Soldiers, I remembered you today.
When we went to visit my grandparents' graves, I looked at all of the American flags that were stuck into the ground at various graves. My Grandpa Weed served his country as an army captain in WWII and Korea. He also was a man of God. As we stood at his grave, my dad told a story about my Grandpa Weed.
In one experience in Korea, my grandpa was in charge of getting a troop of soldiers up to a certain ridge. No one knew exactly where that ridge was. All they had was an old, old Korean map with some contour lines. My grandpa must have felt worried. He was lost in a foreign land, knowing that his ability to execute orders would determine the fate of his fellow soldiers. So, my grandpa prayed. After he prayed, he looked up. The sun came out from behind the clouds and lit up a ridge in the distance. He said he knew that that ridge was the where he was supposed to get his men.
I can only imagine how he felt as he looked across the Korean landscape to that ridge. He didn't know anything about the Korean language or the land. But, he knew there was a God in the heavens.
What does that say about God? In the workings of man and hurt and human war, it's easy to assume that God could simply throw up His hands and sigh. But...He doesn't. God follows a simple pattern. He commands His children to pray, and when they do, He answers. God did not create that war, but His power is greater than war and hate. His light can penetrate through the darkest war and the darkest day. It can even move past enemy lines to answer one of His children.
Thank you to our Armed Forces.
3 comments:
what a neat legacy for you and your family. i read this last night before bed and have spent the day remembering my own Grandpa Anderson, who served on a battleship in the war for the Pacific. his deep, gruff voice. the way his shoulders moved up and down when he laughed...thank you for that.
Wow, that is awesome. Good story! Everything I have to say is trite compared to how it made me feel.
Jana, looks like your friends set you up with some sweet reading material for the summer. the great thing about being out of school is that it's like summer all year, you can just read whatever you want, whenever. anyway, i know this isn't the prose you probably had in mind upon suggesting we submit our own writing, but i wanted to at least give you something. and i posted under this entry because it's a bit more fitting here, but mostly because, well, i'm not a poet...so i'm a bit insecure about it, you know? anyway, hope you enjoy it.
Answered Prayer
a glassy entrance,
so appropriate for a place like this.
endless opportunity for clarity.
though tonight, he is leaving.
a walk from the library to the Marriott Center,
brief, cold, it is late January.
excitement of a big game, nationally televised.
but, on his way, his mind wanders.
perhaps she will be there?
perhaps, he will see her?
his lone thought,
as he crosses over University.
soon, a friend emerges,
they find a spot amid the passionate crowd,
and watch the struggles of a home side
against a ready opponent.
then, a break in the action
and with it, a revelation.
abruptly, the stadium calls out to him
to announce the presence of,
Her!
thunderstruck, his gaze is fixed.
there she stands!
a turquoise shirt, a humble wave.
what? why? how?
anguish of questions unanswered.
the brevity of great moments, a cause for fear,
and his heart exclaims,
"oh please! just a little longer?"
only One can hear.
the treasured seconds pass to memory,
and yet, she remains.
a measure of discomfort for her,
a measure of sublimity for him.
finally, the vision ends.
contest resumed, he is now full.
visiting team triumphant, fans disappointed,
the jubilance of his gait is misleading.
gratitude and a smile,
companions on his wintry stroll home.
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