As Long As We Come To Him

The night is dark
the water cold.
The messenger silent
glides through the river.
A twig snaps,
his muscles quickly tense;
the enemy sentry is near.

His gun at the ready,
his breath short,
he cries out to God
for safety through this night.
A gentle answer comes
softly to his mind,
"Never fear, for I am with you."

The brave soldier sighs,
gently relaxing.
He waits until the sentry moves
and then continues
his mission to the distant camps
of the sleeping men
about to be ambushed.
He must warn them of the coming tide.
and offer help
as soon as possible.

A stick suddenly snaps under his foot,
the sentry turns
and fires his gun
and the retreating figure
of the soldier brave.

The next morning finds him
crawling back into camp,
blood flowing from
his grievous wound.
Men gather round him
shooting questions into
his befuddled head.
Was the message delivered?
What is the answer?
Did anyone see you?
Who has shot you?
Are you all right?
Finally his captain
comes striding through the crowd
and disperses the hovering men.
He kneels beside
the soldier weak
and speaks words of comfort
that the man has longed to hear,
"Well done, son. You've made me proud."

The captain lifts his son
mortally wounded
and carries him to his tent.
"Father, I'm fine.
He's with me even now."
the faint words
come from the boy's lips.
"What do you mean, boy?
Who's with you? There's no one here but me, son."
The father worriedly asks,
afraid his son is delirious.
"My beloved Father in Heaven is watching over me. He told me so, just before the sentry turned."
The son's eyes slowly close.
Not in rest, but in eternal sleep.

The captain cries out
first in sadness
and then in joy
at the realization
that his only son
had come to Christ in the end.

For years he had tried
to reach his son,
to get him to believe
in the only One
for whom we should fight.
No one else
do we owe our allegiance.
No one else
must we fight for.

Whether it takes a lifetime
or just a moment
to realize our mistake
in serving someone else,
it doesn't matter.
As Long As We Come To Him.