
Call when you can.
hugs,
lisa
Thanks for sharing this….I still have tears in my eyes for that young wife who lost her husband. It is no easy feat being a military wife. Being stationed at Bragg we have seen loss and permanent injuries, long deployments, and more. We are preparing for our 3rd deployment in the last 5 years…and that isn't bad, but it's still hard.
First deployment for our little E.
God's grace is sufficient. It does bless me when others stop to consider and appreciate the service of our armed forces. Before my hubby went active duty I didn't consider it much either. This year is supposed to find us apart for all birthdays, adoption anniversaries and Thanksgiving, Christmas….and so on.
May the Lord bless the time those men (and women maybe) who are in CO for a time and bring restoration as needed!
Holly
Linny:
My husband was in the Navy for 20 years and so he missed many birthday, Christmas', anniversary's etc. I so agree with everything you said and want to thank you for the reminder to be grateful for the freedoms we have and all the sacrificies that are given for them.
Leveta
Amen! I have so many friends who are military families and have family members of my own who are military. Our lives have been touched by the loss of loved ones overseas. What a beautiful post.
Thank You!
Couldn't agree more –
I know it's not much but whenever I see someone in uniform I always say a simple "thank you".
And then I remember that face and remember to pray for them that night.
They do so much for us!
Brooke Annessa
http://www.theannessafamily.blogspot.com
oh, tears. that prophetic prayer!
thank you for the reminder to pray more fervently for all them & their families.
and thank you to tyler, sarah & your whole family. thank you.
I'm so thankful you posted this. On my Facebook wall I post military remembrances very often to remind people that we are "free" because of their many sacrifices. The military is my heart. All of the men in my family have served in every branch of the services, in every war dating back to the Civil War. My 90 year old dad is a WWII Vet, I am so blessed to still have him. I grew up in San Diego, a city built around the military. Our home was always filled with military people who needed a home away from home, as was our church. I worked on two of the military bases in San diego, and was married to a Marine, and gave birth to our first child while he was in Vietnam. I love our military more than words can express. They, and their families, are in my prayers all throughout the day and night. God bless and be with them, and with their families. Each one of them sacrifice so much for our country, and for us. We can never thank them enough. Because of them, we live in the most wonderful country in the world. They are all Heroes.
I had to post tonight after reading this, I didn't post on Friday but did participate in the day of fasting and prayer. And while we are within 2 weeks of leaving for China to pick up our daughter and consumed with all that entails. My heart was being burdened for my son-in-law who along with our daughter is serving in Afghanistan, I HAD to pray for his safety. This afternoon we received a phone call from our daughter that he had been hit by an IED and was in surgery. He is now out of surgery and is alive but he lost both his lower legs. Thank you for this post. We would ask prayers for our son-in-law and daughter as they adjust to this new normal and more specifically prayers that our daughter would not have to return to Afghanistan but could remain with her husband at Walter Reed. Also prayers for my husband as he was supposed to have been on this deployment with them and is struggling with not being there to help right now. And thank you for the nudge I needed on Friday to pray and fast.
Thank you for this heart warming post.
My Father served our country for 20 years. He missed out on many major events in our lives, but we all knew that it was for a worthy cause. He suffers everyday of his life now due to injuries he sustained while serving our country or should I say us?
Thank You to everyone that serves our country <3
To Denise, I am praying for your SIL. I'm so sorry. I lost a leg, three years ago, (not in a war) so I can relate to the losses that our military men and women deal with. I'm always so proud to read/hear of their determination to recover and just last week I saw a TV show about how many amputees are choosing to get their prosthetics and go back to continue their work! Wow! That says so much about the hearts of OUR service men and women.
Not a day goes by that I don't think of my Freedom! And, the brave men and women who choose to put their lives on the line, so that WE can live freely. Thank You!
As I'm typing this, I just heard that 5 Americans were killed today doing their work. I will be lifting their families in Prayer today.
Love to All of you who have Daughters/Sons/Husbands/Sisters and or Brothers who Serve our Country. I so Appreciate the choices they make and all that You give as your beloved family member goes to another country. May His Blessings pour out over your families during the times you are separated.
Just want to say that I, too was raised in the Air F*rce, so I understand the lengthy separations.
my dad is going to deploy for the 2nd time next summer. the last time was 8 years ago. we were hoping he wouldnt have to again but here we are preparing for him to leave once again. people dont realze that it is a sacrifice before they leave along with while their gone. i havent been able to go some places that i have wanted to or get things that i have wanted because we are trying to get things done and payed off before he leaves. its so hard and i really have had to mature a little faster because of it and with us doing foster care. thank you for understanding and praying it helps a lot!
Wow.. you are so right. The need to be in our prayers everyday. AND their families!
We have so much to be thankful for and so often we forget some of the most important people- the men and women that are protecting our country.
God Bless them!
This is a well-deserved tribute to those who have served our country. A lot of your words could also apply to missionaries, who are on the battlefields for the Great Commission. Praise God for those on the front lines for Christ’s name, as well as for our country.
Just unbelievable. God has been stirring my heart to pray for the military more and this post re-emphasized that for me. You mentioned something about the men coming there for maybe a place of restoration…have you ever heard of Dave Roever? If I remember right he has a place in Colorado (not sure if that's where you are) that helps to heal wounded soldiers. He is an awesome Christian man. I believe his website is http://www.roeverfoundation.org. Simply amazing. Thanks to your son and your family for keeping us free. I will never know the true cost of that freedom and thanks doesn't begin to scratch the surface.
Blessings,
Rory