War Heroes
Written by Debbie Meece
December 22, 2011
Behold your God! (Isaiah 40:9)
This week in Brentwood, TN, a 23-year-old soldier came home from Iraq for Christmas. Complete with a police escort, he was welcomed by miles of yellow ribbons and American flags, as family, friends, and many folks he didn’t even know, lined the streets to receive him back home. He is an American war hero in the flesh for all to see; as well as to inhale deeply, the refreshing suave of a job well done. Welcome home to our dear and self-sacrificing soldier!
However, Christmas for this soldier is going to be different from any other he has experienced, since only half of him came home. The other half– his two boot-camp-strong-and-steady-legs –were blown off by enemy fire from an explosive device. The young soldier took the brunt of the explosion, as he unwittingly stepped on an IED, buried in the sand where he walked. He bore the sacrifice of losing both legs in the explosion, while his fellow troops suffered only minor injuries. There were no cheering crowds or yellow ribbons for these soldiers, as they marched in the dusty sand, armed, camouflaged, and ready to meet the enemy at any given second. But as this soldier recounts, Jesus, the Comforter, met him on that Iraqi battlefield to ease his fear, his pain, and to offer him the promise of new life.
Along with experiencing the very real phantom pains of his first Christmas without legs, our young soldier will also experience the very real friendly fire of a country losing its Christianity. The very principles on which America was founded are being flogged like Christ before His crucifixion in the town squares of America. Nativity scenes, Christmas trees, and other symbols of the birth of Jesus have been blasted by the friendly fire of political correctness from town squares and public schools. The greeting, “Merry Christmas” has been banned within the halls of Congress. Even the National Christmas Tree is adorned only with politically-themed décor. There is not a single ornament representing the birth of Jesus on the branches of that enormous tree.
What is the redeeming factor in comparing our war-torn hero to the advent(pardon the expression) of the politically-correct holiday season? Our heroic soldier is planning a life of service as a physical therapist: an ordinary man who has faced extraordinary circumstances, coming full circle to serve others. Who better to offer encouragement and hope for a new life to those suffering as he has suffered?
And so it is with Christ. Jesus was born into this world to save us from our sinful hearts, and died on the cross to give us everlasting life. He was God Himself tabernacled in flesh: who better to offer hope and redemption to mankind than the One who has walked among them? Jesus was the ordinary and the miraculous all mixed up into one solitary life that death on a cross could not destroy. He is our everlasting War Hero, fighting for good over evil, unlike this world has ever seen!
With the young soldier hero in mind, our prayer for you this Christmas season is that the fire of Christ’s love will be rekindled in your hearts so that you too, may offer hope, comfort, and new life to those wandering through this life without Jesus. Through Jesus, ordinary people become extraordinary messengers of His love, offering hope, encouragement, and new life to those suffering as they have suffered.
