Forever Scars

I think of those young men left lying in the poppy fields. Young men with dreams that would never arrive. With hearts that longed for home and loved ones, never again to find fullness.

What an awful thing is war. Even those who returned, came home with scars that would never heal. Scars that left gaping holes between their reality and that of the ones they returned to.

War brings horrors that no one should have to experience. Traumas that those of us who have never faced, will never truly understand. You'd think we'd learn! That we'd come up with less devastating ways to solve a problem. Yet still those images fill our screens. War still torments so many.

All I can do, though it seems so pitiful, is to be thankful for the freedom their losses bought me.

Of course, it always reminds me of that other loss. That innocent life that·bore this life's horrors to purchase my peace and freedom. He did reclaim life!! He got up and walked again!! From wounds that should have permanently laid him low!! But first he gave it all. Wore every pain ever inflicted here! Gave up his life for those he loved.

He laid it all down, clinging to faith that this plan would work! While facing every strike the devil could throw at him! This was no trivial battle. The devil knew this was his last chance to destroy God's plan forever! And he threw everything in his arsenal at him!! And Jesus died - a very human death - from the impact of that assault.

He did rise. Like no one else could have. Thank God he did! Because it changed our futures forever!!! But for all eternity he will wear the scars of that battle. And we will forever be humbly grateful that he fought the greatest battle ever for our lives.

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