5 1/2 years

While cruising through craft blogdom this weekend, I happened upon a military wife's blog. It provided some good 5 am thinking for me. (Do moms of little people think at any other hour?)

She mentioned (and yes I was already aware of it...) that John McCain was a POW for 5 1/2 years. Yep. We know.

But then I started thinking of my own life, in terms of 5 year blocks. Which ones would I be willing to give up?

The first 5 "adult years" of my life? Graduated from school. College. Fell in love. Married. Had baby. Nope, not those 5.

Next 5? Had another baby. Moved to Illinois. Purchased our dream home. Had another baby. And another (busy years!) Wait... squeeze one more babe into that 5. Definitely can't give those up.

Ok, next 5 maybe? Survive y2K. Job layoff. (We could pass that one up!) Move to Wheaton for dream job. Fantastic neighbors. 6th baby. Make wonderful friends. Blow van engine (momentous for me, anyways, as it was the first of three...) Get laid off again, move to Berkeley... no, good and bad, we just can't give those up.

Perhaps instead I should work backwards from the present? 5 years ago was a tough year. Blew another van engine, moved, my grandmother passed away, we miscarried. But then we had baby 7. And some of the greatest people in the world grew into our lives... and baby 8... nope.

Truth is, 5 years has a whole lot of living in it.

The prospect of myself or my husband being gone for that time period, with no communication... well, it is inconceivable. To consider that time given up to imprisonment, torture, and isolation... Well. It must be life changing, to say the very least.

I don't see eye to eye with John McCain. But I do appreciate him, and his service to his country. I don't think that those of us who are "outside" of the military can truly appreciate the sacrifice military families make. I do think we should try to, though. We live in a great country, which is slowly losing its greatness. We've lost perspective as to what made us great.

America was founded for many reasons, and I am not silly enough to think that in a simple blog I can possibly begin to sum it all up. However, I do contend that PART of the greatness of our nation is our reflection of Christ. Men like John McCain suffer and die to grant freedom to others, as a type, if you will, of Christ, who died to give the ultimate freedom to us. Freedom from the bondage of sin. This is very poetically stated in the Battle Hymn of the Republic:

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free;
[originally …let us die to make men free]
While God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! While God is marching on.

May we all pause and appreciate the sacrifices of our soldiers. . The freedom I have to sit snuggling a sleepy baby at 5 am while I read blogs published freely on the internet is not without price. Yes, it is cliche to say so, but freedom isn't free.

Thank you, Jesus, for others who were willing to sacrifice.