Final Inspection

[USA11B]

The soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.


"Step forward now, you soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"


The soldier squared his shoulders and said,

"No, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint."


"I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough. "


"But, I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills got just too steep. "


"And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears. "


"I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears. "


If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."


There was a silence all around the throne,

Where the saints had often trod.
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.


"Step forward now, you soldier,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."

~Author Unknown~




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Remember, it is the Soldier, not the reporter who has given us the
freedom of the press. It is the Soldier, not the poet, who has given us
the freedom of speech.


It is the Soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and
whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn
the flag.


Please pray for our men and women currently serving our country and pray
for those who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.


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MAY ANGELS ALWAYS HOLD YOU CLOSE
MAY YOU ALWAYS WALK IN GOD'S LIGHT

[conlor]

Very nice, Dan!

[Betty Boop]

Thank you.

[Snowden]

That's lovely, Don. We need this type of reminder from time to time. It's not just the soldiers who will stand before the throne - we all will. All our pretences and little evils we've engaged in will be there before Him and He will know them.

Only grace can save us; we all fall short of the mark. We just try to keep on the straight and narrow. Really, so long as we are true to His word to the best of our ability, and so long as we are truly repentent when we fail, we have hope. He won't turn away from us, but we are all too capable of turning away from God.

[odannyboy]

Very cool poem, thanks for posting that.

[AMVET91ALPHA]

Amen

[Woodmonkey]

That was lovely. Thanks for posting it.