“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called God’s children.” ~ Matthew 5:7
A sudden bump as the 747’s tires
kissed the tarmac told him the 12-hour flight from Shanghai was almost
over. Once the jumbo jet parked safely
at its arrival gate, Daren readied himself for the hike to the parking structure. It had been an exhausting flight... an
even longer week.
He grabbed his carry-on, bid farewell to the crew, and raced
through the terminal to see how fast he could exit the airport and get home to
his family. Along the way, Daren
couldn’t help but notice a group of camo-clad soldiers heading to their
gate. “God be with them,” he thought.
As the soldiers passed, almost everyone waved and
cheered. When Daren saw the soldiers
being honored and applauded, he stopped and clapped too.
It touched him, deeply! These unsung heroes would soon be putting their lives at great risk so
that people like him could go to school, work, church, and home without fear.
Just when he thought he couldn’t be more proud or patriotic,
a young girl not more than 5 years old ran up to one of the soldiers. He kneeled and greeted her warmly. She spoke with conviction, “Sir, will please
give my Daddy something from me?”
She suddenly grabbed his waist and gave him a hearty bear hug. The
sweetness of her act flooded his soul as if he were being embraced by Jesus
himself.
The girl’s mother introduced herself. “Our Marine,” she began through tender sobs,
“has been overseas for 14 months. Courtney misses him desperately!”
The remaining soldiers overheard the girl’s appeal and
huddled briefly. One pulled out a
military-style walkie-talkie and spoke purposefully into it.
A few minutes passed before the young soldier walked back
over to the girl, bent down, and said, "I just spoke to your Daddy. He told me to give you this." He then hugged Courtney and lightly kissed
her cheek. “Your Daddy told me that he
misses you more than anything, that he loves you a gazillion, and that he’s
coming home very soon."
The soldier squared his shoulders and joined his squad in
saluting Courtney and her Mom. “God
Bless you three!” he said respectfully. As they walked away, the young soldier turned and blew Courtney one last
kiss. A single tear fell off his cheek.
Daren watched the incident from a distance. He’d remember this Veteran's Day forever! No longer would he take for granted the
conveniences of an American lifestyle. Never
again would he forget the price others had paid for his freedom. He’ll pray for all the heroes separated from
their loved ones and for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.
Dear Lord, today we honor our veterans, men and women who gave their best when called upon to serve and protect their country. Bless them for their unselfish service to preserve our freedoms, our safety, and our country's heritage. Amen
