Thank you Dear Military

For those not in the US, this post may not mean anything. But for those of us state side....this is an important weekend. This weekend is Memorial Day weekend. This is a weekend for remembering all the men and women who have fought, suffered and many died to preserve our freedoms here in the States. It's a bit doubtful our President will do anything meaningful to observe this weekend. But I felt compelled to voice my thanks. We have 2 foster sons in the military. One is a mechanic and one a medic. Both have served overseas multiple times. Both have been to Iraq more than once. And they both returned changed....not for the better. The horrors they saw and experienced, have hardened them and made them both unpredictable. Now, in all fairness, I don't believe this is the military's fault! One was a new believer in Yeshua and promptly forgot all he'd been taught most of his life. He says he's a believer, but his actions say otherwise. The other son was a strong believer and follower of Yeshua (Jesus) and yet he too lost his way while overseas. I know the fears of the families of our military....I earned some pretty impressive calluses on my knees while the boys have been overseas. I've received middle of the night phone calls because one or the other just needed to talk to "Mom" to allay fears, or loneliness, or to reassure them they're still loved even if they've done horrible things in the name of war. And my heart just bleeds for those parents, wives, husbands and children who've lost their loved ones due to war. War stinks. Pure and simple.

But for those who ARE still fighting overseas or even stateside. I thank you. I thank you for having the courage and chutzpah (I think you all know what that translates in to)to volunteer to protect, defend and fight for the land you love, the country of your families, the freedoms you've enjoyed and that you want your children to enjoy. I thank you for making unbelievable sacrifices, having to make hellish decisions on the spur of the moment, and knowing that some of these decisions will haunt you the rest of your lives. I thank you for your determination to right wrongs, protect the innocents, and guard the dignity of fellow human beings...no matter their race, religion or nationality. I thank you for keeping us safe here at home and taking the fight to the terrorists back yards. I thank you for loving this country as much as I do.

So as we spend the weekend enjoying our freedoms, watching endless sports on the tellie, eating more food than many countries eat in a month and visiting with family members, let us all say prayers to our Father for those brave, daring, and audacious men and women who fight miles from home, light years away from spouses and children, and eons from the same freedoms we're enjoying. To all our military: Thank you from the bottom of my heart and may Papa protect you, guide you and safely bring you home. Shalom, Spitfire