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Proudly walking down that aisle, adorned in cap and gown
The biggest smile his mother’s, in that little country town
He reached the wooden podium to read his written words
A miracle awaited, something wonderful occurred
For many years they’d struggled, this mother and her son
His father killed in action just before his life begun
The stories that she’d told him, was all he ever had
He wasn’t like the other kids, he never knew his dad
He knelt beside his bed each night, and oft would question why
The other kids could have a dad, and yet his had to die
He wrote each year to Santa and each year the wish, the same
Please Santa bring my daddy, but his daddy never came
Yes, the letters went unanswered and the prayers would not
provide
The one thing that he wanted most, no matter how he cried
This special night he knelt once more, “Oh God please hear my prayer
It’s Graduation Day dear Lord, could you send my father there?
And as he stood there proudly, and the folks began to
rise
He looked out through the darkness and could not believe his eyes
There standing in the doorway with his hat held to his chest
A soldier stood in uniform and proudly acquiesced
And no one had to tell him, Oh! he knew it was his dad!
And suddenly those childhood years just didn’t seem so bad
And over the excitement he could hear his father say
I came here just to see you son, I couldn’t miss this day
And as he turned to walk away, his son burst into tears
He cried out to his father, “Where were you all those years”?
And suddenly the soldier stopped and turned to face his son
He answered “Never doubt that I was there through every one
Although you could not touch me I was right there by your side
I
heard each prayer you whispered and I watched you as you cried
I’m leaving something with you, in hopes you’ll understand
I
wanted to be with you but it wasn’t in God’s plan.”
And then somebody shook him as he lay there on the floor
And he
knew it was a vision that he’d had, and nothing more
And as
he walked back down that aisle, his mind could not perceive
His
father wasn’t really there, he wanted to believe!
And as he told his mother of the soldier standing there
And the
promise that he made to him, she sensed her son’s despair
And as
they reached the doorway where the vision had occurred
In
ambiance of solace neither said a single word
There lying in the very spot his father’s image stood
He saw that something special, like his dad had said he would
And as he reached to grasp it and the tears began to fall
He stood in silence pondering the meaning of it all
Even Jesus thought his Father didn’t hear him on that day
He hung there on that cross in pain, but a plan was underway
The cross now a reminder of His sacrifice impart
And such will be the meaning of a father’s Purple Heart
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