The Sentinel

The blizzard of 2016 is now in the record books.
Both of my sons are living in areas that were hardest hit.
One son works in Washington, D.C. and lives right outside of the city.
The other son lives in Harrisburg.

Both areas were hit very hard by the storm.
Harrisburg still has a travel ban in effect.
Washington, D.C. stopped all Metro and bus service as of 5:00 Friday evening.
Each of my sons arrived home safely and I am grateful to God.

We all checked in on each other all weekend.
Each of us had our stories.
My youngest daughter sent a picture of herself on her campus standing in mid-thigh snow.
My two older daughters will be shoveling out their cars today like many others hit by the storm.

I made vegetable soup and spent a good portion of the day reading by the fire.
Necessary pauses.
One of my daughters sent a text: Is it bad that I’m kind of glad to be snowed in?
It’s not bad; we need days like that.

I read once that humans are the only ones, that when lost, run faster.
We tend to go, and go, and go until something stops us.
Then we realize how much we needed the rest.
How much better it would be if we would stop ourselves and take a much needed break.

Of course, there is a lot of snow to shovel; about 30 inches with drifts as high as five feet.
The snow on our deck goes half way up our kitchen door.
The snow on my side porch touches the bottom of the porch swing.
The skylights are covered with snow, which gives the room a cozy feel.

We are snowbound for the weekend.
My husband’s business trip on Monday was canceled.
The airport has cancelled many flights.
I am so grateful that our power stayed on during the storm.

My son’s fiance is a maternity nurse.
She needed to go into the hospital during the height of the storm.
Hospital workers are considered essential personnel.
A shuttle picked her up and drove her to the hospital so she could work her shift.

Women still have babies in blizzards.
Life still goes on.
For many of us, our world gets very small as we stay within our own four walls.
It is good for a time but not forever.

We may feel safe and cocooned, but life is happening beyond our doorstep.
It is storms like this that show us what we are made of.
Neighbors check in on neighbors.
Those with snow blowers help those who do not have them.

Young neighborhood boys help those who cannot shovel on their own.
Townships and city workers clear the roads so that work can continue.
Doctors and nurses leave the comfort of their own homes to serve others.
Fire fighters, EMT’s, and utility workers keep us safe and restore power if lost.

While most of us stay inside, there is a job that requires being outside in the worst conditions.
It is a job I never thought about until it was brought to my attention.
It is a job of duty.
It is a job of honor.

It is the job of Honor Guard at Arlington National Cemetery.
The guards are part of the 3rd Infantry Regiment known as “The Old Guard”.
The Tomb is guarded 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
There has been a Sentinel on duty in front of the Tomb every minute of every day since 1937.

The Tomb Sentinels are a familiar sight to most tourists who visit Arlington National Cemetery. Dressed in their dress blue uniforms, they “walk the mat” on the plaza in front of the white marble sarcophagus that lies above the remains of an unknown soldier from World War I. Unknown soldiers from World War II and the Korean War are buried in crypts in front of the sarcophagus. A guard walks 21 steps alluding to the twenty-one gun salute, the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary. The Sentinel does not execute an about face, rather they stop on the 21st step, then turn and face the Tomb for 21 seconds. They then turn to face back down the mat, change the weapon to the outside shoulder, mentally count off 21 seconds, then step off for another 21 step walk down the mat. They face the Tomb at each end of the 21 step walk for 21 seconds. The Sentinel then repeats this over and over until the the Guard Change ceremony begins. Gloves are moistened to improve the grip on the rifle. The shoes are standard issue military dress shoes. They are built up so the sole and heel are equal in height. This allows the Sentinel to stand with a straight back and perpendicular to the ground. A side effect of this is that the Sentinel can “roll” on the outside of the build up walking down the mat. Done correctly, the hat and bayonet will appear to not “bob” up and down with each step. It gives a more formal, fluid and smooth look to the walk, rather than a “marching” appearance. The soles have a steel tip on the toe and a “horseshoe” steel plate on the heel. This prevents wear on the sole and allows the Sentinel to move smoothly during his movements when he turns to face the Tomb and then back down the mat. Then there is the “clicker”. It is a shank of steel attached to the inside of the face of the heel build-up on each shoe. It allows the Sentinel to heel click during certain movements. A guard change is considered great when all the heel clicks fall together and sound as one click. The guard change is occasionally done in the “silent” mode (as a sign of devotion to the Unknowns) with no voice commands – every thing is done in relation to the heel clicks and on specific counts. The Guard is changed every thirty minutes during the summer (April 1 to Sep 30) and every hour during the winter (Oct 1 to Mar 31). During the hours the cemetery is closed, the guard is changed every 2 hours. The Tomb is guarded, and has been guarded, every minute of every day since 1937. The Sentinels at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are completely dedicated to their duty of guarding the Tomb. In fact, line eight of our Sentinel’s Creed refers to the “discomfort of the elements”. Because of their dedication, the weather does not bother them. In fact, it is considered an honor to walk the mat during inclement weather. It gets cold, it gets hot and the mission continues as it has unbroken since 1937. The accomplishment of the mission and welfare of the Soldier is never put at risk. 
(taken from, Society of the Honor Guard)

Oh, to have the sense of duty and honor that the guards have at the Tomb of the Unknown.
To stand at your post ready to defend it.
To stand at attention in respect and silence.
To know that another died in your place and stand guard in gratitude.

Go, set a watchman and have him declare what he sees. (Isaiah 21:6)

We are watchmen.
We guard the Truth of the One who died for us.
Jesus’ tomb is empty because He rose from the dead.
Jesus lives; we watch and we wait for the day when He will return.

We stand at our post.
We anticipate His coming.
Despite the times, we watch.
Because of the times, we stand guard.

One day, we will hear the trumpet call of God.
It is then that every eye will see Him.
We will stand with our eyes looking upward towards the face we long to see.
Until then, we remain faithful at our post and declare what we see.