Military homecoming videos make me cry every time. The most recent one that popped up on my Facebook wall was of a little girl at a ballgame as part of a cheerleading group. Her snaggle-toothed smile led me to believe that she was probably six or seven years old.
You could see her head pop up as her daddy’s name was announced over the loudspeaker. Tears sprouted instantly. Her head turned from side to side as she looked around, not knowing what to do. And then she ran to one of the women on the field. The woman pointed and the little girl looked and saw her daddy coming down the field in his military uniform.
I could hardly see the screen through my tears as I watched her and her daddy run to each other, his arms spread out to grab her in a hug. Both of them were crying, and it was such a precious moment to watch as they were reunited. The daddy also got to meet the three-month-old child who’d been born while he was deployed.
You know what moved me so much while I watched that video? It was the reminder of the sacrifice made by each family member.
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The instant tears from the little girl broke my heart. While they were part tears of joy at seeing her daddy again, the other part of those tears reflected the pain that had been in her heart as she’d missed her dad while he’d been gone, missed those moments of his pushing her high into the air on the swings and tucking her into bed at night with bear hugs, silly tickles and kisses.
I thought about the mother who gave birth without her husband at her side and about the dad who must have longed to be there for that moment. And what about the exhaustion the mom must have faced without her husband to help her for those 3:00 AM feedings, those long nights with little sleep?
Such amazing sacrifice.
Sometimes we need to remember what our military men and women face emotionally as they serve and protect our country. There are long, lonely months of being away from home, family and everything familiar. There’s the worry about the families they’ve left at home, and the helpless feeling of not being able to be there when someone they love is sick or the roof is leaking. And then there’s the sacrifice of not being there for school programs and major life events and not having the privilege of kissing their loved ones goodnight.
Today would be a great time for us to honor them for their sacrifice, for all they do to keep our country safe. Pick up the phone and thank a soldier. Send a card to someone who’s deployed. Ask a soldier’s spouse what you can do to help her or him. Make some car repairs, fix a meal, take their children out for a fun adventure, do something to encourage them. Call a soldier’s parents and check on them. And most importantly, take time to pray for them, for safety, for strength and for God to reward them abundantly.
Thank you to all the men and women who serve our country and to all the family members they leave at home. We honor you today and we appreciate your sacrifice!
