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| Thank a Veteran for our flag |
Unofficially summer is here this Memorial
Day weekend (even though the calendar shows June 20th as the official
day). However, this year we have a new normal. We may only be able to hold BBQs
and eating all that mouth-watering food in our own backyard with our own family
instead of gathering in extra-large groups at a city park or beach. It’s a new
way of doing things.
Hopefully, we are also not forgetting
that today is a time to remember those who sacrificed for our very freedom to
have BBQs! We owe our sincere Thank You to all the
men and women of every single war who fought and sacrificed their lives in one
way or another. Some of us remember firsthand the stories that have been told
because we personally know friends and family members who have our deepest
gratitude.
The Count is Indeed Important!
"There
are approximately only 389,292 American veterans remaining of the 16 million
who served our nation in World War II [National WWII Museum] and the oldest of
these living today is Lawrence Brooks of LA who is 110 years old [militarytimes.com].
"9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the Vietnam Era (Aug. 5, 1964 - May 7, 1975)." [Veterans Affairs]
"2.7 million service members have been to the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 and over half of them have deployed more than once. Many times, that number of Americans have borne the costs of war as spouses, parents, children, and friends cope with their loved ones’ absence, mourn their deaths, or greet the changed person who often returns." [Watson Institute/Brown University].
These are only three of the most recent in our memories. In 244 years on our own U.S. soil, veterans have fought over 25 wars for our freedom [Our Country published by Silver Burdett Ginn, Inc.; and Wikipedia].
The Struggle
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| Let's not forget! |
Please understand, no one likes war. No
one. Obviously, we wouldn't be enjoying American freedom if it were not for our
military. And military spouses and children should not be forgotten either. It
takes great courage to "hang in" when the unknown must be faced every
single day. It’s a real struggle! Never knowing where or when they will need to
pack up and go live somewhere else. Spending years waiting while their spouse
is overseas. Children who never learn to make permanent friends because it
takes time and time is elusive in the military. Today, stop and thank a
military family you know or see. Just do it. They deserve respect and honor!
Living in the military sometimes takes its toll on women with devastating results. "Military workers of all ranks were most likely to be divorced by age 30, at a rate of 15%.” [Marketwatch.com]
Where is the Good News?
In a world filled with
evil people, sometimes war is necessary to prevent an even greater evil. If
Hitler had not been defeated by World War II, how many more millions would have
been killed? If the American Civil War [1861-1865] had not been fought, how
much longer would African Americans have had to suffer as slaves? (Before the
Civil War even ended, President Lincoln, on January 1, 1863, formally issued
the Emancipation Proclamation to liberate all slaves.)
"It is an error to
say that God never supports a war. Jesus is not a pacifist. The most important
thing we can be doing in a time of war is to be praying for Godly wisdom for
our leaders, praying for the safety of our military, praying for a quick
resolution to conflicts, and praying for a minimum of casualties among
civilians on both sides." [gotquestions.org]
For further study,
Click on this link from GotQs.com:
“For everything there is a season. . . A
time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 8 NLT).
[Note: please do not misunderstand this
Scripture verse as some do, “…a time to hate.” Don’t we hate war, evil,
poverty, crime, and the Coronavirus to name but a few human injustices? So,
yes, there is a time to hate].
