‘A Time To Remember’

“Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
(Psalm 82:3-4)

“WE SHOULD REMEMBER BECAUSE A NATION THAT CANNOT, OR THAT WILL NOT, REMEMBER ITS PAST WILL SUFFER A FAR MORE PERILOUS FUTURE.” (Anonymous)

People often confuse Memorial Day as another Veterans Day, when in fact the more you learn or the closer you are to its true meaning, the harder it is to balance the prescribed celebration with the sadness and solemnity of the sacrifices by the fallen men and women who are remembered on this day.

But the key  point is this, Remembrance. Different groups and people honor the day in different ways. For some, it’s a time of sorrow, for others, it’s an upbeat celebration of memories. Regardless of your approach, the important thing is that you remember, reflect.

Maybe you know someone who lost a husband, a wife, a son, a daughter, a friend in battle, maybe a neighbor who had a family member who gave up their life that we might still be enjoying our freedoms today as a result of their sacrifice for us. Maybe, just maybe your kind thoughtful expression of thanks will open a door  of gratitude and just knowing that their sacrifice for s not forgotten.

One thing to consider today is that it’s not wars that we are remembering today, rather, we are remembering those who served and those who gave their last full measure of devotion in order to insure the freedoms that this country offers to all would be able to be passed on to the next generations.

We remember them because they tell us something of our human dignity. They remind us of the cost of freedom and of the quality of our character as a nation.

Crazy thing is that this year, because of the guidelines set forth due to the Corona virus,we aren’t gathering on this day as in days gone by. But we do gather our thoughts in our hearts  and remember and are thankful for the ultimate sacrifices of the courageous men and women who paid for our freedoms we enjoy, especially since we know few in person.

Jesus taught in John 15:13 that “greater love has no man than this, that he lay his life down for a friend.”

What then, for those who laid their lives down for those that person didn’t even meet?

Today we aren’t being challenged to remember wars but we are being asked to consider to remember that when war does comes to us, there are those who are willing to give their all to defend our nation.

There will be a day coming when there will be no more wars, no more deaths and “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
(Revelation 21:4)

Deep down we want to remember in the hope that we will find ways to prevent wars and never again have to fight them again. There is, among veterans, no more hoped for desire than the desire that their own sons and daughters will never have to suffer the terrors of war, or the effects of war. Until then, we honor those today, giving thanks to God for them. 

I want to express my gratitude to all those of whom family members lost their lives courageously defending my Constitutional rights that make me proud to be called an American. God bless you.