Some Gave All

Some Gave All

            I’d like to begin my post with the last scene in the story I began on May 18^th about the lives of soldiers Joe and John and their families:

           “Joe sent me another email yesterday,” Lauren spoke up as she set the table for dinner that afternoon.  “He sent me another picture too,” she added.  “I saved it to my computer while I was at school so I can show it to you all after dinner.”  The doorbell sounded from the foyer, and she shifted her gaze up from the cutlery and napkins.

           “I wonder who that could be,” her mother remarked.  “I don’t think we’re expecting any packages.”  She laid the knife she held down on the kitchen counter beside the bell pepper she was cutting and started toward the foyer, Lauren following her steps.

             And on the threshold of another front door, a similar messenger stood, bearing the same news, and rang the doorbell.  At the sound, Amy entered the foyer, carrying Lily on her hip.  She halted abruptly in her steps as her gaze fell upon the man standing on the other side of the front door glass pane. 

          “Who is it, Mommy?” Christopher asked, coming up behind her.

           She gave no response.  She couldn’t.  The knot of sickening dread and horror that tightened in her middle rendered any speech impossible.  “Dear God, no,” she silently prayed.  Reluctantly she made her way to the door and unlocking it, swung it open on its hinges to reveal the uniformed man standing there.  One glance at the solemnness of his expression, and she knew her fear was true before he even voiced the grave words of her husband’s mortal fate.  She shook her head against the reality as the tears came quickly.  “John.”  The name faded from her lips in a whisper.  She pressed a hand to her mouth to suppress the sobs while they came more violently as the man began to relay his message.

           

            All right, go ahead and consider me a depressing author.  Everyone likes a happy ending to a story, but in real life, not every story ends with a happy reunion.  We all like to hear stories of soldiers going off to war and returning home, but not every soldier does return to his home and family.  It’s real life, as sad as it may be.

            True, the story I posted this past week was completely fictional, but I cannot help wondering how many of our soldiers’ stories actually do end in such similar ways.  My cousin and her parents drove up from their home in Florida this past week to visit me and my family and on Friday, we took them antique shopping in the city-center of Madison, Georgia.  We stopped to eat lunch at a little restaurant called the Madison Chop House Grille, and inside, the walls were partially decorated with blackboards bearing drawings of patriotic symbols- American flags, eagles, and such- for the upcoming Memorial Day, I suppose.  One saying they had written on one of their boards really struck me, however.  “All gave some, some gave all.”  How true this saying really is.  All of our soldiers make a sacrifice, all of our veterans have made a sacrifice, but some of our soldiers truly sacrifice all… their very lives.  Today is Memorial Day, a day to honor those men and women who have given all for the cause of defending our country and the freedoms we enjoy living in America.  Reflect upon those brave men and women who have died for the cause of freedom.  Memorial Day isn’t only for those soldiers who have fallen in modern wars.  It includes all of our soldiers: from the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the American Civil War, the Spanish-American War, WWI and WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Iran-Iraq War, the Gulf War, our most recent War on Terror, etc.  The list of casualties goes on.  Let’s take the time to honor our soldiers who have given their lives for us to live in freedom from fear and political oppression and pay special tribute to the sacrifices they and their families made.  To honor our soldiers who have fallen centuries ago, decades ago, a year, a month, or a week ago, or even yesterday. 

            If you are searching in the way of patriotic songs, below I have listed the soldier songs I have collected on my iPod.  They come from pop, country, and Christian genres.  If you’re looking for something a little more thought-provoking and solemn than your typical happily-ever-after reunion, check out Somebody’s Someone, The Hand Song, and Another Soldier’s Song.

Home by Dierks Bentley

Thank You Soldier by Joe Brucato

God Bless The U.S.A. by Lee Greenwood

Somebody’s Someone by Lonestar

Letters From War by Mark Schultz

The Hand Song by Nickel Creek

Another Soldier’s Song by Robert Abernathy

It’s America by Rodney Atkins



Fort Sumter, SC



           On April 12^th, 1861, shots were fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, marking the beginning of the American Civil War.  Brother fought against brother, and our nation was divided for the only time in history.  Men from all races, backgrounds, and walks of life enlisted in the Union and Confederate armies.  It’s conservatively estimated that in this first modern war, the casualties related to the war totaled 1,123,073.  Contrary to what some may think, the war was a conflict over more than only the issue of slavery in the country.  Still slavery was certainly one of the primary motivations in the war.  Although several of the disputes in the War Between the States are still seen today unfortunately, facts are facts.  History doesn’t lie, and the North did win the war and slavery was abolished in the United States.

            In November of the first year of the war, a Boston woman by the name of Julia Ward Howe awoke one night while staying in Washington, D.C., and penned the famous lyrics to “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” which would become one of the most popular songs of the Union troops as they marched in their campaign for the North.  Most of us are familiar with the song to this day.

            Over the centuries, this anthem of freedom has been preserved for generation after generation.  Still to this day, as every soldier signs his name to enlist into our armed forces, the melody of the song resounds in every stroke of the pen.  Its message of freedom still echoes with every footstep our soldiers take on foreign ground as they set off to liberate the captive and bring freedom to all.  I close with the last verse of the song, and may it become an anthem in our lives politically and spiritually.  May God bless the United States of America.

In the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea,

With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me;

As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,

While God is marching on.

~We’ve all heard of the phrase “pulling on her/ his heartstrings,” but heart-chords?  I was struggling to decide what to name my blog.  I wanted it to be a name that was both creative and meaningful.  As I pondered, my gaze fell upon my acoustic guitar where it stands in my bedroom, and the Lord reminded me that our hearts- our lives- are instruments.  They are constantly in song, but what melody our heart plays is each of our own decisions.  They can play a melody for praise or for entertainment.  A musician selects his songs according to his audience.  So do we.  Whether our audience is the world or the Lord, our song will be different.  This blog is designed to first, increase my awareness in finding God and His guidance in my every day and second, to share the music lessons He teaches me in tuning my heart to learn the chords of praise He longs to play on my heart-instrument.  Music is a powerful tool.  Use it for His glory.  “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.  Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.” Psalm 40:3