'stop-loss'

i just came from the movie 'stop-loss' and i am overwhelmed with emotion. the movie is about a soldier who wants out of the war but is forced to return to iraq anyway. i won't give anything away, just in case someone wants to see it, but i will tell you it's a really hard movie to watch.

for me, it is hard to take interest in the war since it's A) not here in the states, and B) lasting so long. i forget that there are soldiers fighting and dying for our freedom every day. this movie reminded me how sad the whole situation is. i just cried the whole second half of the movie, watching the results and complications from the war in the lives of these men. mentally, these soldiers are a mess--which is expected, and physically, some of them are torn apart (literally). i know this is no surprise because these are just the facts of war, but it is so sad. i can't imagine having to kill someone in order to not be killed yourself. i can't imagine trying to deal with all the sights of bloody war. and, at this point, i can't even imagine having a close friend or family member who has been to war. their experience takes a toll on every relationship they have.

my heart longs for peace. this war makes me really sad, and i hurt for the family members with soldiers over in iraq right now. i hurt for those who are back and dealing with their issues now. even more, beyond the war in iraq, i hurt for those in conflict all over the globe. the children in uganda who have been, and still are, child soldiers. the people of rwanda dealing with the genocide in the 90's still. and so many more.

how do we help this world find peace? i don't know that answer, but i do know peace comes on an individual basis. we must lead one person at a time to the prince of peace because, god knows, we can't give someone peace. they must find it on their own. and the only source of peace i know is named jesus. i want this world to be a better place for future generations, so my prayer today is that i'll do my best to bring peace to the lives affected by my life.

before i end this post, i want to say thank you to the men and women who willingly choose to go into war for a bigger cause. i pray they would be brought back home unharmed. i pray this war would come to an end.