God please...

I was watching the news this morning and there was a story about a mom surprised by her daughter coming home from Iraq for Christmas. The daughter had been denied leave for Christmas and was expected to come home around New Year's. Mom was at the airport when her daughter stepped off the plane with the rest of G.I.s surprising her. You wondering what mom was doing at the airport if she wasn't expecting her soldier daughter? She was there to greet the ones who were lucky enough to get that Christmas leave.

Can you begin to imagine the heart of such a woman? Not bitter that her daughter was going to be under literal fire on Christmas day; but there to celebrate with the soldiers who could come home. She said she wanted to hug the ones who didn't have a mom there to greet them.

When the reporter asked the soldier how it felt to be home she said she had spent months dreaming of stepping off of the plane on American soil. But now standing on American soil, her only thoughts are "my guys" still fighting so that she could come home for a week.

I thought to myself, this young woman cannot have peace. On the battlefield, her heart yearns for home. At home, she years to stand beside her comrades until they can all come home. It made me ashamed of myself and the peace that I have. None of us should be completely peaceful as long as we have men and women, sons and daughters; on a battlefield. We should all be like that soldier, thankful to be home with a corner of our hearts reaching out to the ones fighting for us.

I am going to give time everyday this week to pray for the soldiers and families who are both separted physically and those caught between two worlds when they are finally home for a moment.

Somewhere mothers and fathers are praying for their children to be safe while their place will be empty at the dinner table. Somewhere husbands and wives are trying to keep the memory of their spouses alive for their children.

Somewhere Christmas carols are drowned out by cries, "God please..."

I join them.

God please...