Devotionals

The Soldier at the Door

by Anne O'Donnell
12/14/20
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One Saturday morning I took a drive to Office Max to print color copies for a church activity. As I parked the car and looked up, I noticed a soldier in full uniform getting out of his car. Our paths intersected inside the front door of the store entrance, and within seconds I engaged in small talk with one of our country’s dedicated servicemen. This honored United States citizen, who deserved the highest respect and admiration for his commitment to serve overseas away from his family, informed me of his scheduled deployment for his next assignment. 

Without any warning, a most surprising thing happened!

Before I became consciously aware of what I was saying, I heard myself inviting his family into the restaurant where I worked, offering them a fine dining experience before his leave. The words thrilled me as they tumbled out of my mouth - I was arranging for a soldier of the United States Army to enjoy an evening out! I could not have possibly been any more excited to offer this simple gesture of gratitude for his undying service to our country.

We shook hands and I told him I would be waiting for a call to set up the reservation for his family. I left the store with a smile in my heart, convinced God used me unexpectedly to bless this hero. As it turned out, this soldier and his wife knew another couple who had just lost a family member, so a few days later, the four of them welcomed some time together out on the restaurant patio.

I would have loved to see myself on a camera during this brief exchange with the soldier, because as I stood in the presence of a humbled and brave warrior, I knew my body language and my face showed the intensity of the moment, as I stood awestruck by his kindness and willingness to share so much of his career with a stranger in the lobby of a store.

I carried this memory with me for months afterwards, and thought of the hundreds and thousands of soldiers I will never meet. Each one has a story to share. Only God knows all their names and looks after them in ways the most sophisticated technology on earth could never do. 

I take great interest in biographies and movies that capture the heartbeat of war and the lives it affects. They share stories of humanity confronting the faces of evil and defying the odds against them on a scale the average person cannot comprehend. Our soldiers are heroes because of their courage and willingness to face fear knowing it could cost them their life.

Prior to this meaningful meeting with the soldier, I have reached out to our armed forces stationed in various areas of the world and have received response letters back from men and women I will never meet. Each one remains close to my heart and I thank God for the divine encounters He set up allowing me to share these simple yet profound friendships.

God talks about soldiers in the Bible, and uses their fight for freedom as parallels to the battles we fight for our own personal freedoms. 

I look up to our soldiers as role models for how I desire to lead my own life; with unmatched tenacity and relentless commitment for righteousness. The United States Navy Seals exhibit in the natural realm what Christians need to exemplify in the spiritual realm; "I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity. If knocked down, I will get up, every time."  - U.S. Navy SEALS. 

The war between good and evil for the souls of mankind will continue until Jesus takes the devil and casts him into the lake of fire for eternity, ending the battle of the ages.

God awakened my awareness of the fact that in the sixth chapter of Ephesians, the armor of God is all facing forward - nothing covers our back side. The reason for this has to do with the fact that our role is to advance His Kingdom and He has our backs.

“Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle.” Psalm 144:1.