Soldiers and Jesus

Darling Morris,

Today we honor fallen soldiers. We remember men and women who gave their lives that we might have freedom. As a grieving mother, my heart weighs heavy with sorrow not just for our fallen soldiers, but for the families they left behind. When someone we love dies, a piece of us dies too.

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay one's life down for one's friends." John 15:13

This verse is often quoted on Memorial Day, and it certainly applies to the selfless acts of our military heroes. I imagine that these words bring comfort and pride to the families of our lost soldiers, but I know that they can't ease the pain or fill the void.

I often think about the life you won't have, and today I wonder if you would have made the choice to serve your country. If you had, I hope that I would have had the grace and strength of the military mothers I know. I can only imagine the sleepless nights they face, the tear-filled prayers and pleas to God for the safety and protection of their child, the anxious scouring of news reports, the dread and worry brought with each ring of the phone. Yet these women stand firm in the face of their fear, tirelessly supporting their son or daughter's courageous decision to lay their life on the line. These women prepare themselves to make the ultimate sacrifice as a mother, all the while keeping a smile on their face and a fierce dedication to their soldier. As an American, and as a mother, I am so very grateful to these women.

Greater love has no one than to lay their life down for a friend. The men and women we honor today laid down their lives not only for family and friends, but for complete strangers. They laid down their lives for a nation that so often doesn't appreciate their sacrifice and at times even scoffs at it. They have that in common with another hero I know. For the second time this week, I am reminded of the lyrics to a country song:

"There's only two people who ever died for me,
Laid down their lives just so I could be free.
They both went through hell, beared crosses and shells,
And both got back up again after they fell.
They never picked the fight, but they're there to pick up the pieces...
God only knows where we'd be without soldiers and Jesus." (Soldiers & Jesus, James Otto)

Love,

Mommy