The Soldier and GOD...and a little more

 www.yessy.com/susanalden9/

This picture has been used with PERMISSION...please do not "take" without  permission by this VERY talented artitist.

 

The soldier stood and faced God,

Which must always come to pass.

He hoped his shoes were shining,

Just as brightly as his brass.





"Step forward now, you soldier,

How shall I deal with you ?

Have you always turned the other cheek ?

To My Church have you been true?"



The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.


I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.


But, I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills got just too steep.


And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.


I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.


If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.


There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.


"Step forward now, you soldier,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."




~Author Unknown~  

**********CHANGE**************** From a link in the guestbook, it looks like the author has been found and I 100 % will give credit where credit is due!!!!!! I LOVE it when unknown author's are found!

 

Sgt Joshua Helterbran, 224th Engineer Battalion.

I have to say it makes me smile since this guy in an Engineer, so is my Chad!!!! Thank you for allowing me to give credit where it's due!

   I've read this before and loved it, but somehow "lost" it...now I've saved it and hopefully will not lose it again. I hope when we get a new printer I can print it off and frame it for Chad or at the very least scrapbook it in Chad's military scrapbook. I talk to other military wives and read other military wives journals, I read non-military wives journals, etc and think how much God has given me when it comes to Chad. I take this man for granted a lot. He loves me, truly loves me. Even when I was at my heaviest, he still thought I was beautiful. He doesn't make a habit of telling me how much harder "his job" is in the Army or how much stress he has and that my life is a piece of cake, he knows better. He's been left at home many times with our children and gets that there's a lot of work in raising children and keeping a home, etc. Before he was deployed to Iraq the first time, he was on rear-dettachment. He saw how the spouces have life that continues even though their husband (and in some cases wives, but for the most part with his job/MOS it's husbands) are deployed. The bills keep coming, the van oil still needs changed, the lights that are up 10 feet high still need changing, the grass needs mowing, kids need chasing, bathed, fed, taken to the park everyday, read to, hugged, kissed, disiplined. We still have family and friends who still "need" or ask things of us, even when our stomach's in a knot constantly. We still have obligations to handle. We take on a 2 parenting job, as 1 person. We go from being "mom and wife" to being "mom, dad, wife, husband". We get phone calls from the mil, complaining that she hasn't heard from her son, and when was the last time "I" have and then try to be gentle when explaining that he only gets a certain amount of time on the phone and he choses to call his WIFE and CHILDREN.... Chad saw those things, helped out wives by mowing their hards, moving furniture, changing those out of reach burnt out lightbulbs (I still laugh as  he balanced on the back of our friends couch trying to change that stinking hall light which he DID!! LOL). He dealt with the guilt of being on rear-d, yet working a 24 hr shift (although most days it was more like 26 hrs), taking phone calls from spouces asking good and stupid questions, taking calls from worried parents, friends, wanting info that he just couldn't give quite often. Having to call me to let me know that the phones were down in Iraq because of injuries and that he couldn't leave yet until the family had been personally notified (one of HIS soldiers lost, physcially lost an eye, blind in the other, lost his arms from the elbow down, and major injury to his legs...all out of stupidity and something that could have been avoided)...but he had to stay at work while the Commander and Chaplain went and found his 19 yr old wife, mother of 2, expecting their 3rd. At that point we thought this soldier was going to die, and it killed Chad. Through it all though, Chad got that it's hard for the wives. Yes it's not an easy road to be a soldier, not at all and I don't know how he does it. Yet he gets that it's not easy for me either. I am left home to comfort our children when they cry because they miss Daddy. I am the one here to do all the bills and everyday stuff, and at some point take care of myself, yeah right. I am thankful I have a guy who doesn't tell me how to feel or that he's got it "worse" than me. Until we walk in the other's shoes we can never know. I have a husband who loves me and feels bad that he's leaving his family again, yet this is his job and he loves it, he believes in what his country is fighting for. I believe in his job and I believe in him. God will see us through this. We will God-willingly pray our way through this seperation and when we're reunited be stronger than ever.