Good day! I hope you are finding the time today to celebrate and remember all the dedicated men and women who have sacrificed their lives, their time, their bodies, and their hearts for the purpose of maintaining our freedom. I appreciate them!
One particular soldier I would like to mention is our first grandson, Josh, who is currently training for the Navy SEALS. He’s only 19, but his passion to serve God and his country is strong.
Thus far, it has been a grueling experience, unimaginable to most, but it seems the worst of his training is behind him!
It’s interesting what is behind our decisions and choices in life.
Living in Brooklyn and walking back and forth to school, Josh was once robbed at knife-point. The perpetrator wanted the laptop Josh was carrying home. He was about 8 or 9. Thankfully he was not hurt… at least not physically.
Around that same time, the twin towers were struck. Josh’s church, pastored by his other grandfather, was in Manhattan and so, he witnessed the devastation weekly.
The effects and fear of terrorism was very real for this little guy.
A few years later his family moved to England where is father secured a pastorate position. By then, however, the sentiment toward Americans had turned negative and Josh experienced hardship far too often in school BECAUSE of it.
All these things affected Josh’s faith in God, too. For a few years, he seemed unreachable. We worried at times about where all this would lead for him.
We worried because we couldn’t see the future. We worried because our faith that our God is faithful and loving was not as strong as our fear. We worried because we were afraid Josh’s wounds would dictate his choices negatively, as it did for us in our younger years.
Somewhere along the line, though, God quieted our hearts as we sought Him. We didn’t know how all this was going to turn out … only that Josh had God’s favor, as did we, and thus we could count on the outcome to be a favorable one.
No one would have guessed that Josh would desire to try out for the SEALS. When Josh announced his decision, the opportunity to shriek, “NO!!” rose large. But we saw how determined he was, and even before enlisting, he trained hard.
When he was accepted into the program, straight from civilian life, we knew he would not need our worrying. He would need our faith.
That’s what all our men and women need.
Thankfully we are persuaded that faith is a much greater force than worry.
And in what do we have faith?
In our God who loves us, redeems us, and restores us from all brokenness, and even more, grants us the freedom for which we all long.
Remember the soldiers, today, and remember your God.
Holding God and you in brilliant remembrance!
Maryann
