"The Unfinished Gift"

I've been reading, reading, reading lately.  I'm so enjoying it.  Right now I'm reading several books but the one I'm reading this morning is called "The Unfinished Gift."   It is wonderful.  It is set during WWII.  It's been so interesting being in that time period.  To see how our country handled being at war at that time and to compare it to present day.  This morning as I was reading I came to a part that just really struck me.  Here it is.

"The crowd in Times Square is growing by the minute, already numbering in the tens of thousands.  The multitude is happy and peaceful, yet somewhat subdued from years past, considering we are a nation at war. And because we are, it's been decided- now for the second year in a  row- that the Big Ball will not descend from its post high atop the Times Tower to ring in the New Year.  Still, come midnight, we do expect the cheering throngs to scream, the chimes to sound, and the church bells to ring throughout the land.  But all the while, not far from anyone's mind, will be thoughts of a husband, a son, an uncle, a brother.  And for every cheer, two prayers will likely be said.  God, keep him safe.  God, bring him home."

This was what was playing on the radio in the story on New Year's Eve 1943.  Interesting isn't it.  DH and I have often talked about how different it has been during these wars from WWII.  How the country isn't as affected as a whole like it was back then.  No rations, no drills and so on.  Eventually, everything just continued as if nothing had changed.

I remember going through the museum at Ft. Campbell and looking at the all the items from WWII and thinking then how different it was.  In some ways I think it was better because it was more there every day for every one to see.  Now, it's easy to forget that it's even still going on!  I've actually had people to say to me, "You mean we still have people over there?  I thought that was over."  UNBELIEVABLE!!

Anyway, I got off on a tangent, sorry...  I was struck that the Ball didn't drop on New Year's.  That it was like in a way we were waiting.  It was a symbol that the country was waiting.  Yes, the New Year still came and celebrations still occurred but there was a symbol that the country was waiting, that the country still remembered.  We were at war.

We are at war.  Families are still separated.  They are still worried every day that their husband, wife, father, mother, son, daughter, uncle or aunt might not come home.  It's very real that many don't come home or that many don't come home the same.

Don't forget.  Pray for them.  Help them.  Reach out these families.  They need to know that they are not forgotten.  That we do still care for them.  That we want to help them and be here for them.  Pray for them.

Remember.