FORWARD!

[Your Uncle Sam]

"FORWARD!"

I had never seen the stranger before that day. It was a blustery, windy day. Lightning was selectively licking at the grassy field that lay before us, with the thunder exploding in sharp, clapping, bone-jarring reports that rumbled away, into the greyish horizon beyond. I was a little boy. I was crying, and somewhat separated from my friends, who were huddled under a bush. We were lost. Having lost our bearings in the sudden summer storm that erased from view any of the familiar landmarks that we used in order to navigate our way around the mid-western farmlands we called home.

That is when the stranger first appeared. He was tall, and graceful, with hair that flowed from his forehead and over his shoulders. He had a winsome, gentle smile that emanated from calm, knowing eyes, radiating to his smooth, young face. He was just there, as suddenly as had appeared the storm, standing over me, knowingly looking into my frightened eyes as if he had the answer to our dilemma. I asked, “Do you know which way the farmhouse is? We’re lost!” He looked off into the distance, towards the darkest clouds, and pointed. “Forward”, he said. “But the storm is strongest over there, are you sure?” He nodded, and gently said “Quickly”. I turned to my friends and yelled “Come with me, I know the way!” and turned back to where the stranger had been, just moments before, but he was gone! We ran in the direction to which he had pointed, up a rising hill, and just beyond..... was the farmhouse!

When we recanted our stories to our worried parents, none of my friends made any mention of the stranger who had shown us the way. None had ever seen him. But they hailed me as their leader, their Hero. When my turn came, I re-affirmed their stories and made no mention of the stranger. I took all the credit, and it felt good. Besides, no-one would believe me about seeing the stranger that had saved us.

The next time I saw him was in a jungle. I was much older then, and a sergeant. I was lost, as were my buddies. It was night. And there was thunder. But the thunder was coming from the artillery flashes bursting all around us! There was the sharp, staccato cracking of rifle-fire bursting from a thousand different flash-points of light in the abyss of that tropical night. We were pinned down, staring at the nothingness of eternity. There was nothing between us and certain death. I could barely hear, under the shelling, the near silent murmuring of prayerful whispering coming from the platoon which I had led those many months. Then, there he was again. The stranger. He was standing over me, his figure silhouetted against the glowing orange flashes of the artillery fire that colored the blackness on the horizon. I gasped one word to him, “LOST!”, to which he responded, pointing towards what we now knew to be friendly fire from the south, and said calmly.... “Forward,....quickly!” And we slithered away, in that direction.

The next day, as we were being de-briefed by our C.O. back at the fire base, my men all pointed to me and proclaimed that I had led them to safety. When my turn came, I re-affirmed what they told. I was afraid, that if I had mentioned an encounter with a stranger in the middle of the jungle, that I would have been shipped out for a mental evaluation. I accepted the Bronze Star, mumbling something about the Grace of God.

I’ve spent much of my remaining years, in meditation, seeking that stranger, whom I had come to know as a savior in many other situations. It was in one of these solitudes of soul-searching that he appeared once again to me. But this time, it was as if we had been displaced from the present time and space, back through time, and I found myself walking with the stranger, shoulder to shoulder, towards a hill that the townspeople of that time had called Golgotha. I was telling this stranger how much I wanted to thank him for being there in my darkest moments, how I wanted to be his friend, his brother. I asked him why we were walking so fast, and if he could slow down a bit so I could embrace him. I asked where we were going to in such a hurry?

He began walking faster, to a point that I could no longer keep pace, and the distance between him and me gradually became so great that I had to raise my voice in order for him to hear me. I called out to him... “What’s your hurry?” ....Where are you leading me to!?”

He turned, and smiled at me with the knowing smile that I had come to love, ...and, pointing towards that looming hill in the distance, he called back.... “Forward!”,... then disappeared into the distance....quickly.

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Editor's note: (This was written by a Member to first, demonstrate the saving quality of Faith, then secondly, the saving power of The Cross. Golgotha was the hill upon which Jesus was sacrificed for man's earthly sins. The story tells of one person's journey, in faith, from his youth to his senior, last years.)

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If you don't want to cry today....do not go here:
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God Bless You
-the Author

[Annette Akerman]

I don't think Jesus is at all imaginary or unable to be seen by those who know him.  This was beautiful and there is nothing to say it is not true, unless one does not believe. Thanks to whomever!

[Chaplain Thomas Gilbert Cole]

AMEN, AMEN, AND AMEN.

[Kathryn Ball]

 

It is a year and a half later and the storms we had to face then seem rather small compared with those which lie ahead. The most frightening about all of this is that these are uncharted waters for those of us willing to stand and fight for what we believe in. Our previous 'enemies' were always defined and not from within our midst.....that is all changed.

Barack Obama has not [yet] failed in passing his agenda and that to the progressive left to "fundamentally CHANGE this country". THAT is what he campaigned on and that is what appealed to those who voted for him.

I think it is of vital importance that those of us who disagree take a careful look at recent history. Cloward and Pivin's theory of "Economic Recovery" involved a process by which the government's ability to provide aide to the "less fortunate" would be overwhelmed by the demand..............I hate to be the one to break this to you but this is what is happening!

In the past four decades [probably beyond that] the left has carefully cultivated a dependent "underclass", a "class" of Americans who truly believe that they are ENTITLED to be supported by the "RICH", via governmental confiscation of their earned wealth through taxation.

In addition to the confiscation of their wealth for redistribution, the wealthy have been villified and turned into the virtual Simon LAGREE (sp? sorry) of society. Any American who was willing to put up his/her own money and work 80+ hours a week was obviously a BAD person, out to take advantage of some poor, lazy, high school drop out with a chip on his/her shoulder, who was unable to read at a third grade level because the teachers were more concerned about their free health care and pensions then to actually take the time or make the effort to DO THEIR JOBS AND TEACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Young girls were encouraged to get pregnant as soon as they got a period........they were rewarded with "bikes, leather jackets and numerous other 'prizes'....why? Well......in Milwaukee County [Wisconsin], when a girl was THREE months pregnant she got a "check from the county", in 1973 that check was for almost $300.00. In addition to that, ALL of her medical bills were paid for. When the baby was born [most of these kids had no clue how to even spell the name of their newborn....."ask my Mama:"] the check increased to around $400.00. In addition to that, diapers, formula, house keepers, visiting nurses and other amenities were included. {As a nursing student, I did my OB/GYN paper on High Risk/ Teen pregnancy]

There are 47% of Americans who pay NO FEDERAL INCOME TAXES........................exactly WHO do you think they vote for???????

These people comprise a dependable voting block for the Liberal/democrat/ progressives.

We, ALL OF US need to understand that if we don't stand up NOW and fight for what we believe in.....that which we believe in will cease to exist.

The things happening to this country are not just the 'fault' of democrats.........there is a network that has been working behind the scenes for a very long time......it is comprised of evil, greedy, power hungry people from BOTH parties and others whose alliegences are only to their own narcissistic personalities. There is not alot of time for those of us who truly love this country to reclaim it and return it to the roots which permitted her to grow into this great land of freedom.

Our Founders pledged their "LIVES, their FORTUNES, and their SACRED HONOUR" because they believed in the dream they dreamed...............of "The Republic, for which we stand, and for LIBERTY and JUSTICE for ALL".

I gladly pledge all of those things to leave my children the promise of a bright and free future. My wish for them is to reach for any star they choose,,,,,,,,,and if they happen to miss it, at least they'll be closer to heaven than when they started.

[Paul Arnold Browning]

beautiful, Thanks.

[Raya @ REAL CONSERVATIVES]

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[Paul Arnold Browning]

Beautiful!!!!

[Raya @ REAL CONSERVATIVES]

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[Raya @ REAL CONSERVATIVES]

[Chris Horne]

Amen, it is a Good Friday and you have a Blessed Easter.

[Raya @ REAL CONSERVATIVES]

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[Raya @ REAL CONSERVATIVES]

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