A Mother's Heart in War . . . Day 269, March 2, 2005

The Friday entries of "The Powder Room" are currently from a journal which I started when we found out our son was going to be deployed with the United States Marine Corps to Iraq. The journal was not written with the intention that it would ever be read by anyone else, much less published in any way. There are feelings in the journal that are deep and true and I wasn't sure at first I wanted to share them. But there are many sons and daughters still serving in our armed forces and I think it might be good to share "a mother's heart" with you what those other mothers may be facing. The entries are shared as a tribute to my son and his service to our country, and to all those sons and daughters who continue to willingly place themselves in harm's way for the protection and preservation of liberty.

Day 269, March 2, 2005

It is March now and we are down to mere days. The plane ticket has been purchased and we just wait.

We want to see Noah, to look into those blue-green eyes and see for ourselves that he is well. We wait to hold Noah and feel for ourselves that he is whole and strong. We wait to listen to Noah and to hear for ourselves that the experience of war has not embittered his spirit, that he can still laugh. We wait to have him home in the safety of this house where the only dangers are that he will sleep past the alarm or use up all the hot water in the shower. But Noah's safety, his "wholeness" has never been a matter of place, location or shelter. It has always been "of the Lord".

How many hundreds, thousands of prayers have been lifted up to our Father specifically for Noah while he has been deployed? The Scriptures tell us that the prayers of the saints are the incense around the throne of God. What a sweet smell must encircle His throne on behalf of our son. And all those prayers gloriously answered! I feel so indebted to so many. . .so many faithful ones who say "I've been praying for Noah." So many more who never say they are praying for him, but do. I will spend part of eternity thanking these kind souls because as yet I do not know all of to whom I am indebted.

In eternity, will I also know how many times an angel of the Lord stayed a bullet? Redirected a rocket? Caused an enemy misfire? Generated confusion in the enemy? I have to believe this happened over and over again and over and over again I thank our Lord for His marvelous supply -- His gracious answer to prayer and His merciful protection. He is worthy to be praised.