The Lord is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation;
He is my God, and I will praise Him;
My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.
The Lord is a man of war;
The Lord is His name. Exodus 15:2-3 (NKJV)
Evil exists in the world and exists in the hearts of men and women. God is a God of mercy and Grace; yet, we must not forget that He is also a God of Righteousness and Justice as well. His wrath burns hot against unrighteousness, sin, injustice and evil. He provides His Mercy to all who call upon His Name and seek His face. Still evil does afflict our world. He raises up men and women who are willing to stand within the gap to protect us from the evils of this world. Men and women who sacrifice more than you or I realize. I am so privileged to be able to serve such men and women. What I have learned in caring for them is that they are each and every one a hero deserving of a medal of honor. Many were sent to fight without even the tools they needed to succeed. Often, they return and are not even given one tenth of the respect they deserve. They have seen evil first hand which cuts deep into their hearts and spirit. Often they have lost friends both in battle and at home. They suffer illness, pain, and often loss of limbs. The scars of war are real, even when not seen by our eyes. I watch and see the stoic Grace with which they stand together. I have seen their love of this country, their willingness to put everything on the line to defend her. They deserve our prayers, our love, our respect and our service to them. God Bless America and God Bless Our Men and Women who serve this country. God Bless our Veterans.
I wrote this poem last year and want to share it again today.
A Tribute to Our Military Heroes
(To All Who Have Served and are Serving)
A Hero sat beside the grave
His friend was buried there
He wondered if he’d be as brave
When bullets filled the air
A Hero stood beside the bed
A Comrade lying there
“She’ll never walk”, that’s what they said
It all seemed so unfair
A Hero walked-some foreign street
The people turned and stared
Some would run to hide-retreat
While others simply glared
Did others know the choice they’d made?
Protect, to serve, to save
Whate’er the cost, their post they stayed
For love, their all they gave
A Hero walked into the room
The doctor standing there
The saddened face, the sense of gloom
An illness, very rare
A Hero stood with stoic grace
Though sadness filled his eyes
The gentle smile upon his face
His broken heart’s disguise
These veteran Heroes stood the test
With all that they did do
We must now give to them our best
Our service, Our “Thank you”
[tweetthis]Thank God for those who have been willing to serve to protect our freedom[/tweetthis]
[bctt tweet=”God Bless each and every veteran who sacrificed that we might be proud to be an American.” username=”effiedarlene”]
Photo used with permission of: https://unsplash.com/@tylerbarnes The inscription I added
New King James Version (NKJV) Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2016
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.