Freedom = Security & Rest

Freedom = Security & Rest

Isaiah 32: 18. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.

What a fitting verse as the 4^th of July approaches. Those words secure and rest stand out to me most. Look at the definitions of these two words: secure (free from fear, care or anxiety; certain, sure); rest (cessation of activity, peace, refreshment, relaxation, relief from disquiet, freedom from disturbance). These sound likes reason’s we celebrate the 4^th.

As a veteran reservist of the first Gulf War, I may take a different perspective than non-service people and even from many non-reservist service people. You see as a reservist, you never really expect to be called to active duty. You sign up to do your monthly weekends and two weeks a year and life goes on. But when the papers are handed to you, calling you to active duty because there is a war going on, fear kind of consumes you. I was blessed in that I was not called overseas, but the fear remained that at any moment I may have to go overseas and the feeling of insecurity always loomed overhead. I feared the possibility of not ever seeing my family again, I feared being shot, I feared for all the crap I had seen in the movies. The ‘what if’s’ repeated in my head like a broken record.

I am thankful to have experienced-on a small scale- what some of our service people experience today. In no way will I downplay or belittle their experience to mine, since I was not deployed overseas nor did I have to leave a spouse or children behind. But it is for those reasons I am more thankful we have those willing to abandon a secure life to offer security to me.

As I begin my 4^th of July retreat, in undisturbed places of rest, I will enjoy my peace and relaxation and send up a little prayer for those providing me the security to do so. 

Thank you to all the current & veteran service men, women AND families.