Peace Unto You

Goood Morning!!

 Picture it: Kuwait, 2016


I had just gotten released from guard duty; I was "watching" a LOCKED arms room. (That's the Army for you) Early, in fact. And I was walking back to my sleep tent. I was trying to get there before 0600 (If you know, then you know!). I was on duty all night long and just wanted to get in the bed! It was about 0555 when a siren started going off. It didn't quite register to me at first because I was looking to hear the Reveille, but all of a sudden there's a warning, "WARNING! THERE HAS BEEN  GROUND ATTACK PLEASE GET TO THE NEAREST BUNKER! WARNING!!"


Laaawwwd!!! I ran to the tent! We didn't walk around in full battle rattle, but it didn't matter because I had NO plates in or for my IOTV! I had no Kevlar because we usually left them in the LMTV for mail call. And the tent that we're sleeping in wasn't going to protect us from nan bullet, missiles, or wind and weather for that matter! I'm panicking inside, now! When I finally reach the tent, all the females are panicking; scrambling trying to put on clothes and shoes. And we're trying to figure out how we're going to run to the nearest bunker which is probably about 100 meters away, but seems much further when you're scared for your life!!


We all make a run for it because we see others running; males and females! I made sure to be smack dab in the middle! I didn't want to get hit by anything!


It was in that moment that I realized that I could quite possibly die. I couldn't reach my Battle Buddy who was on the other side of camp, so I'm thinking if not me then it'll be her and then I'd really be jacked up!


About 20 minutes later we all received a message on Voxer stating that the warning was not meant for us, but for another Battalion. They forgot to say, "THIS IS A TEST"!!!! BROOOOOOO, are you kidding me?! Needless to say, I may have PTSD! I had nightmares and to this day, sirens will set me off!


Now, Picture it: USA, 2020


COVID-19 has claimed the lives of over 30,000 Human Beings and the number is constantly growing!


This is NOT a test!



As COVID-19 is claiming the lives of many of our loved ones, among other things, what I know for sure is that life is precious and death is more than a notion.


When I was a little girl, and before my father died, he taught me a prayer: "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray that Lord my soul to take." This is a prayer that I still say at bedtime right before I get into my "adult" prayers because I definitely want to make sure that the Lord hears that part first! "Doooo not pass me by!"


Now, I want you to think about the one person who has died and their departure really put death into perspective for you. I mean it had you thinking that it can and will happen to you, one day. Because I know that in the back of our minds we feel like we're going to live forever and we'd want to live forever if given the opportunity.



But some of us fear it; almost a deathly fear. We don't want to speak about it or even think about it at all. Even though we try to use phrases and scriptures such as 2 Timothy 4:7: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" to ease the sting of death.





While others feel like they have the understanding of it and they have no fear of death at all because we are all born to do that. Whether you want to come to terms with it or not, this life for us all will come to an end and we're probably all wondering, "What does it feel like?" BUT not to the extent that we want to experience it for ourselves, but we'd like to know, ya know? Does it hurt?




Is there really a tunnel with your loved ones there waiting?




Will we hear from Heaven? All Christians want to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." (Matt. 25:23 KJV)



I am one who doesn't play with death. I pray to live until I'm done. I want to call that Sweet Chariot myself, so I try to live my life to the fullest everyday! I pray without ceasing. I try to live a healthy life where I'm exercising constantly and eating well. And I even try to do some good in the world; tithe and donate when I can.


There is a purpose for your life. There is a calling on your life. Death doesn't need your assistance in its decisions about your life or anybody else's. I've said it before and I'll say it again, suicide is a PERMANENT decision for a TEMPORARY situation. There are Soldiers committing suicide at a higher rate. The murder rates are increasing. Don't let COVID-19 distract you from other tragedies in this world; cancers and diseases are still at large.

We are living in a time where the last time you see somebody could quite possibly be the last time you see them. Where every single day actually feels like a blessing. Things that we used to take for granted are now precious. Give your loved ones their flowers while you aren't the only one who can smell them! Celebrate life with them while they can laugh along with you and hear how you're feeling!



Take care of yourself and your loved ones!



When my times comes, just make sure that they don't serve spaghetti at the repast!!!!




So, without further adieu...


 …It IS a pleasure to meet you!