Tonight I was talking with one of the moms from a boy on my kids baseball team. She is going through a very rough time. Her husband was just deployed to Afghanistan. He's already done 4 tours of duty, and was supposed to be retiring, after serving in the military for 20 years. But, in her words "because of decisions of the new president", his retirement has been deferred and he was shipped out again, minimally til January. Without going into details, her husband is very broken right now, and, again in her words, in no condition to be piloting military flights every night. She is at home with 3 kids, all around ages 5-8 years, and they are scared for their daddy. She was conveying that they are starting to get old enough to be asking questions and realizing things like "those bad guys have guns, don't they?".
I cannot imagine. She was telling me that they have been asking questions about God and heaven and death recently, and it all has caused her to wonder if God is preparing her to receive word of her own husband's death. My heart broker for her when she expressed this. I believe she is a Christian herself, and said she has been asking God to surround her husband with godly, Christian men. Because of the tragic death of his tent-mate, which was a horrific experience for him, his new tent-mate is the chaplain...at least one answer to her prayers. She said she is asking God to convict his heart, so I do not know where he stands spiritually. However, I promised her that I would be praying for them, and I will, and I am asking you to do so as well. I know we are often asked to pray for our troops, as we should. But now, I am asking to you pray not only for a family who is making huge sacrifices for our country, but for a friend. For a fellow teammate of my little leaguers. That takes it to a whole new reality level for me personally.
I saw their vehicle in the parking lot at a game. It bears a sticker on the rear window that says "My daddy is fighting for your freedom." I don't know where you stand on the war; frankly, it doesn't even matter. These men and women need and deserve our thanks, and our prayers.
3 comments:
I stand with you. They deserve our prayers and our praise. I will keep your friend and her family in my prayers.I will stand strong in belief that her husband will make it home to them safely. Keep us posted on their needs.
I too will be praying for them! I'm so thankful for their sacrifice! I know they are scared for him and I'm with you, I cannot imagine.
On another note... over-seas isn't the only dangerous place. A friend of mine lost a very good friend of hers about a month ago in a motorcycle accident. He was set to be deployed the very next day. It would have been his 2nd tour. He left behind a wife and 2 girl’s ages 7 and 11. He also left behind the whole city of Winston-Salem, as he was a police officer while not serving his country in the military. So the whole country lost a solder, and the town next to me lost an upstanding man of God to help protect their city!
I'll add your friends to my list and be praying for them. Please pass on to her my thanks for her fight for my freedom! It's her sacrifice too!
I'm reading this with tears in my eyes. I appreciate your sharing this up-close-and-personal account of someone I can pray for. His eternal security is of utmost importance and for that I will pray. Thanking God for putting him with the chaplain. Do keep us posted. I make no qualms about being 100% behind our troops, as you know. I am the proud granddaughter of military veterans and appreciate every single person who fights for my freedoms. I pray the war ends soon, but I'm glad it's not on our soil. Thanks again for posting this.
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