With roots dating back to 1868, Memorial Day is a day set aside each year for us to remember those who served our country and are no longer with us. It’s a day of “memorial” or remembrance. But why do we need such a thing? Yes, this is a rhetorical question. It’s because PEOPLE FORGET! But how can we forget the price of freedom? How can we “forget” those who fought for our liberty and are no longer with us? I’m sure there are lots of reasons that people forget, but I think that in part, the blessing of freedom and the lifestyle that this sacrifice provides, leaves people too comfortable. Generally speaking, we are “fat” with prosperity, we are lazy at the thought of service, we are detached from true sacrifice, and by nature we are selfish. History has been watered down or replaced entirely with “social studies.” Character, honor, and respect are attributes of bygone generations. Today, we reward entertainers and look to athletes and actors for advice. As the sun rises and sets each day, we are consumed by our own lives, ambitions, distractions, and comforts. We had the “Lost Generation”, the “Greatest Generation”, but now we have generations whose greatest achievement may be “growing up” and moving out of their parents basement. WE ARE SOFT AND SELFISH; this is why we need Memorial Day!
As I go to estate sales or look through classified ads, I see uniforms, pictures, personal “war” memorabilia, and even medals being sold off by families. I wonder, how can these families so easily forget that parent or grandparent who risked or maybe even lost their own life for that family who so soon forgets them and undervalues these representations of their hardest times and their greatest achievements? These things are symbols of sacrifice and of life, love, and the price of our liberty, yet they are sold off, like cheap trinkets, for just a few dollars to someone who never even knew their story. Those heroes were young once. They had dreams and ambitions of their own. Yet they laid those things aside and gave their best life and risked their all for each other, their families, and for us. The value of a person is not in their savings account or in an inheritance. True value lies in the impact of our lives on others, and it lives in the hearts of those who remember! “LEST WE FORGET”; this is why we need Memorial Day!
The price of freedom is paid in blood, sweat, and tears and the scars that it leaves run deep and are both physical and emotional. A study I recently saw stated that, these days, a soldier is NINE times more likely to die from suicide than from combat. This speaks to the significant sacrifice that so many have offered on our behalf. Whether fighting for our freedom or for the freedom of others, these men and women have fought for one ironic thing, PEACE. It seems counterintuitive to think that fighting can be necessary for peace, but pride, selfishness, and ambition lie at the core of war. This desire to conquer and control other people comes from hearts of selfishness, lust, greed, and jealousy. These base characteristics lie deep in the unregenerated heart and will always war against love and peace. When some speak of peace, they are really speaking of control, but true peace dispels fear, it loves others, it “gives” rather than “gets”, and it grows out of a heart of love. Our world needs God’s love, not war and it needs true peace, not control. WE NEED PEACE; this is why we need Memorial Day!
As we are celebrating this Memorial Day today, we are remembering those who have served and also those who have gone on before us. The soldier is not the only one sacrificing when he leaves. Parents, siblings, spouses, and children of those who served also paid a price. Absence, distance, worry, and loss cause immeasurable emotional weight on the family of those who have served. So, as we remember our departed loved ones who served, we also remember their families that shared in their sacrifice. In our more immediate family, we are remembering Robert Glass, Clinton Housley, and Kenneth Fowler who each served in our country’s armed forces. We remember their parents, their spouses, and their children who each had a part in their sacrifice. We too will also be remembering Hannah. Although she never served her country in the military, she exemplified a life of service and sacrifice for others and lived a life worthy of many of the same respects paid to those for whom this day has been dedicated. WE MISS THEM ALL; this is why we need Memorial Day! We are blessed.
Hannah Helps 