I Am A Soldier's Mother

I Am A Soldier’s Mother

I am a soldier’s mother; I sometimes march alone
And yet I stand with many, trying to be strong.

You may not recognize me as you pass me on the street;
I may look like any other that you by chance might meet.

Like any mother, in a lot of ways I still remain,
But watching my son become a soldier brought a forever change.

For deep down inside where you cannot see
My own battle rages that’s as real as it can be.

It starts with feeling pride in all he has become,
But often worry creeps in before the day is done.

Then there is his absence that never will seem right –
The days without a word that causes many sleepless nights.

And at the sight of another soldier, my heart skips a beat,
For it reminds me of my own, and that face I’d love to see.

And I have a deeper sense of the sacrifices our heroes make;
I can see the hardships on the families – the loneliness, the heartache.

But in spite of all that’s raging, this mother’s love holds strong
As I’m wrapped in God’s peace and comfort and given strength to go on.

   written by © C. G.  and found on armymomstrong.com

We ask that when you go to the Lord, that you might say a little prayer for our Soldier, our son.  

Thank you from the Preacher and I

The Church Dog

Today I thought I'd introduce you to our puppy, Sergeant!

He is our Soldier-son's dog, but the Preacher and I have custody of this little guy while our son is away.

A year ago while we were at our little town's small festival called Old Thresher Days, our son visited the small petting zoo (I'm using this term very loosely), and there he saw some puppies and kittens that were either for sale or for free. He had been wanting a new puppy since his other dog, Max (you can read about Max here), had passed away just 3 months before. While there, he saw three little border collie puppies and he fell head over heels for this little dog.

He just had to have this cutie.

Then, just 2 months later, our son raised his right hand and took the oath to protect his country and off to basic training he went. Now the Preacher and I have custody.

Let me explain how he has become the Church Dog. From the very beginning, before our Soldier-son left for the military, he would bring little Sargy to church with him on Sunday mornings. They would sit on the back row and you would never know our son had a dog with him because Sargy would just lay either in his arms or on the floor under the seat, never making a sound.

After our son left, the Preacher and I began bringing him into work with us here at the church and we would bring him with us on Sunday mornings. He stayed in our office during the service and after service I would put him on his leash and let him play outside. The kids would come and say hi and play with him until their parents were ready to go home.
















I never considered Sargy to be the church dog until I read an article that one of our Elder's had written for our church's monthly newsletter, In the article he talks about the joy of seeing the children having fun at church. He asked the parents to think about seeing their children "running up and down the stairs or the kids who play with the Smith's dog after church." 

And then one day our Worship Leader was taking pictures after church of the kids playing out in the front yard and he took a picture of Sargy, posted it on Facebook, and called Sargy the Church Dog. And there you have it, our dog is now the official Church Dog!

Does your church have an official church dog or cat?

Sergeant ;) The Church Dog

Love from the Preacher, Sargy and I

Mother of a Soldier

   

    The one and only son of the Preacher and I, has held up his right hand and taken his oath to defend our country. So now we are the parents of a Soldier.

     These words, ‘mother of a Soldier’, have not fully sunk into my brain. It is partly due to the fact that he has not actually left to serve his country, but it is really because I am not ready to fully embrace all that these words entail.

     Did I know that someday I would become the mother of a soldier? One night, when our son was twelve years old, he confided in me that he wanted to serve in the military. I remember feeling apprehensive, but also I remember feeling a little proud. I documented that conversation in a scrapbook page. There were no pictures taken of that night, just our conversation. I wanted to remember those words so that I could retell them to my son, if and when the day came that he did join the military.

     Within the last seven years my son has finished his home-school high school, received his AA degree from our local community college, and attended several college programs. I put the possibility of my son spending time in the military in the very back of my mind (I mean way back there), even though he did bring up the idea every once in a while.  You try to think about what career your son will pursue and the military is not on a mother’s top 10 list of careers for her child.

     When your child is born into this world, you think that it is your responsibility to keep them safe from all harm, to protect them. You teach them the warning signs of danger, you tell them how to avoid these dangers by saying things like – “Don’t run with scissors in your hand.”, “Don’t touch the stove, it’s hot!”, “Don’t climb so far up!”, “Look both ways before crossing the street.” Even as they grow older, you’re still there letting them know that there are still dangers to beware of and to avoid – how to drive a car safely, what to look out for when they go away to college – you still think that their safety is your responsibility.  

     So what now? That responsibility of keeping him safe is now completely out of my hands. He won’t be here, I won’t be able to help him through the hard times, the rough times, and the dangerous times. He is a young man now and with that he has made his life decision. Eventually, we as mothers, do have to give up that motherly control. The one thing that I can be certain of is that my God, his God, will still be there as He has been all of his life. No matter where he is stationed, our Savior will be looking after him. I know that I will have to remind myself daily of this fact. I have to remember that he is and was always a gift from God and I have to remember that God put him on this earth for a reason and a purpose. Now is the time for my son to find out what that purpose is.

     I am praying daily for my son and I ask that you too, may pray for my son, once in a while. The Preacher and I, we thank you in advance for all of your prayers.