Our Heroes Who are yet not Fallen

Most recently I traveled to Washington
DC to visit my brother who is gravely ill at the Veteran's Memorial Hospital. This visit was not one that I anticipated. It had only been a few short weeks ago that I had spoken to my brother, at that time he continued to struggle with many health ailments,
but his spirits were high and he was
thankful for how the Lord had kept him.

But today as I sat outside of the MICU
now looking at my brother who is no longer breathing on his own or talking, but who now depends upon a ventilator and a dialysis machine to keep him alive,as I sat in the waiting room God brought many thoughts crashing through my mind.

I first thought about the many years
of military training that my brother had after serving in the army for twenty two years. He had retired as a Lieutenant Cornel and served his country well in Vietnam and Korea.

God had kept him, and brought him home safely, allowing him to continue to have a flourishing career in the field of communications while being a faithful father to three sons and a husband to a wife who loved him dearly.

While I thought about the life that my brother had led I also began to think about the other men that I saw enter the hospital for treatment; they were of various ages, there were many who were missing limbs, blind and suffering from the ravages of old age.

The thought continued to linger with me for two days; I realized that not only was I there to bring comfort to my my family, but to also silently, prayerfully give thanks to my Lord and Savior for all that these men had done for me and many others.

I can rest in peace knowing that my brother knows Jesus as his Lord and Savior, I am not anxious or fearful for God's plans for this time in his life. All is well with my spirit when it comes to our relationship, however I began to think about the other men that I saw come and go during this time.

I don't know them by name, nor do I know their stories, I am sure they have many they could share. After spending those two days at the Veteran's hospital there is now one story that I can share. These men are our heroes they are still walking talk and now fighting the battles of everyday life.

They may no longer have their weapons or their uniforms, but there is still one thing that they carry that nothing can take away, honor. Today I honor you, our "unfallen" heroes.
Today I say thank you!