On this Memorial Day
celebrated with lots of ceremony, parades, picnics and placing of flags at the
grave of our brave family members, let me share this tragic soldier story.
A story is told about a
soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in a war. He called his
parents from San Francisco. “Mom and Dad, I’m coming home, but I have a
favor to ask. I have a friend I’d like to bring home with me. “Sure,” they replied,
“we’d love to meet him.”
“There’s something you
should know,” the son continued, “he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He
stepped on a land mind and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go,
and I want him to come live with us.” “I’m sorry to hear that,
son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live.” “No, Mom and Dad, I want
him to live with us.” “Son,” said the father,
“you don’t know what you’re asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a
terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can’t let
something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home
and forget about this guy. He’ll find a way to live on his own.”
At that point, the son hung
up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later,
however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died
after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was
suicide.
The grief-stricken parents
flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of
their son. They recognized him, but to their horror, they also discovered
something they didn’t know, their son had only one arm and one leg.
The parents in this story
are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun
to have around, but we don’t like people who inconvenience us or make us feel
uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren’t as healthy,
beautiful, or smart as we are. Thankfully, there’s someone who won’t treat us
that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into
the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are.
Tonight, before you tuck
yourself in for the night, say a little prayer that God will give you the
strength you need to accept people as they are, and to help us all be more
understanding of those who are different from us!
Lord, I pray for all our Sonshine soldiers and
veterans who have made the sacrifice to defend our freedom. We remember and
give thanks for those who have given their lives in the service of our country.
Help us to honor their memory by caring for the family members they have left
behind, and that all our wounded comrades are properly cared for. Lord help us to remember that
freedom is not free and though their names may fade with the passing of
generations may we never forget what they have done.
Contact STOP SOLDIER SUICIDE at 844-889-5610 for
help.
Email address: stopsoldiersuicide.org
