Chapter Eight - part three

   Tears welled up in her eyes again and she buried her face against his chest again as she began to cry softly. She had seen a glimpse of the pain and misery that he felt in his eyes tonight. She had felt it inside her heart too. She finally managed to stop the tears. Only then was she able to think about what had just happened and why. James hadn't wanted her or the kids around him. He had told her there was too much going on and he couldn't give them the attention they deserved from him. She understood now that he had been trying to shield them from those things; to shield them from his own life and the pain that filled it now. Sarah was glad his father had decided to talk with her. He had told her that most men tried to be strong for their families; to protect them. But they couldn't stay strong if they weren't able to be with their family.  His father was the one who had told her that James might not want them with him, but that he had to have them with him. Joshua had told her that a man drew his strength from two places and he had to have both to remain strong in the worst of times. One source of strength was God and one was his family. If James didn't have his family close by him then eventually James wouldn't have the strength to continue. James needed them close to give him a reason to find even more strength. More strength than he could ever find if left alone!

    Sarah sat there thinking for a long time about what she could do to help James find more strength. Then she did the only thing that she could think of. She began to pray. "Forgive me Lord for not trusting you sooner. I heard the whispers and felt the need to come to my husband, but I wanted to be strong for James and obedient for him. I wanted to do right for him and so I failed to do what was right according to you Lord. Please help him! Help me to help him! Lord, I see that he tries to carry the weight of the nation on his shoulders. I see that his heart is breaking for all those he can't seem to reach or help in time. I also see the doubt in his eyes Lord. Doubt of his self and doubt that he can do what you have given him to do. Please Lord, I beg you to show him that you haven't given him more than he can do. Show him that he is still the Ironman that you made him! Show him that he can finish this! Show him the path he must follow. Lord he is too weak and too weary to go on like this, but he still has far to go. Give him the strength that he must have. Guide and direct his decisions with your wisdom and give him understanding of your will. Renew his faith. He has given all his strength, all his wisdom, and all his faith to those he tries to help. James has nothing left to give, but you do Lord! Please give him what he must have to do what he must do!" She hesitated a moment. "Help me to find the strength to lift him and support him as he has done so many times for so many people. Let him take my strength and my faith to continue his work. We have both followed you faithfully Lord. We haven't always understood and have often forgotten that we don't always need to understand. We just need to believe. We do believe! I believe! Thank you Lord. It is in your Holy name that I pray. Amen."

    Sarah had seen the tension leaving James body while she had talked to him. She had felt the burden lifting from him as he heard her words and had thanked her for her love. Now she felt that same feeling in her own heart. She knew that it was going to be alright. The Lord was there with them and had heard her plea for help. Once again the Lord had brought them together with His perfect timing according to His perfect will for their lives. Everything was going to work out according to God's will and that meant it would all be for their good in the end. Sarah slowly relaxed and drifted off to sleep. For the first time in months she could sleep in the arms of the man she loved. She could hear his heart beating under her ear, and feel the warmth of his arms around her. She knew in her heart that he would carry her past all of this pain and suffering. She knew that they were both safe and secure in God's arms. Everything really was going to be alright one day.

   James woke up in the wee hours of the morning. He smiled as he felt Sarah stir in his arms. It hadn't been a dream after all. She really was there in his arms. The kids would also be sleeping in the other room. James sat there for a few more minutes just remembering everything that had happened this evening. Sarah had been right. He did need her and the kids. He had actually lost sight of the reason behind everything he was trying to do. That reason was right there in his arms right now! He could see it and feel it. It wasn't just Sarah and the kids though. It was the love that filled them. He had known that God was with him. He knew that God loved him too. But sometimes a man just needed to be able to touch someone he could share his love with. Duty and honor were good, but without love they were almost worthless. You could do your duty to God. You could worship and honor God. But God wanted more than just duty and honor from His people. God wanted their love too! God was ready to give you all of His love, but God wanted people to love Him back. Unless you truly returned the love God offered to you; all the duty and honor in the world meant very little in the end. It was all about the love! That was why God made us and why we still mattered to God. That was what really mattered more than anything else, remembering to love... unconditionally!

   The next morning James woke to the sound of timid knocking on his door and giggles. He glanced over as he felt Sarah beginning to stir beside him. He could dimly remember them finally making it to the bed. He smiled as he did. When he glanced at the clock beside the bed his smile vanished. It was almost noon! They had overslept! His sudden reaction had finished waking up Sarah, but she seemed to be in no hurry to get up yet. In fact she pulled him back with a giggle of her own. James started to object, but the words were smothered with her kisses. Then Sarah called out to the kids before he could catch his breath. "Come in! We're almost decent!" She had pulled the covers back over them as she spoke. The kids didn't hesitate. They came right in with plates filled with a hot breakfast in their hands. As they arrived beside the bed James managed to smile and laugh with his family. Then he saw what was on those plates. Fresh biscuits, sausage, bacon, fried eggs, and even hot gravy waited for them on plates that were almost overflowing!

    James stared at the food for a moment and then spoke. "Where did all of this come from? You didn't cook all of this stuff yourselves... did you?" His answer came from the still open door. He looked up to the sound of very familiar laughter. 'Aunt Sammy' was standing in the door with a big smile and laughing as she watched both James and Sarah turning red. She was in her dress blues, but she had a big apron over them. Smiling she spoke easily in spite of her laughter. I came by to report for duty, but when the kids told me you two hadn't gotten up yet... well I just did the next best thing! I helped them cook you breakfast and had a wonderful visit with my favorite future cadets!" Then she straightened up and snapped James a sharp salute and held it as she spoke. "Brigadier General Samantha Johns reporting for duty as requested, SIR!" James just sat there looking at her for a moment. Then he returned the salute and told her to "Get Out!" She quickly left, closing the door behind her as she did. James could still hear her laughter over the rest of the giggles from his family... even with the door closed!

Chapter Eight - part two

    James arrived at his furnished four bedroom apartment to find another surprise waiting for him. He opened the door to the smell of fresh baked bread. Before he could even think of what that meant two bundles of energy came charging out of the kitchen and into his arms. He barely managed to keep the kids from knocking him off his feet! When he finally managed to stop squeezing them he looked up to see Sarah standing there in an apron. She was laughing, but there were almost as many tears in her eyes as there were in his. James walked across the room with the kids still wrapped in his arms and somehow managed to wrap her in with them. He held them all like that as they laughed and cried together until Sarah forced her way free to go check the roast she was cooking. James followed her into the kitchen as the kids walked beside him talking a mile a minute about everything. The sight and sound of his family there with him made it hard for James to even think, but he did try to listen. It had been so long since he had heard a child laugh or seen tears of joy rather than tears from pain and suffering.

     James didn't even try to ask why they were there or how they had gotten here. That didn't matter to him at the moment. All that mattered was that his family was there in his home with him. Even that simple thought brought fresh tears to his eyes. This had just been a very nice furnished apartment, a place to keep his things, until now! But now it had instantly been turned into his home; simply because his family was there with him. They talked, laughed, and cried together long into the night as they shared the first home cooked meal James had eaten since leaving them behind in Texas. He listened to all their news and was stunned to find out they had just come from Virginia. They had spent two weeks there on the farm with his folks! Sarah had just smiled and shrugged when the kids let that slip. The look she gave James told him that she would explain it all latter. It was nearly midnight by the time things began to wind down and in spite of all their excitement the kids were getting sleepy. James helped Sarah tuck them in bed and tried to read them a bedtime story; they were both asleep before he finished the second page.  

   He and Sarah had quietly slipped out of the room, not completely closing the door behind them. James walked with Sarah beside him to their room. Once inside they closed that door. This was the first time they had been alone for over eight months. James had wrapped her in his arms and just held her for a long time. Finally he had let go enough to step over and take a seat in the large chair he keep by a desk in the corner of the bedroom. It was a huge cushy office chair that James often ended up working on plans in rather than sleeping when he did spend any time here. This time he just sat down and gently pulled Sarah down onto his lap. James was going to get some answers to his questions now. Why had she gone to his folk's farm without telling him? How long had she been planning all of this? And perhaps the most important question of all. Why had she just suddenly showed up here unannounced? James said nothing as they sat there for a moment. He was just enjoying being alone with his wife as he waited for her to say something first.

    Sarah sat there smiling as she watched James watching her. She could see the questions in his eyes and she knew she would have to answer them, but that could wait a few moments more. She just wanted to sit and look at this man she loved. It had been so long since she had seen him in person. Even when they managed to chat on video she had noticed changes in him, but now she could easily see them. He was a lot thinner, but that would probably not last if someone was there to make sure he ate regular meals. He also looked tired and worn down too. She wasn't sure she had ever seen him look like this before. He had to rest more or he was soon going to wear himself completely out. She wondered if he would listen to her. Would he slow down? Could he slow down? He had already done so much, but she knew there was still far more left to be done. Finally she began to talk as she tried to answer his questions and find answers for her own questions as well.

   "James, I want you to know that I didn't decide this on my own. As much as I love you and want to be with you, as much as the kids miss you; I still know that we are a distraction to you when you need to be totally focused on your mission. But you can't go on like this forever. You have to know that?" James smiled and nodded as he replied to her first real question of him. "Yes, I know that, but for the moment I have to go on. I can't stop, not now, not and risk losing all we have gained. Maybe soon I can rest, but not right now. You must see that yourself?" Sarah tried not to let the tears fill her eyes again. She leaned in close to him and spoke almost in a whisper. "I see a lot of things. I do understand how important it is for you to be doing what you are doing. I get it! But that doesn't make it any better for me or easier for you."

    Sarah took a deep breath and sat up. She had come here on a mission of her own.  She hadn't been certain she was doing it for the right reasons before, but now she was certain of it. A lot of people had helped her make the decision to come here and face him. As she sat there looking into his eyes she knew they had all been right in their own way, even though they had all had different reasons for wanting her to come.  James needed her and he needed the kids. He needed to see them, to hear them, to hold them, and most important of all he needed to be distracted by his love for them. She had agreed to come because she had been concerned about how worn down he looked. Now she could see that while he was near exhaustion physically that wasn't the greatest danger for him. She saw now that his mind and heart were under a burden they couldn't continue to carry indefinitely. He had to have some help and only his family could give him the kind of help he had to have.

   Smiling she began to talk to him. "Please don't say anything. Just listen to me while I talk. James I love you more than anyone I have ever known. I know that you have that same kind of love for me. I know that we share that love for our children too. I know that you are doing your best for me, the kids, and the country. I really do know that! I can also see that as hard as you try and as much as you want to make things right again... you can't." James began to frown as she said that, but he would wait and hear her out before he spoke. Shaking her head she hesitated before she said more. "You were ready when this all started and you were able to do what had to be done at that moment. You went out and did what had to be done. You did it better than anyone thought it could be done. I saw you being the man you have always been, the Ironman who keeps going until the race is done." Sarah hesitated again before she went on again. "The thing is that you knew what had to be done and where you had to go then, but now..."

   She let out a long breath and then spoke in a firmer tone of voice. "Now I am certain that you are losing sight of the reason you are doing these things. You are still working just as hard, maybe harder than ever, but you no longer feel certain of where you need to go." James started to object, but she shook her head and continued on quickly. "Oh I don't mean in your daily operations. You are doing exactly what you need to do in those, but there has to be something more for you than just that. James my Uncle Bill told me that he was worried about you. He said all of the burdens of responsibility for so many service men and women would eventually wear you down. He wanted me to try to get you to take a break and just let somebody else carry the load for a few days. Dad said much the same thing, but he said you just needed me and the kids to distract you. I thought about what they said for a while and finally decided that they might be right. It still didn't feel right though. I didn't want to be just a distraction to you. I wanted to be and do more than that. I needed more than that! Mom told me to go see your dad. She said you were his son and he would know what you needed from me better than anyone... so I went to see you dad."

   Her firm voice had grown softer at the last and her eyes had dropped too when she had spoken of her mom and his dad. She had laid her head against his shoulder as she had spoken those last words about going to see his dad. She was still resting her head against his shoulder now and she was silent. James sat there for a moment considering her words. That explained a lot about why she had come, but there was still more left to be explained. James carefully lifted her face and looked into her eyes, from only inches away, as he spoke softly to her. "So what did my dad say to you? Why are you here and why didn't you let me know you were coming?" Sarah laughed softly as she shook her head. Then she took another deep breath and began again. Her voice was steady and calm now. It had a certainty that James knew meant she was the one in control now.

    "Your dad didn't say much at all, not at first. I asked him what to do, but he wouldn't answer me directly. He told me he would have to think and pray about it and suggested I do the same. He said I needed to give it some time; now that I was trying to decide what I should do. I needed to take the time to make the right decision." She laughed again. "I wasn't any happier with him than I was with you. Your mom wasn't any help either. She just laughed and told me that I would find the right answer, in the good Lord's time not mine." The look on her face told James that his parents had both likely seen Sarah's harder side for a change. She was still smiling as she spoke though. "Finally your dad asked me to walk with him a few days ago. We walked and he talked. When we were done I knew what I had to do and why I had to do it too. So here I am!" She was smiling broadly and there was a gleam in her eyes now. James sat there a moment longer and then he gave her the same look he gave the kids when one of them didn't give him a complete answer to his questions about something they had done.

   Sarah got a bit red and laughed before she gave him her complete answer. Looking right into his eyes she spoke directly to his heart with her voice and words. "You started this because it was your duty. You were bound by honor to do whatever you could do to make things right when you were asked. That still hasn't changed. You do what needs to be done; what has to be done! You do your duty to your nation and to God as best you can. You do that every single day. You do it with honor and with courage. You do it because it is the right thing to do before God and for your country. But even all that isn't enough. If all you do is done just for duty and honor alone it will never be enough! I know that now! I think you have known that all along. I just think you have forgotten it as you have tried to do what you had to do." Now she softened her voice and her smile as she watched him closely. "I think that all you can see now is the desperate need and the tremendous loss of the people you are trying to help. I think you also see so many other people in positions to do so much more. I think you see the people who aren't, and won't, do anything unless they get something out of it. I think that now you are struggling to find a reason for all you have seen and for all that you do. I think that you have lost sight of the real reason for all that you do. The reason for all that you have ever done."

   Sarah had been watching James closely as she spoke these words to him. She had seen the tears begin to fill his eyes and she saw the pain in those beautiful bluish-green eyes too. James had finally closed his eyes and bowed his head before she was finished. Tears were running down his cheeks now. Sarah reached out and with both hands she gently lifted his head so that she could see his face again. She managed a soft smile as she wiped those tears from his cheeks before she spoke again. "James you and I both know that the people need you and the nation needs you. We both know that I need you and the kids need you too. Everyone seems to need you, but you have forgotten someone who is in even more desperate need. You have forgotten yourself and what you need. James you need me! And you need the kids! You have God's love, but God gave us to you to love you and for you to love too. You need us James! You need us just as much as we need you. Right now you probably need us to love you even more than we need you to love us!"

   James looked at his wife as she sat there looking back at him when she had finished speaking. She had dried his tears with her hands. Now he reached up and took her hands in his and gently kissed them before putting her arms around his neck. Then he pulled her close with his own arms. He said nothing for a long time. He simply held her close and soaked up the feeling of having her next to him. Finally he spoke in a whisper. He said only few words, but they brought tears to her eyes. The words were full of meaning and feeling even if they were so few and so simple. James had just said "Thank you, thank you so much, for loving me so much." They had sat there just holding each other for a long time. Finally Sarah had raised her head to look at him again. She smiled as she saw that his eyes were closed and he was clearly sound asleep. He still wore his dress blue pants and his t-shirt. He had stripped the rest of his uniform off earlier in the evening. He looked so peaceful and content sitting there with his arms wrapped around her. 

Chapter Eight - part one

         Chapter Eight 

Who Do You Serve?

      James had been working for several months now to try and restore order in the entire nation. Things west of the Mississippi were still moving forward at a decent rate, but the work had slowed down with the arrival of summer heat. The power grid simply wasn't ready to handle the full load of summer cooling demands again. That meant brownouts and even blackouts were common events in most of the major cities located in the hottest areas. The rural areas were a little better, but there were still large areas that hadn't ever been brought back online yet. It was even worse east of the Mississippi. James was still trying to establish control in a lot of places in the east. The people had proven to be very uncooperative in a lot of those places. The months of chaos with almost no real help had made the people who had remained very independent and defiant of all authority. James was still reluctant to use extreme force except as a last resort. The use of too much force at the start had caused a lot of the current resistance he was now facing.

   General Hodges had quickly become the 'front man' for James in D.C. as things had progressed. He was still the man charged with planning and running a majority of the actual operations that used military force to restore order or take control of an area. However he now spent almost as much time playing politics. That was something he had done for years at the Pentagon and he was almost as good at political tactics as he was at military tactics. He had often joked with James that war and politics were the same thing. Only there was still some honor left in war! James could and occasionally still did deal with the politics of this massive operation to restore order in the nation. But it was much easier for him to do what needed to be done if he left the politics to Hodges and James just dealt with the actual daily problems he faced. It had been a smoother transition than either of them had expected on the military side of things. Part of that was because most of the current commanders were eager to let anybody else deal with the politicians for a change. Now that James was in charge and Hodges was planning the initial military actions they were the focus of the politicians and the former commanders could just refer any complaints directly to them.

   And there were complaints to be dealt with each and every single day! James was amazed that the people running things before he took over had gotten anything at all done. He often told them that when he was meeting alone with them too. That simple acknowledgement and recognition of their efforts did a lot to help the former commanders see James in a new way. Knowing that he understood what they had been dealing with and respected them for dealing with it had also helped him to secure his position as their new commander. It helped the most with those who still wore more stars that James did. He had been surprised at the actual amount of resistance he had gotten and from where among the highest ranking officers. The Army officers hadn't given him much trouble at all this time. They respected General Hodges and still followed his lead and they all knew that he followed James. The Navy had actually been the least troublesome. That was largely due to the fact that James had worked hard to coordinate with them in supporting Hawaii. James had and still did leave the management of the islands well being to the Navy. He was only offering what support they requested of him. The rest he left for them to deal with.

   It had been the officers in his own Air Force who had the greatest problem with coming to terms with his command east of the Mississippi. A lot of that was due to the unheard of advance in his rank and authority. They simply weren't willing to accept his commands while they still had more rank than he did. That had quickly become a major issue for James at the very start of this new mission. James had tried to deal with it as diplomatically as possible, but had soon been forced to deal with it in other ways. He simply had the problem officers reassigned by General Kendrick who, as the Joint Chief, was currently the top officer in the military. Kendrick answered only to the President, so they had no choice except to follow his orders when reassigned by him. That had worked until the President got wind of the real reason for the reassignments. His reaction had been immediate and unpleasant for everyone involved! He had threatened to promote James again and make him his Joint Chief, so it would be clear to everyone that James was in command of this entire operation now. It had taken the combined efforts of a lot of people to convince the President that would be the worst possible solution to the problem. The anger and the determination of the President had soon removed almost all of the objections about James having full authority over much more senior and higher ranking officers though.

   The problems with military commanders had been minor though compared to the problems he had faced with the political leaders. That was why General Hodges now handled the politics as often as possible. It made little difference which one of them talked to the politicians. The trick was to make the politicians believe that they were being heard and that things would soon be changed more to their liking. James was better, more patient, at the listening than General Hodges was, but he was seldom successful beyond that. He would simply explain why things wouldn't be altered and would proceed as he had planned to do things. A few times of that and even the President thought it would be better if General Hodges took over dealing with the politicians involved. That had left James free to spend more time in the field. He had put that time to good use and had gained a lot of support from the people as well as the troops. It was still common for him to go with only a couple of hours sleep a day for several days at a time. A lot of people were getting worried about him. He had been doing this for months now with no breaks, but he simply refused to take an extended break. There was too much to be done and too many people still in desperate need of assistance. He had been provided a very nice apartment at a secure location nearby, but he seldom did more than swing by for a change of uniform.

    Finally one evening the President showed up at the Pentagon where James did a lot of his work when he wasn't in another city working directly with the people there. The President listened to a short report from James and then politely, but firmly ordered him to go to his apartment and get some well earned rest. He wasn't to leave his apartment for at least full night either. James hadn't bothered to argue that point since it was clear the President wasn't going to take no for an answer. He did wonder why the President had made such a point of the issue of him getting some rest at his own apartment though.  He had a very nice bed in his private office at the Pentagon. James suspected that both Hodges and Kendrick had been involved.  They had been after him for weeks now to take a few days and get away from things. He would let them know he wasn't happy about this, but also tell them that he did appreciate their concern for him. As he headed over to the apartment his driver, a very young lieutenant, even told him he was glad to see him going to get some real rest. James had shaken his head and his finger at the young officer, but he had been smiling when he did. It was going to be nice to get away, even for just a single night. James had been dealing with one major issue after another without a break since he had arrived in Washington. He couldn't remember his last full night of sleep. As he thought about it James had to admit that he needed a short break. He decided that he would call Sarah and the kids. He wanted to have a nice long chat with them. It had been a long time since he had been able to make the time for more than just a quick call. He could make a video call from his apartment too since they would be at her dad's place they had the best possible services. He hadn't been near them since the first of the year. It would be good to hear their voices and see their faces, even if it did make him miss them even worse.  He would get a much needed and well deserved night of sleep after he made that call.

Chapter Seven - part twelve

   That soon proved to be one of the biggest obstacles that James had to overcome. Politics seemed to be in the middle of everything that came along. Nobody wanted anybody to get even the smallest bit more than they did or to do the smallest bit more without something more done for them in return. The first month was consumed with 'working the system', as Hodges called it, to get things done. James was beginning to get his own 'system' in place by the end of that first month though. That system worked outside most of the politics. James had soon seen the need to change tactics and had done so quickly and quietly. The result was he was now running two separate briefings each day. One dealt only with the military and civilian people who were directly involved in matters out in the field. The people he trusted and depended upon. The other dealt with all of the people who wanted to have a say in those operations. James limited the amount of information made available to those people. Oh, he gave them all of the data, just very few of the details. As time passed things began to smooth out in the operations. People were seeing results and that was bringing more of them in to support what was being done, even if they didn't always know how it was being done. 

   James had found himself facing the President more than once to explain ruffled feathers of important people. At first he had plenty of support from the President, even if he did get lots of questions from him. As time passed that support waned as the amount of pressure increased from the people who were opposed to what James was doing. But even if the support had waned with the increasing heat; it was still strong enough to keep James out of the fire itself. The frying pan he was in was still hot enough to keep James dancing though. Spring was soon past and summer arrived with new problems. The nation was still a mess to put it mildly, but most of the major cities were up and running again. The rural areas were now the focus of more attention, but it was still the cities that were soaking up most of the resources. By late summer and early fall America seemed to be back on her feet again. They had more than doubled the size of the military; most of that increase was in the Army. Factories were running again and stores were open, but there were still major issues to be dealt with anywhere you looked.

    The government was still trying to supply well over half the nation with food and other basic requirements. The rest of the world wasn't much better off, so there was little help available. James had done all he could to get people working, but a lot of the young people in the major cities had never worked before. They had no desire to start now. They wanted things just like they had been and still were for them. They wanted the government support with no responsibility for their own care. James and many of those working with him knew that couldn't continue. The problem was that the politicians didn't see it that way. They just saw the need to keep the voters happy and content. They didn't see the cost and the results of that policy in the past had been the major cause of all of this; didn't see or maybe simply refused to see. Either way the results were a slowly building catastrophe in the making. One thing had changed though. A lot of the other people had seen the cost and the results of the failed policies of the past. They knew that things had changed and must continue to change or this recovery would be very short lived. Those people were ready to face the changes that would be required. At least they were willing to try.

    In the end that turned out to be the biggest problem of all for James. The people or their desire for change weren't the cause of his problems. The people currently in power were the cause of his problems. They didn't want the same kind of changes that the people wanted. They wanted things to go back to the way they had been. In effect they wanted to remain in control and have the people completely dependent upon them. They had seen the changes in attitudes of the people and had seen the direction that new attitude was taking the people and the nation along with them. If it continued they knew that the power they loved would slowly shift back to the people once again. The people would decide how things were run and who was in charge... and it might not be the politicians they elected anymore! It might soon be the people themselves who would be making the final decisions about their own futures. That wasn't acceptable to the current politicians or certain people who had actually put them in their positions of power. The people and the politicians all said they wanted to rebuild America. James wasn't sure if that was true for all of them. It seemed more like they wanted to remake America into what had been rather than rebuild it into what it could become. The most important question for James was what did they actually want to make America into? Until he could be certain of the final goal they had in mind; he wasn't certain that he could support that goal. He knew that to rebuild America they must first rebuild people's faith... and that meant they would first have to put God in power.  Somehow James didn't think that was a path the politicians wanted to follow. They seemed to be following a path to power for them not for God.

A poem for thought

 This is a short anonymous poem that I found in one of my Bible studies. It rang true in my heart.  I suspect that many of us will feel a connection to some portion of this poem about prayer and a few will feel a connection with all of it. I have been truly blessed and continue to be blessed daily. 

I prayed for strength that I might achieve; 
I was made weak that I might obey.

I prayed for health that I might do greater things;
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.

I prayed for riches that I might be happy;
I was given poverty that I might be wise.

I prayed for power that I might have the praise of men;
I was given infirmity that I might feel the need of God.

I prayed for all things that I might enjoy life;
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.

I had received nothing that I asked for...
All that I hoped for;

My prayer was answered...
I was most blessed.

I have been weak, sick, poor, and foolish, but through it all I know that I have always been blessed in spite of my failures. I remain a sinner and will until the day I am taken home to my Lord, but I know that I belong to Him and that He has forgiven my sins and blessed me in spite of those sins. Pray for forgiveness of your sins and the sins of others. Then leave the rest to the Lord... He has it all under control. All we have to do is ask Him to forgive us and the rest of our lives will work out according to His plans for us.

Chapter Seven - part eleven

    The silence almost seemed to be deafening; at least to James it seemed that way. After a long moment the President nodded towards him. James took a deep breath and then looked around the table for a moment. The expressions he saw were anything but friendly. In fact some of them were clearly looks of murderous hate. James slowly got to his feet and then looking directly at the President he spoke. "I suppose I should thank you sir, but I honestly don't know what to thank you for." Then he looked around the table again as he addressed everyone. "I was asked to step in and try to help resolve a situation that nobody thought could be resolved short of a major conflict. Next I was ordered to do the impossible and restore order in two months, when it had taken years for us to get into the mess we were in. Now I know that we are still a long way from where we were only a few short months ago and even further from where we should be, but I also believe that we still have hope getting back there."

   James hesitated for a moment before he continued. "The President has made it sound like I alone am responsible for the limited success we have had, but in truth I have played a very small part in things. There were far more experienced and skilled people working long before I ever became involved who were and still are responsible for most of the work that has been done. Ladies and gentlemen, I can no more work miracles here than I could have there. I didn't ask for any of this and I don't want any of it. However, I have been given orders and I will do my best to obey those orders; though without your cooperation I will fail. Now the President has given you orders to give me your full support and cooperation; that won't be enough though. I now ask you to put aside those orders and give me your desire and motivation for the restoration of this nation to what we all remember it to be. If you cannot honestly give me those... then I ask you to speak up now. I assure you I will defend your right to speak out. No matter how much he may want it; not even the President can give orders that will resolve what we face. The people of this nation have lost more than just order and security. They have lost faith in us and each other. Because of that they have lost their hope for the future too. While I will appreciate all the support I can get; what I must have from you is a show of faith. If you cannot give that to me then I ask you to give it to the people of this nation. Unless you can show them your own faith in them and in the future how can we ask them to have faith in us or the future we offer them?"

   James had seen some of the faces change as he spoke. Some of them were considering his words. Some of them might try to offer him their faith and help him restore faith to the people... but there were some who didn't show any reaction at all. Those would likely be major problems, but James would deal with them and the problems they caused as they came up. For now he concentrated on those who showed any sign of change. It was the President who spoke first. "So... you would defend those who oppose you. You would oppose me for them?" James smiled as he replied to that very direct question. "Yes sir... if we have to live under threats and by orders rather than free... what have we gained? The people of this nation must remain free and the people who govern them must be free for that to be possible. Sir, I will do what you have asked of me, but I must be allowed the freedom to do it. That same freedom must be given to these men and women too. With respect sir, I ask that you allow me to talk with them alone now. You are the President and my commander and chief, but you have given me this job to do sir.  They have to work with me now, so they need to get a chance to start doing that. Please let me take charge of this meeting, so that I can do what you have ordered me to do."

    The President just sat looking at him for a long time. Then he simply nodded and stood up. Before he turned to leave he did speak again. "The command is yours. I will be watching, but I will stay out of it unless you ask or I see a need to step in." Turning to face the others he smiled as he spoke to them. "I suggest that you all think very carefully before you say too much around this young man. He may be very young, but he shows more wisdom and understanding than I have seen from most world leaders. He has also proven to have the courage to stand against anyone or anything for what he believes to be right. He may not have asked for or wanted this command, but I can assure you that he will do whatever he must do to accomplish his mission now that he has this command. He may defend you from me, but before you cross him you may want to consider who will defend you from him?" The President was smiling and whistling softly as he left the room.

 James watched him go and then turned his attention back to the people in the room. Taking another deep breath and his seat again, now that the President was gone, he spoke. "Alright, it seems I have the floor so let's get started." He indicated the man to his right hand, the Secretary of Defense. "Why don't you start and we will go around the table. I want to hear your current assessment of the situation, followed by your opinion of what needs our attention first. You can also give me your opinion of me since I have been given this command; what I should or should not do and so on. When you are done we will continue around the table. I ask each of you to be open and honest with me. Tell me what you really think and feel about everything including myself. I assure you I won't hold it against you and I promise you when it gets back to me I will address each of you and your concerns. And I give you my word of honor that I won't hold anything back when I do."

   It was still early afternoon in D.C. when the meeting had started. It was past midnight before it was done. There had been just fewer than thirty people in the room after the President had left. When the meeting finally did end there had been less than twenty left. A few had simply had no reason to remain the entire time, but some had left for other reasons. James had little doubt as to who his worst enemies would be for now. He was less certain of who might prove to be worse enemies as things progressed. There were few if any that he felt would prove to be true friends. Perhaps they might be allies for a time, but that would depend on what they got from it more than on what they could put into it. That was just the first of several very long meetings over the course of the next week. James was more than a little bit relieved when General Hodges arrived early on the third day to assist him with setting up the new command structure. Hodges had spent years working directly with a lot of the people that James was dealing with for the first time. With his help things soon began to smooth out as much as could be expected when dealing with politics.

Chapter Seven - part ten

    They had walked out of the building and gotten into a car. A few minutes later they arrived at a hanger, a hanger filled with people. James followed as General Kendrick marched in and took a position behind a podium in front of the group. James stood slightly to one side as Kendrick began to speak. James was already relatively sure of what was about to happen. Kendrick wasted little time with words of recognition for James. He simply informed everyone that James was headed to Washington D.C. to assume command of all operations nationwide. James was a bit startled when Kendrick pinned him as a Major General though. He had expected to hear the announcement about his new orders not get a huge promotion at the same time! Still that had been what the President had promised him or maybe threatened him with when this had started. Once the ceremony was over James had only a few moments to talk with his friends and comrades before he was hustled away again. This time it was for a staff meeting with General Kendrick in charge this time. James spent a very quick couple of hours turning over the command to the others. Kendrick had been stunned when James had told Hodges to start prepping for activation of their plans for the rest of the country. He had expected James to leave Hodges in charge. James had other plans for who should take his place on the west coast though. That job would fall to Brigadier General Holt. She hadn't been directly involved in the command, but she had been heavily involved in a lot of the logistics of the overall operation. She knew where the current operations were at now and what they needed to do to get where James wanted them to go next. There were a few others who could have taken the job, but James wanted her to be the one. That would take a few days, but he already had people in place to handle things until she arrived to take over everything.

   In just four short hours the world had been turned upside down and inside out for James. He was no longer Colonel James Cooper. He was Major General James Cooper and he was now in charge of the effort to secure and stabilize the entire nation, from coast to coast! He was even being forced to leave his own jet behind for the time being. General Kendrick assured him that he would see it delivered to him once he had things in order. James wasn't sure he would ever see his jet again, especially if he had to get things in order first. He also wasn't sure how well he was going to handle relocating to Washington D.C. and dealing with all of the politics he had worked so hard to avoid up until now. At least for a few days he would be working more or less without any major interference; mostly thanks to the plans that he and Hodges had already worked out for the rest of the nation. Those plans would give him a jump start, but once those things were started in motion they would no longer be able to avoid working around and with the politicians. James was certain that he couldn't have accomplished as much as he had if he had been dealing with politics too. Now he would have to find ways to make things happen while dealing with the politics of things at the same time.

   That would all begin immediately when he arrived in Washington, because his first order of business was a meeting with the President, his cabinet, and the current military leaders of the operation east of the Mississippi. And while James might be wearing two stars now, there was little doubt that he would still be among the lowest ranking officers present at that meeting; and even those who held no rank would consider him to be under them. James had been expecting this for some time. He hadn't been sure how things would go at first when the deadline had past, but as the days continued to add up he had become more certain of the outcome. It was quick and easy to get your career derailed in the military, but it took a lot longer to move forward and even longer still to move upward. He spent most of the first part of the flight listening to Kendrick tell him about the people he would soon be dealing with on a regular basis. The remainder of the flight James spent sitting alone with his head bowed, in silent prayer. A few minutes of prayer seemed like the best possible use of his time before he arrived in Washington. That was a place where God and prayer were often forgotten these days. James wasn't sure what God had in mind for him now, but whatever it was James knew that the Lord would be there with him... and that was more than enough for James.

   They arrived in D.C. and James was quickly escorted to the White House, actually to the secure bunker below it. He had been provided with a new uniform on the plane and had changed just before they landed. Kendrick said he wanted James looking his very best for this first meeting. It seemed that General Kendrick was at least as nervous about this meeting as James was, maybe more so. When they stepped into the room full of high ranking officers and officials it suddenly fell silent. The sudden silence made the President turn from the conversation he was in to see what had happened. When he saw them he smiled and walked across to greet them. He returned their salutes and extended his hand as he spoke. "You made very good time, Pete. I really wasn't expecting you until much later in the day. I was certain it would take at least a full day before command could be turned over smoothly... I hope you didn't rush him into moving too fast! I would hate to see a problem develop there, especially now."

  The President had turned to shake hands with James before he was even finished speaking to Kendrick. As James took his hand in a firm grip; he spoke in answer to the concerns the President had just voiced. "Sir, it is an honor to meet you in person. I can assure you that while I was rushed, things are in very good hands and there will be no unexpected problems simply because of my absence." The smile on the President's face faded as he held James hand while James was speaking. He studied James while holding that grip for a long moment after they had stopped shaking hands. As he finally released his grip the President spoke again. His voice was no longer cheerful and full of excitement. It was more somber and thoughtful now. "I must say you look even younger in person than you do on video, but you certainly have the same sort of powerful presence... perhaps even more so in person." The smile suddenly was back on his face as he continued to talk. "I see now that I shouldn't have expected less than a prompt response from you. You are always prepared to act quickly, even if you have no way of knowing in advance what you may have to do."

   The President turned away and moved to take a seat at the huge round table in the center of the room as he spoke to everyone. "Well it seems everyone is here now, so I see no reason to delay this any longer. Please be seated and I will explain exactly what I expect from all of you." Once everyone was seated the President made his dissatisfaction with the current results of the efforts being made along the east coast known. He also pointedly made it very clear how impressive the results had been along the west coast. More than once someone had tried to speak up and each time they were silenced with hard looks and harder words. The lecture, and it was at least that if not an outright tirade, lasted nearly thirty minutes. Then the President stopped for a brief moment to study everyone around the table before continuing. "Now I know many, maybe most, of you believe that Col... Major General Cooper is too young to be in charge of an operation this size. Well let me remind you one last time that regardless of what you may think; this young man has proven himself very capable of handling things! He alone has been responsible for the same sort of operations that many of you have shared responsibilities for, and he has made those operations work smoothly and efficiently. Furthermore he has done it over an area of nearly twice the size of what all of you have been unable to manage! That is why I have promoted him and brought him here. He will be assuming full command of all operations east of the Mississippi and he will choose the people responsible for taking over his duties west of the Mississippi. I will have your full support on this or I will have your resignations! His success at this mission is too critical for me to allow petty bickering to ruin it! Like it or not Major General James Andrew Cooper is now in charge of things and he will have your full support and cooperation! Do any of you have something to say before I turn this meeting over to him?"