When I was a soldier in the Vietnam War in 1970, the days finally came when it was almost time for some of our soldiers to go home. I remember when it got down to a month . . . and then the last few days. Those soldiers would walk around the base shouting, “SHORT!” That meant that they were coming very close to the end of their time over there, fighting in that dangerous place that was so far from our homeland and all that we loved.
And then the time finally came when I could also shout, “SHORT!” And for any of you who belong to the Lord Jesus, as I do, it’s time for us to shout that right now! Just like when we soldiers were in war-torn Vietnam with all its danger, evil and sadness, our whole world is like that right now. I’m so thankful I’ll soon be in my safe, happy home in heaven with my Saviour, the Lord Jesus . . . “SHORT!”
Finally, the day came when my buddies and I had packed up all our gear and we were taken to the airbase to fly back to the United States. When we saw that big, beautiful airplane that was about to take us home, it was hard to hold back the tears of joy and thankfulness. It said on the side of the airplane in big, red, unmistakable letters, TRANS WORLD AIRLINES. We nicknamed the plane, “Freedom Bird”—for us it was the symbol of our homeland.
We had been in Vietnam for a year during our tour of duty. We were gone from what was our real home that meant so much to each of us. All that we loved was back in our homeland and not in the place where we had been called to serve in a dangerous war with so much death and sadness.
Certainly there were interesting things about that country of Vietnam. There were some happy memories from our time there. Some soldiers had more and some had less. But for many of our soldiers, there were also very hard and painful memories of that place, memories that would haunt them for the rest of their lives.
But all of that unhappiness was brightened now by the sight of this very welcome airplane on the runway. It was going to lift us into the air and take us away from all those unhappy, painful war experiences—we were going to leave all of that behind us forever! WE WERE ON OUR WAY HOME!
Boys and girls, I have a question for you: Do you belong to Jesus? Have you asked Him to wash away all your sins? If you answer “Yes,” then you and I and many others who are saved from our sins are expecting Him to come take us to His home in heaven any day now. That’s one of His promises! The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly when that’s going to happen, but it can be any day soon. Won’t it be wonderful to be in heaven with Jesus who loves us so much and where there is no evil or danger or sadness? So let’s all say it together good and loud: “SHORT!”
If you don’t belong to Jesus, don’t wait another day! You don’t want to be left behind. That would be the worst mistake of your life. That would be the same as if one of those soldiers didn’t bother to get on the airplane to go home. He would be left behind in war-torn Vietnam with all its danger, evil and death.
ML-01/25/2015