"That Soldier"

I thought about soldiers,

Much younger than me,

Who fought, bled and struggled,

So desperately,

But then on a litter,

Or sprawled on the ground,

Their life’s blood flowed from them,

With ‘nary a sound.

I wondered if gasping,

For their final breath,

‘Bout their thoughts and their feelings,

As they fought against death.

But the struggle then ended,

Their heart stopped its beat,

While others attended,

But could not defeat,

The wounds so inflicted,

By bullet or bomb,

From some unseen attacker,

Where e’er it came from.

Some crying and praying,

Some cursing and scared,

Some screaming and hoping,

That they would be spared.

But for them life was over,

Though it wasn’t their plan,

They thought with some courage,

And by taking a stand,

That the threat would be beaten,

And they soon would return,

To their home and their loved ones,

But they couldn’t discern,

That this was death’s hour,

And they could not escape,

The demand of the lethal,

In their last fighting scrape.

I tried to imagine,

But the truth is I can’t,

I can only be thankful,

And ask God to grant,

A respect for the fallen,

And their sacrifice,

For the freedoms we cherish,

And the cost and the price,

That was paid by that soldier,

Who served and who died,

To give them high honor,

That cannot be denied.

So we shopped and we grilled,

And we said we were glad,

For the freedoms and blessings,

That all of us had.

But before the day ended,

I had all these thoughts,

So I prayed to the Good Lord,

‘Bout those we have lost.

Thank God they were willing,

Thank God that they served,

And fought to the end,

Without losing their nerve.

Thank God for that soldier,

Who laid it all down,

So we could have freedom,

And live safe and sound.

“Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might break the power of him who holds the power of death- that is, the devil- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” (Hebrews 2:14-15, NIV)

Death is a cruel reality of this life. No matter whether it comes by some tragic accident, sickness or war, it is never welcome and always something with which we must contend. Jesus’ death, however, changes our view of the inevitable. He has ultimately broken its power and removed its fear. The day will come when death itself will die. Until then we live with an eternal perspective and give honor to those who live and die sacrificially.

Lord, teach us how to live and die, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Andy Mast, used by permission. Thanks, Andy, and God bless you.