Tuesday, February 28, 2006

E-mail Between Friends

A very good friend sent me an e-mail the other day. He was asking for advice. I thought about how I should answer it and after writing my response to him, I though that maybe I should share that advice. By all means, if you follow my advice, please keep in mind who is giving it. I have left his name off of the e-mail to protect his privacy.
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Barry
I read your blog with some regularity. I can imagine how much time you put into it. Thank You, from myself, my wife, and my and sons. I believe God is working through you, Barry, and I know he will bless you for your efforts.
Please tell me what I can do to help. You, your Son and all of the troops are in my prayers, but other than that (and mandatory weekly federal income tax deductions), I'm basically doing nothing to support our mission in the Middle East, and I'm very ashamed of that.
Please, give me some idea of where to start. Whatever comes to your mind first is what I need to do.
M.
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M.

I trust that God knows what he is doing. But, are you sure that he is working through me?

You may be right, though. I hope that you are. I may average 40 or so visitors a day. That seems pretty humble. But, if I can count you and God among them, then, I am pleased.

But, the way I look at is, that if I only ever have one visitor and that visitor is a soldier, then I will have been a success. I just want that one soldier to know that I and others support him and his comrades.

I had been sending jokes and amusing pictures to four soldiers. One was an Air Force Security Sgt., one was a Marine captain, one was a National Guard Lt. and the fourth was a National Guard Sgt. They are all home now. I will have to find others to correspond with.

Where I will look, is where you should look. I'll suggest to you that you go to Soldiers Angels. There you will find at the top of the right side bar, Adopt-a-Soldier. You can send letters or whatever you feel that you can do. I can tell you, that the guys I was e-mailing seemed grateful that someone would take the time to think about them. The Sgt. e-mailed me to ask if I would send the same things to his buddy, that I had been sending to him. I told him that I would be delighted to. The buddy turned out to be the NG Lt.

I spend a great deal of time on my blog for 40 visitors a day. As you know, I am computer illiterate. So, many things have been difficult or frustrating. But, I never gave up and I will never quit. I'll feel that I will let that 'one soldier' down, should I give up, because, it is too hard or too time consuming.

How could what I do, be any harder than riding in a Humvee through the streets of Iraq?

The other day, I had to pat down a soldier who had been injured by an IED. He and all of the others, that I have had to search, have said, "Thank you, sir." It should be, and is, the other way around. I thank them.

Barry

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