Archive for the ‘Prayer in Iraq’ Category

Serving Others

Friday, August 17th, 2007

In my last blog I told how SSG Justin Thomas had learned the habit of daily praying as a boy and how it helped his soldiers while serving in Iraq.  After his mother Angela sent me that initial story, I wanted to know more about him.  She wrote:   

 During Justin’s first tour in Iraq (March 2003 through March 2004), he lost almost 90% of his hearing in the right ear and approximately 55% in his left ear. After the first tour, and just a few months prior to the second, he was given the option of a medical discharge or changing his MOS (basically assuming a desk position). Justin had worked very hard training his new men to ensure they were well prepared for the second mission (many new soldiers who had not been there the first time). His statement to the medical board was that his preference would be to take his men to battle because he knew what to expect and they did not. However, during the second tour, he realized how hard it was for him based on his hearing disability. He is leaving his men now to others who have been well trained and have experienced the difficulties these soldiers encounter on a daily basis.  

After reading Angela’s letter I was struck by the fact that

America will be blessed for years to come by people like Justin who because of self-less days of service to our country have developed such a strong value of commitment to serving.  In a generation where we sometimes spoil and shelter our kids (I have a 17 year old, so I’m guilty too!) it’s comforting to know that God is developing a large pool of young men and women who value community and the good of their comrades.  The Bible says that Jesus Himself “took the very nature of a servant.”  (Philippians 2:7)  May others continue to see Jesus because of the way we all serve each other!   

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Bedtime Prayers and the Lord’s Prayer in Iraq

Wednesday, August 15th, 2007

 

I wanted to share with you and email I received from Angela Stroud, the mother of Staff Sergeant Justin Thomas with the 101st Airborne out of

Ft. Campbell KY.  Angela writes:

 

Many missions were being performed by the A Company, 2-502 of the 101st Airborne (from

Fort Campbell, KY). Prior to leaving their camp, the leader, my son, Staff Sgt. Justin Thomas would lead the group in saying the Lord’s Prayer. Being a leader, he could not require his soldiers to pray nor ask them to lead the prayer because it might be interpreted as an order. Therefore, SSG Thomas simply said the prayer out loud himself. One day a mission was activated quickly as insurgents were approaching rapidly. The team was getting ready to move out and one soldier stopped and said, “SSG Thomas, you’ve not said the prayer.” Thomas hurriedly replied, “You say it for us.” “No, SSG Thomas, we need you to say it because we all come back and are not injured when you pray” was the soldier’s reply. Then it was done, mission stopped until the SSG prayed. You never know what impact one can have on the lives of others until God puts his thoughts into it. As SSG Thomas was growing up, there were prayers before meals, bedtimes and whenever the urge hit him. He was involved in prayers before sporting events throughout his life.  I never knew what an impact prayer had on him, until his soldiers relayed this message to me. SSG Thomas will soon be medically discharged after serving six years in the Army. His soldiers will be returning to the fields of

Iraq within the next few months. With his influence and his continued prayers for them, I’m sure they will take with them the power of prayer. God has blessed me with a wonderful son and I welcome him home with his wife and soon to be newborn, but I still say the prayers for all of our soldiers and veterans, at home and abroad. 

I wanted to share Angela’s email with you because it shows how our soldiers welcome our prayers.  The small, seemingly insignificant prayer habits we grow in our children and ourselves can someday impact may others in ways we can’t imagine. 

 

In my next blog, I’ll share more about SSG Thomas. 

 

Blessings!  Karen   

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