Passing the Baton.

                                               Stephen, Skyping with Laurie, and the smiles that always pass between them.




How does a mom rejoice in the upcoming return of her child, her daughter, (okay, she's our baby), when you know that before she comes home, a dearly loved son in law will deploy to the same hell that his wife is in right now?  How do we do this?

The phone rang the other day,  and when I picked it up, I heard Laurie's name, and then something about contact number.  I asked the person to repeat what she was saying, and my heart was in my throat.  All I heard was contact number, Laurie's name, and "is that correct?"   I said that yes, they had the correct number and that I was Laurie's mom.  She told me that she had a date for an information meeting about Laurie's unit returning.  I don't think my heart started beating again until I was off the phone, staring at the information I had written down.  And then I realized what the meeting is for - and I said a quiet 'thank you, Lord.'  Quiet because I think our voice is sometimes heard better when we speak quietly.  The fear that had gripped me only a moment before gave way to my quiet prayer of thanks.
Stephen and Laurie will miss each other by a matter of weeks.  When I think of embracing her in that welcome home ceremony, my heart just bursts with  happiness.  But I would give all of that up if only Stephen could be there.  Instead, we will be embracing him goodbye just days before we welcome Laurie,.
Can I tell you how my heart aches for them?  For Kasey?  For all of us?
And can I tell you of my pride, without sounding like I am boasting? 
I will never understand all of this war thing, but I have never been an objector and never will be. I am, simply, a mom who loves her children.  And my pride does not feel  boastful.  It's simply what they are willing to do  to see that the baton is passed....and they will (prayerfully) safely run the race and pass the baton to someone else when their time in that place is done and on and on until they all come home. I have crawled onto the lap of our Father many times, and it's a good place to be - especially when stuff seems like it's closing in. I could say that I haven't ever prayed this hard, but there were times when, as a young man, Scott was very ill; and when Violet was near death a year ago from her Crohn's disease, or when....well, you get the picture. 
And all of my prayers were answered at those times with God's grace and mercy. I have no doubt they will be answered in that way again. They are feeble prayers compared to the power of the name I call on.
But I know He hears each and every one.
Awesome, isn't it?