I am watching "Saving Grace" tonight and the episode's subplot includes someone's brother fighting in Afghanistan. It reminded me of a time in my own life where, although, the young man was of no blood relation to me, he was both very special to his parents and sister, and to me, as I had known him when he was a toddler when his parents led Whirlybirds in my home church.
They had twins, a boy and a girl, both red-headed and smart. Both began attending Dallas Christian College their freshman year, then both enlisted in the Army shortly after 9/11. Due to a medical condition, the girl was kept from progressing on toward the battlefields of Iraq, but the boy soon found himself there, fighting for his country. Along with his parents, we watched the news, prayed for his safety and his eventual return, cried a lot, and prayed more. His two-week visit home was tortuous for me in that we all knew it just a visit, it was more tortuous for him because of the quiet in contrast to the bombshells bursting in the distance and airplanes constantly flying overhead and the realism that his friends were still overseas, fighting in his absence. Eventually, though, his tour of duty ended and he returned him.
There are still sons and daughters of our fellow Americans overseas, fighting to both protect our freedom and to keep terrorism from ever nearing our shores again. Tonight, say a prayer for their safety and their families here, awaiting their safe return.
