A Soldier- Father

I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.
~ Psalm 119:45 (NIV)

“Has it been 22 years already?” I thought silently. I was pondering about my husband being involved in the war against Iraq in the 90’s. How fast the years had gone by. As if they were sand that slipped through our fingers.

I remembered those times. Of facing fears. Whether we would still be seeing each other. Whether he’d be coming back in one piece or not. Of worries. If he was safe. Able to eat. Able to get some rest and sleep that was hard to come by, perhaps, as him and fellow soldiers were always on high alert.  Of wondering. If they were safe as they trusted on the security from the battleship that tried to avoid scattered mines being tossed by the Arabian waters.

I remembered praying harder. For God’s protection. Comfort. Courage. Strength. Endurance. And most of all, His provision to safely bring him back, along with the other soldiers who were willing to risk their lives. And bring him back, God did. Except he was a changed man.

A soldier by career but also became a father who from past experiences, became eager to build than destroy. His heart that loved to see life despite the risk of death. Not taking things for granted. The man who learned that he needed to tackle a much bigger war than the war he was in. And that was to hold his family together, despite the adversities that he faced and still face in his home.

He is now a “father-soldier” who teaches his son to look up to the One Who heard his prayers and my prayers. The One Who comforted him during those lonely moments as his turn came to searched for mines, miles and miles up ahead to keep their battleship intact and lives protected from dangerous blasts. The One Who gave him the courage to face each day and gave him hope despite the dangers that surrounded him. The One who protected them and provided for their needs in a foreign land.

As wars continue nowadays, some died young. Well…a lot…They knew that sacrifice. And they knew that freedom was worth fighting for. May we remember our courageous soldiers in our prayers. For those who had departed. And for their families' comfort and strength. Like what Gen. Douglas McArthur said, "The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war."

And a lot of times, those unseen battles in their hearts are what they must fight harder against...