Put Me In, Coach!

In Honor of our Veterans and Their Families

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love.” Ephesians 1:4 NIV

“The greater the difficulty, the more the glory in surmounting it.” Epicurus

Sometimes I meditate on Ephesians 1:4 imagining me as a little child pleading with the Father to put me in the world he was creating. I want to please my father and help others in the world. With a sigh, an embrace and trepidation, he sends me into the world and reminds me he is always with me. No matter how I feel, what I do, life or death. He’s with me.

And I flounder as a child too young, immature, dependent to be in first grade—where’s my father on Earth and in Heaven? I shy away from sharing a little song with my Sunday school class I wrote in the eighth grade for God—I hid it under a bushel. I won first place for a Christmas story I wrote in high school—did you see, father? It was about a lost boy who was cold in the snow and the only shelter was in a church.

As an adult, I was ashamed of how little my husband, my baby son and I had on a military’s salary—Top Ramen for dinner, cloth diapers in a pail and two quarters for laundry. Cowboy cotton diapers I made from remnants. I was frightened of people that spit and condemned homecoming Viet Nam vets. Vegetables and other slimy objects were thrown at them. Family members received this too. Worry consumed me with no word from my husband, none, nil, nada, bupkis for weeks while he was on board a minesweeper off the coast of Viet Nam. No communication allowed in a war zone.

Put me in coach.  No. I’ve changed my mind. Where are you, Father?

Many of you veterans and currently serving, have survived much worse. You’re constant. You’re always there doing the tough things with little or no recognition. God bless you all. I salute and hold you near and dear in my heart. I pray for you. From the founding of this country to the Afghanistan tragedy just a few months ago, I thank you. Your families too. Words truly are inadequate.

I’m thankful the Coach put you in. Every. day.

Musings

No matter how difficult. No matter the chaos. No matter the outcome. May we thank and pray for our veterans, those serving and their families. Some never returned and were buried in a foreign land. Not even dog tags to hold. Their heartache is palpable. Their glory is great. Others return and are homeless, sick and suffering with PTSD. Their glory is great. Many go on to accomplish great things and to mentor others. Their glory is great.

Prayer

Dear Father,

Thank you for this wonderful country that is made possible by the courage, conviction and sacrifice of the men and women in our military and their families. Thank you is not enough. Help us, Father, to never forget that because of our veterans and families we live in peace, freedom and love. We can worship in peace, freedom and love.

Amen.