I just finished watching “We Were Soldiers” a war movie based on the true story of LtCol Hal Moore. The movie is an incredible war movie. I would consider it one of the best. But, what stood out for me, what made this movie different than any other war movie, was how it captured the women that were left behind. It captured the pain of being left behind with no knowledge when and if they would see their husbands again.

This movie touched me in a new way this time as I watched it. Mostly because now I have seen men that will not make it home or men that will make it home badly damaged. As I watched this movie I thought more of the wives and the families left behind during this conflict. I think of the newlywed wife who hears that her new husband will not return and before their first anniversary she has become a widow. I think of the children who will not have a father. The parents that will not have a son to help them as they age.

I also think about all those who will come back less than they left. What about the father who was the proud coach of his son’s soccer team who now has no legs. What about the uncle who was teaching his nephew how to throw a curve ball who now cannot use his hands because of the burns he received when an IED blew up his Humvee.

Please let us pray for all of those that are grieving. Let us pray for the wives, the sons, the daughters, the parents and all of the families that have suffered loss. Everytime a suicide bomber takes out a convoy or soldiers training Iraqi soldiers, that is one less suicide bomber that can harm the homeland. These soldiers over here are sacrificing themselves for their homeland. Some are sacrificing themselves literally and all have sacrificed themselves figuratively serving in a foreign land in harms way.

Soli Deo Gloria