Labor, Lessons, and Love

This morning, I learned something new about one of our co-ops.  We were talking about plans for the weekend and I asked if she had any.  She said "My fiance' is coming home.  He's a Marine stationed in North Carolina."  She proceeded to tell me that he has done two tours.  One in Iraq in (2008-2009) and in Afghanistan (2009).  She said it was the hardest thing they have been through.

Apparently he was one of the 4,000 Marines that President Obama first sent into Afghanistan.  They were told it would be a lot like Vietnam because there would be hardly any technology.  There would be satellite phones that they could call once a month on and just regular ol' mail that came when it came.    She was grateful for him getting home safe because his best friend didn't make it through the first day.  She said her fiance' is leaving the service in October and right now has no idea what his plans are.

I told her about how our daughter is in the Navy and how proud we are of her.  She has been on several missions and we thank God for keeping her safe.  Having a loved one in the military is bittersweet.  Especially when the world we live in has conflict after conflict.  The soldiers struggle just making it through the hour sometimes.  We struggle with our worry and keeping everything going while they are gone.  But in the end it is so worth the reunion.

That reunion is the end result of a long time of labor, lessons, and love.  Just as a Christian's life is.  We work hard to live by God's standards, we learn our lessons about life, and we love.  In the end, we are promised to be united for eternity with Christ.

Philippians 3:20
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 

Colossians 1:5
because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 

1Thessalonians 4:16
 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.