During this past Easter Holy Week, I was grateful not only for the sacrifice of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, but also for the sacrifices our men in uniform have given on a daily basis. For those of us not personally touched with loved ones in active service, we often need regular reminders of their selflessness beyond the occasional national holiday.
I had that privilege this past week when I called a new client in Texas, we'll call her Mrs. R. In the course of our conversation, she mentioned her husband was currently serving a tour in Afghanistan. Before we closed our business conversation, I thanked her for the sacrifice their family gives on a daily basis. This comment initiated one of the most memorable and impacting phone conversations I have ever had, as she began the story of her husband's journey defending our nation.
Evidently this was not Mr. R's first tour. He initially served shortly after 9/11 on one of the first tours of Iraq. Mrs. R and a close family friend prayed for his life and the lives of his unit every single morning for precisely one hour. I've never experienced any strong premonitions while in prayer, but one particular morning, Mrs. R did. She described how a thought kept invading her prayers that a man presumed to be a close friend of her husband was a danger to his well being. The next day, supreme command posted wanted notices all over her husband's base camp. One man close to Mr. R's circle of friends had deserted and was revealed to be relaying inside information to the Iraqi government.
Not long afterward, another vision overcame Mrs. R's thoughts. "I saw a woman in a long dark dress, with long sleeves and a black veil. I knew that she endangered my husband's life" recalled Mrs. R. She immediately forewarned her husband of this vision and asked him to take particular care. Within that week, his unit was approached by a hostile suicide bomber. The man was dressed in the women's traditional Muslim dress and veil, hiding his explosives beneath. Due to his forewarned thinking, Mr. R was able to help take out the suicide bomber before the explosives got too close to the unit. Mr. R went on to finish his tour of duty, only to be one of three survivors in a roadside a bomb explosion. He was sent home on medical leave and is now back again in the thick of things. It is unbelievable how this man is serving abroad again, in active duty rather being placed safely behind a desk and computer.
Why do amazing stories like these go unnoticed today? Why is it that Lindsay Lohan's parole violation is plastered on the front page of newspapers instead of the incredible models of heroism like our men in uniform? This could turn into a tirade against the bias of the media today, but instead I wish to focus on why we should share stories such as Mr & Mrs. R's. Though it is not Thanksgiving, this Easter I am grateful that God humbled me with this encounter. The stories of our servicemen's daily sacrifice is something we should honor, respect and aspire towards. Were it not for them, I would not enjoy the luxuries and privledges I have today. Therefore, it is in humble gratitude, that I dedicate this (belated) Passiontide post in thanksgiving to the daily sacrifice of our men and women in uniform and their families.
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