Peace...
I just finished watching a young man in an interview who talked about the loss of his leg from the present fighting happening. He spoke of his life after serving in the army and the special dog who was helping him to adjust to civilian life. This dog taught him to walk straight with his prosthesis, he anticipates his moods, mainly depression and forces him to get off the couch and play with him when he just wants to stop living. And when the flashbacks come the dog places his head in the man's lap and comforts him as if to say, "Your at home, your safe". It was a touching interview, it was meant to be.
I will admit that I never thought about Remembrance Day too much until a couple of years ago when Remembrance Day fell on a Sunday and as a church what do you do with that? We decided to celebrate and I'm so glad we did. It gave me a chance to sit down and talk with three people, two of whom had someone they loved involved in the army and the third himself was presently in the reserves. Those interviews changed my own life and views of what Remembrance Day is all about.
First I approached a woman named Justina. She is a beautiful woman with snow white hair and a brilliant smile. Her husband had been in the war and was actually quite the war hero, but very few people within our community ever knew that. The second woman I approached was a sweet chatterbox of a woman named Ann who's husband had also been in the army.
What I quickly realized was that these women had not only a huge amount of pride in their husbands, but there was also a touch of sadness that the stories and the small amount of light that we shed on their husbands lives for that morning was something that they could not enjoy with their husbands because they had already both passed away a few years earlier. But, the pride was there, it shone through in their eyes and in the words of thanks that they spoke to the church for even acknowledging that their spouses had fought and suffered for a freedom that we enjoy sometimes...most times...without thought.
The third person I interviewed is a young gentlemen named Mark, who is presently in the reserves. He goes out many weekends and teaches other young men who have enlisted and he remains active to this day. He is proud to serve his country and the pride shines through in his demeanor, his dress and in his worship.
Now, every year when Remembrance Day rolls around I don't just look at the poppies and think "Oh, yeah, it's Remembrance Day". I now have faces and stories that go with that poppy. Faces that shine with pride, faces that shine with tears and faces that truly thank God for their heroes. And they are heroes...neglected heroes...by us.
I know that we see ourselves as conscientious objectors, I get that and I know of people who went through that struggle of, "do I fight or don't I?" and then had a hard time could living with their decisions. I pray that our sons never have to make that decision, because I think that whether you stay or whether you go it is a life-altering choice.
So, where am I going with this? Actually, I'm not quite sure myself, I just happened to spend the morning reflecting on these people and being thankful that God put them in my life and that just got me to thinking about God and where He stands and the Bible and just a whole lot of things.
I worry that there is sometimes a line drawn in the sand between people because of life choices like these, even within the church. But, should it really be like that? After spending time with these three people I don't think so anymore.
Does God whisper answers to you? He does to me, sometimes softly and sometimes with a thundering boom. And this morning it was in a whisper. I felt Him encouraging me to just keep writing, though I didn't really understand why. And then He quietly reminded me about this...
Often I have thought, when I get to Heaven, I can hardly wait to meet different people from the Bible! That will be amazing! What will that be like? And then this morning as that thought crossed my mind again, God placed names in my heart, different names, names of His warriors, His champions who fought for Him, who marched and honored God by their actions...they were fighters and they loved God. Can you do both?
After meeting and getting to know these flesh and blood people who have lived, loved and lost, well, I believe you can.
When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, "The Lord is with you mighty warrior." Judges 6:12
I will admit that I never thought about Remembrance Day too much until a couple of years ago when Remembrance Day fell on a Sunday and as a church what do you do with that? We decided to celebrate and I'm so glad we did. It gave me a chance to sit down and talk with three people, two of whom had someone they loved involved in the army and the third himself was presently in the reserves. Those interviews changed my own life and views of what Remembrance Day is all about.
First I approached a woman named Justina. She is a beautiful woman with snow white hair and a brilliant smile. Her husband had been in the war and was actually quite the war hero, but very few people within our community ever knew that. The second woman I approached was a sweet chatterbox of a woman named Ann who's husband had also been in the army.
What I quickly realized was that these women had not only a huge amount of pride in their husbands, but there was also a touch of sadness that the stories and the small amount of light that we shed on their husbands lives for that morning was something that they could not enjoy with their husbands because they had already both passed away a few years earlier. But, the pride was there, it shone through in their eyes and in the words of thanks that they spoke to the church for even acknowledging that their spouses had fought and suffered for a freedom that we enjoy sometimes...most times...without thought.
The third person I interviewed is a young gentlemen named Mark, who is presently in the reserves. He goes out many weekends and teaches other young men who have enlisted and he remains active to this day. He is proud to serve his country and the pride shines through in his demeanor, his dress and in his worship.
Now, every year when Remembrance Day rolls around I don't just look at the poppies and think "Oh, yeah, it's Remembrance Day". I now have faces and stories that go with that poppy. Faces that shine with pride, faces that shine with tears and faces that truly thank God for their heroes. And they are heroes...neglected heroes...by us.
I know that we see ourselves as conscientious objectors, I get that and I know of people who went through that struggle of, "do I fight or don't I?" and then had a hard time could living with their decisions. I pray that our sons never have to make that decision, because I think that whether you stay or whether you go it is a life-altering choice.
So, where am I going with this? Actually, I'm not quite sure myself, I just happened to spend the morning reflecting on these people and being thankful that God put them in my life and that just got me to thinking about God and where He stands and the Bible and just a whole lot of things.
I worry that there is sometimes a line drawn in the sand between people because of life choices like these, even within the church. But, should it really be like that? After spending time with these three people I don't think so anymore.
Does God whisper answers to you? He does to me, sometimes softly and sometimes with a thundering boom. And this morning it was in a whisper. I felt Him encouraging me to just keep writing, though I didn't really understand why. And then He quietly reminded me about this...
Often I have thought, when I get to Heaven, I can hardly wait to meet different people from the Bible! That will be amazing! What will that be like? And then this morning as that thought crossed my mind again, God placed names in my heart, different names, names of His warriors, His champions who fought for Him, who marched and honored God by their actions...they were fighters and they loved God. Can you do both?
After meeting and getting to know these flesh and blood people who have lived, loved and lost, well, I believe you can.
When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, "The Lord is with you mighty warrior." Judges 6:12
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