Why?

I have recently taken my 4 year old daughter to a Veterans Memorial in Tuscaloosa, AL. She happens to be a huge GI JOE fan (thanks to her dad) and was amazed at how small some of the real life transportation vehicles were. In typical 4 yr old fashion, she surprises me at every turn with wisdom that she has given a lot of thought.

We stared at the memorial in silence. As she looked over to wipe away my tears she asked me what a memorial was. In a quite prayer, I explained that a memorial is something we build or construct or keep to help remind us of something. I said a quite but audible prayer to the sovereign Lord to watch over the current men and women fighting for our country in every area of service.

She asked a few questions about the jeep and the plane but what really caught her eye was this helicopter. "Daddy has one of those!" she exclaimed when we first drove up. Funny, because her daddy simply has a GI Joe helicopter which to her is apparently the same as having one in life size! One of her questions cut to my heart more than any other and it has taken me some time to decide how to put it in this blog. Very strangely as we talked about the names on the walls she began to piece it together in her little mind. Puzzled she inquired, "Why do those real life GI Joe's want to die anyway mommy? Is there bad guys like Cobras?" I pondered for at least a minute before answering my delicate sweet daughter. I wanted to tell her 'No, of course not!' But on the other hand I knew that if not put into some tangible terms she would feel lost and in typical girl fashion worry about what she didn't understand. Finally as a few more tears surfaced on my face I stated something like this, "You know what Madisen; there are always brave men and women who are willing to protect us and none of them want to die but sometimes that just happens. And just like we tell you not to talk to strangers, there are some times bad guys....But Jesus promises to always be with us, He said we don't have to be afraid of the bad guys."

It was almost as humbling as standing at the edge of the ruins of the WTC in NYC. I thought this would be a great experience (we were right there at across the street from the memorial) that I should seize. I was not prepared for my bright daughter to so deeply question my own beliefs.

As people I know currently serve this country, and as relatives I loved gave parts of themselves to previous wars, I could not escape the cost of war. Mentally, or physically, or sometimes in life itself the statement is always true that All Men Gave Some but Some Men Gave All. I pray often and frequently for my freedoms, my friends, their families and my family to cherish and honor the brave.

My soul wonders if the spiritual war in this land has been given as much thought in the churches today as the war in the Middle East consumes the media. I pray that our eyes are opened to the war all around us and the sad casualties that are taken every day.

Thank you for reading my ramblings ~ Be Blessed.