The Day After Yesterday

Luke 2:14 "...and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."

On the inside, every holiday is just another day for the wife/mother/sister/girlfriend/daughter of a soldier.  On the outside, we are smiling, wrapping, cooking, teasing, singing, cleaning, writing.  On the inside, fear and tears make up our world.  On the outside, no one would ever know our world is different from any other day.

Our soldiers are far from home.  The holidays are but a glimmer of lights, tinsel, and song.  We stand at church, our hand hanging down beside us, empty of the grip of the one we long for most, smiling at those around us when they wish us Merry Christmas.  When the lights are turned off, the house deep in the silence of sleep, the echo of laughter still hanging in the air, we give way to our tears.  On our knees, in front of the manger, at the feet of our Lord, we beg for safety for those we love.  It is the gift we long for most.  The only present we want to open on Christmas Day.

John 15:13 tells us that "greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." KJV Truth be told however, we don't want it to be our soldier who has to lay down his life.  We don't want him to have that great of a love.  It's a cold harsh truth that we never want to admit.  We will say the words, wave the flag, read the scriptures about live, love, and giving.  But deep in our hearts, in the farthest corners of our fragile soul, we beg our Father not to take them from us.  Let it not be our lives shattered.  

We spend these holidays alternately happy and sad, joyful and tearful, begging and giving, mindlessly hoping that this moment will be a moment free from fear.  John 14:18 reminds us every day that He "will not leave you (us) comfortless." KJV Yet, when the day is done, the holidays are over, the world forgets about peace and goodwill, when yesterday is a memory, it is so easy to feel like we are alone in a crowd.  There are so many praying for our soldiers.  But who is praying for us?  Who stands in the gap for us when we are bowed and broken?  Who holds us up when we are weak?  Does anyone hear our cries in the silence of the night, in the darkest moments before the dawn breaks?

The shepherds were alone in the wilderness on the night of Christ's birth.  Yet God, in His infinite wisdom sent them an angel to tell them that He was watching over them.  God provided them someone whose words of comfort and peace came at a time when they were shaking with fear.  Will you be our angel?  Will you pray for us, with us, beside us?  Will you reach down and hold our empty hand?  Will you remind us that God loves us, loves our soldier, loves our family?  We try so hard to be the strong one but sometimes it's easy to find ourselves in the darkness of fear.

Dearest Father God, Please cover us with your love.  Please light our nights with Your Comforter.  We thank you that our loved ones are willing to give all in the quest for peace on earth.  We truly do believe in God and country first.  It's just hard sometimes.  Give us your supernatural strength to overcome these moments when we are weak.  Bring our soldiers home to our loving arms.  We come to You in humble adoration, our faces wet with tears, our hearts heavy with grief, yet our lives will be lifted up by Your magnificence.  Your comfort is all we need. Send us an angel who will remind us that Your peace will rest upon us.  In the name of the One who leads us into every battle, Christ Jesus, Amen