10/12/10
- 2008 ---Stephen was dancing in the school attendance office as he joked with friends.
- 2009---Stephen became a Houston High graduate.
- 2010 Stephen became a US Army infantryman graduating from boot camp at Fort Benning, GA.
- Friday night he was at the HHS homecoming walking along the sidelines catching up with old friends.
- Sunday he sat in church with his family, who take up almost a whole row.
- Yesterday he was in Memphis.
- Tonight he is in Alaska.
- 2011 he will be in Afghanistan, if not before.
That’s a lot of change for a young man in a relatively small amount of time. Advice has been given. Tears have been shed. Letters and e-mails, when allowed, have been plentiful. Prayers have been spoken. Prayers have been answered. Maturity has come.
This same scenario is played out all over our country as our young men courageously go to war leaving family in their wake. But I know this young man, so I’ve seen the emotions that surface as his entire family has been touched by these life changing events.
Through all of these changes, I’m sure Stephen’s mother’s heart has been on a roller-coaster-type ride. She knows that the Lord is sovereign and will work all things together for good for Stephen. She also knows the desire of her own heart. She’s learning to trust more. She desires to align her heart prayers for her son with God’s heart. The one constant throughout all of these changes has been her love and her continued prayers for her son.
Pure honest, heart-filled, fervent prayers. Whispered prayers. Prayers of groaning from deep within her soul. Prayers to cover her son’s safety. Prayers filled with scripture.
The “Warriors on the Wall” prayer group from church will be standing in the gap on behalf of this young man. Others will pray on Wednesday night. I will continue to pray for soldiers on Saturday but I bet his mom will be praying for her soldier everyday.
