Hi There Soldier!

I hope this letter finds you safe and secure and all you love and cherish safe, secure, happy and healthy.

You know I keep saying that we are strangers because – well we are. I am an unknown person who writes to you and you are just an unknown person to me. I know we don’t have anything in common.

Writing to a stranger is hard so I have to make it work for me as well as for you. It is weird sometimes. See, I am a ‘thinker’ and have to analyze everything – it makes me crazy sometimes!

I don’t like calling you a stranger. I bare my heart to you so if you don’t mind we are going to move on to friends. I hate talking to strangers. Theoretically, in my pea brain this is how we jump from strangers to friends.

One definition of the word friend is: a person who gives assistance; patron; supporter. Well, going with that definition I feel that I definitely fall into the definition of a friend.

I hope you know by now from all my letters that I am here for you as best as I can be with you there and me here. You have my complete and total support. Also,

I believe in you.

You are a brave, courageous, strong and honorable person. I wish, hope and pray that you have an abundance of blessings. I wish for you an abundance of joy, happiness, prosperity. I know that God has Great Plans for your life!

I trust you with my life.

That is a heavy statement but the truth of that matter is that without you protection, my life and the lives of all of us would be in jeopardy. You fight for our freedom.

I am here for you.

If there is any way I can help you while you do the most difficult job of your life, let me know. I am here for you as best as I can be. I may not be able to do much, but I will do whatever I can for you.

And always know that I pray for you always.

Continually!

So therefore, by that definition, I hope you would consider me your friend!

Being the ‘always questioning intellectual’ that I am.

I had to go further with this definition.

Our NEW friendship was halfway explained.

Again, I went back to the stranger thing. We have never met. We are strangers but now you can say I am a friend to you. But you are still a stranger to me!

Then it hit me - - (always happens with a BAM ). The problem is fixed! I found the rest of the puzzle.

You see there is another and better definition of a friend.

Jesus tells us what a true friend is:

John 15:13 (New International Version) ^13"Greater love has no one than this - that he lay down his life for his friends."

Now in that content, I was blown away.

According to the greatest man to ever live, You, brave and courageous soldier are a friend to all whom you fight to protect.

You would put your life on the line for ME! Not just me but anyone of US - all of us!

Your life is at threat each and every day. You would defend my freedom - our freedom with your last breath. Your bravery, dedication and commitment to all of us and your country -

humble me!

Jesus said that I could ask for no greater love..............than a friend who would lay down his life for me.

That is you Soldier.

You are the very best kind o f friend that a person could have.

So now we are friends!

Always praying for you,

S