Wake up call!
11/06/2006 By Don Tipton
As with many of us independent artists I have a full time job to pay the bills. For me that job is closely related to Hank Hill’s job, from King Of The Hill.
I work in the propane industry.
Well this past week something happened that made the war in Iraq hit close to home for me.
I went to do a gas service check at a house in the country outside Franklin, Tn, where some people had purchased this really nice house. Nothing fancy just a nice place.
I went to the door , and a lady answered the door, I’d say she was around 25 or thereabouts.
She invited me in. I followed her to the to the kitchen to check out her range.
There was a couple of men there, one at the kitchen table, and the other standing in the middle of the kitchen, and there was a little girl about 4 years old I’d say.
I didn’t pay much attention at first, and went about my business checking out the range. When I finished I asked the lady of the house to show me to the dryer, and that’s when I noticed the man standing had a walking stick, he was blind.
I finished with the dryer, and asked if they had any gas logs. I followed her to the basement, and as I checked out the logs, down on my knees in front of the fireplace, we began talking.
I could tell by the boxes all around they had just moved in.
I commented on their nice house, and she began telling me that they just moved in, that her husband had been in the service, and he had been stationed in Germany for eight years, and that’s where they met. She was an Army brat, and her father was also stationed in Germany. Her husband, and her had met, fell in love, got married, and had a little girl, all while stationed in Germany.
I said well at least your husband wasn’t stationed in Iraq, that’s when she said, Well actually, he had been stationed in Iraq, and that’s were he was when some type a flash weapon went off in his face, and now he is blind,
There on my knees in front of that fireplace, my heart sank. All I could say was “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I asked her, Do you think he would mind if I thanked him for serving his country? She said, No that would be great.
When I finished down stairs, and climbed back up the steps, her husband was by himself sitting in the kitchen. I walked over and introduced myself, and said, Sir I’d like to thank you for serving your country, and laying your life on the line to protect freedom for all of us here.
He shook my hand, and said, Your welcome. As I finished my gas check on the rest on the rest of the house, all I could think about was how we go on about our daily lives here in America, giving little thought to the extreme sacrifice of our men, and women of our armed forces who are laying it all on the line for us, everyday, with no regard to the fact that they may be injured, or permanently disabled, or even killed to protect our freedom.
I prayed for this man, and the others like him who are still laying it all on the line for America.
We take our freedom so lightly here in America
I urge you to keep praying for our brave men, and women who are risking their lives everyday for us while serving our country. Not just in Iraq, but all around the world.
I know that a lot of people are down on President Bush for sending our troops to Iraq, but this country’s colors don’t run, never have, and never will. Freedom is not free. It costs, but these men and women, and our President deserve our respect, our honor, our prayers, and our support.
Not a bunch of wining when things don’t go as quickly, or exactly as we had hoped.
The President holds on office, that we, the American people, because of our freedom, voted him into. If you don’t respect the man, at least respect the office he holds, and continue to pray for him, and support him, and our troops! We could have a dictator like Sadam, thank God for our freedom, and thank God for men like this man who put his life on the line for us.
Keep on praying American. Without our prayers, We will not be one nation under God, but just one nation under.
This is one man’s humble opinion, and you may not agree, but thank God we live in America where we have the right to disagree. This is a great country, it’s not perfect, but there’s no other place on earth I’d rather live. God Bess you, our troops, our President, and God Bless America.
A humble Servant Of Christ,
Don Tipton
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