Good morning and Happy Veteran's Day, I pray today that you will take time to get "on bended knees" and ask special mercies and blessings for all of the men and women who have sacrificed so much to keep us here on US soil safe and with freedoms! ~~Salute~~Salute~~Salute~~UNITED STATES MARINE CORP~~UNITED STATES ARMY~~UNITED STATES NAVY~~UNITES STATES AIR FORCE~~UNITED STATES COAST GUARD~~RESERVIST'S AND THE NATIONAL GAURD...I stand with my arms outstretched, with my heart open, and with the greatest and utmost respect.
This morning in prayer, as I sat wrapped up in my favorite "Betty blankie" with my beanie on my head in the solitude of the outdoors, as I sat there meditating and in deep conversation with my Father in Heaven. As I was thanking him for each of our armed forces, as I sat in reflection of all of the men and women who have sacrificed for our country and our freedom, I sat there in awe of all the things we take for granted, the freedom to worship God without fear, the freedom to speak without fear, the freedom of our own political views, not to mention the freedom of living, jobs, spending. Thank you Father in Heaven for these earthly angels who stand as a physical shield of protection for us, please as they shield us, wrap your arms around each of them and shield them from harm, bring all who are not on foreign soil home safely and each and every day let them feel the love and appreciation we have for them. We are the United States of America and we stand tall and proud!!!
I prayed my normal and usual prayers asking God's mercy and grace for all of us who are facing any type of struggle today, asking God to bless each of us with our needs and to continue to give us the strength and the perseverance we need to get through our day. I asked God for special prayers for those who are standing in wait as their loved ones began their heavenly journey, allow them to feel your love for them, allow them to know they are very pleasing to you in the love and care they are giving to make this transition as easy and peace filled as they can. Reward them for their efforts Father, allow them this day to know that your faith in them is unwavering and that you are there to provide them with peace, comfort and calm. As I was closing my prayer I thought once again of all the men and women who have stood in harms way to allow me to sit out taking in the beauty that God has created this day, who have sacrificed so that I might write this blog each day without fear of punishment or chastisement! God I love you so much! I ask these mercies and blessings in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
This is a beautiful story I read this morning, I read so many trying to find just the right one and I asked God to help me determine which one I should place with my blog. When I came to this one, I knew it was "the one" I knew that it would show the integrity and the love that there is in this world and it touched me so deeply. Although the story is of a young Marine, I know in my heart any member of any branch of the Armed Forces would have done the same thing! You may be in different branches, just as t many people belong to different churches...but when the smoke and dust clear, it is still ONE NATION UNDER GOD that you serve...it is one GOD that we worship!
The Marine's Father
A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside.
"Your son is here, " she said to the old man. She had to repeat the words several times before they patient's eyes opened.
Heavily sedated, because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. the Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.
The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile.
He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital- the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings the cries and moans of the other patients.
Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his so all through the night.
Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.
Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her. "Who was that man?" he asked.
The nurse was startled, "He was your father," she answered.
"No, he wasn't," the marine replied.
"I never saw him before in my life."
"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"
" I knew right away there had been a mistake but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here. When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed."
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