Tag Archives: Memorial Day

The Price of Freedom…for Our Land and Our Souls

Faith, Life, , , , ,

How was your Memorial Day? Did you enjoy a three-day weekend or a get-together of some sort? Maybe you wore your special patriotic shirt for the day or made your famous strawberry pie to kick off the summer. (Sounds like a good day to me!)

Along with all these fun things, I hope you were also able to slow down. To remember. To honor those who gave all so we could live our lives in freedom.

Memorial Day is personal to my family. We gather almost every year to attend the local service at the cemetery. Each year, my grandpa, who served in the Navy in World War Two and never slows down to this day, stands up front in uniform and participates in the traditional three-volley salute before Taps is played, echoing its haunting, beautiful tune across every ear and every grave.

Now that my kids are 15, 13, and 11, they don’t ask about the tears in my eyes anymore. They don’t have to. It’s expected. And it’s understood. They’ve heard my reasons before…and before that…and before that.

They understand that my dad’s oldest brother, David, was shot and killed serving with the Marines in Vietnam. They understand that he decided it was his duty to fight for freedom and that he died with honor. (Yes, this was a messy war, but its intent was worthy, and the soldiers who served will always have my honor and respect.)

My kids understand that my grandpa joined up during WW2 to fight for freedom. To stop the bad guys. He made it home alive, but his sacrifices were great overall—especially the sacrifice of his oldest son (David) as he died fighting against communism in South Vietnam.

They know my other grandpa fought in Korea, having to leave his new wife behind, pregnant with their first child. He made it home alive, but missed the birth and all the “firsts” that came with raising their first baby because he was off fighting hard for other people’s freedoms.

My kids understand that one of their other dear great uncles fought hard in Vietnam, though he did make it home in one piece. They know his sacrifices include living through painful experiences there as he fought for freedom.

They know that war is monstrous, but freedom is a cause worth fighting for. They know that soldiers are brave and worthy of gratitude and respect.

My kids know that when my eyes fill with tears, as they do every single Memorial Day without fail, it’s because my heart is too full of gratitude, appreciation, and memories to keep it inside. America truly is the land of the free and the home of the brave, and only by remembering and teaching upcoming generations these truths will it remain so.

How do the children in your life view Memorial Day? Do they slow down in between hotdogs and popsicles to pay respect to our nation’s fallen heroes? If not, it’s never too late to remind them of how we gained the freedom that enables us to enjoy a day off.

One last thing. During the annual Memorial Day service, the speaker often reminds us that freedom is paid in blood, and only by honoring the fallen can we truly appreciate all God has blessed us with here in America…

Sound familiar…? Freedom paid in blood…? Of course I’m beyond grateful for my American freedoms, but how much more grateful I am for the freedom that was bought for each and every one of us across the globe with Jesus’ blood on the cross. Spiritual freedom was paid for once and for all by Jesus and can never be taken away. Now that’s something to really remember and honor.

Who were you remembering this past Memorial Day? Let me know in the comments; I’d be honored to share these memories with you!

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Memorial Day: Grateful for the Sacrifice, Grateful for Freedom

Life, , , , , ,

What is your experience with war, directly or indirectly? Having an uncle whose life was taken in Vietnam has kept Memorial Day close my heart since childhood (find his picture at the bottom of the post). Maybe you are in a similar position, either having lost a loved one to war or knowing someone who has been affected in that way.

Over the past few years as I’ve been writing historical fiction manuscripts, Memorial Day has taken on even more meaning. Writing about World War 2 and the Vietnam War has meant lots of research, and it’s been quite eye-opening and inspiring.

I’m now embarrassed to say there was a time when I confused Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day. (In case this is you right now, no judgement: Memorial Day is to honor the fallen, Veteran’s Day is to honor the living).

It’s easy to see the holiday as simply a day off while giving a nod to the military. Let’s stop taking Memorial Day at face value, and think about war for a moment.

I mean, really think about it…

  • Imagine yourself in a foreign land at the mercy of your training and your instincts, the enemy potentially around every corner, a booby-trap potentially under every step you take.
  • Imagine living and breathing life or death situations every day…every moment perhaps.
  • Imagine watching buddies fall, knowing you can only do so much before you have to keep moving forward without stopping to grieve.
  • Now imagine coming home, living with all you’ve seen and done, knowing that nobody will ever truly understand your sacrifice. Nobody except those who fought by your side.

War is tragic, no question about it. So why do so many subject themselves to such nightmarish lives?

Freedom.

America has fought time and again for freedom. Over the centuries we’ve watched other nations rise and fall under oppressive governments, and we know that’s simply not an option for America. We’ve aided countries trying to push back against the tide of communism as it tries to overtake them. We’ve seen it over and over. We know how the dictatorship and communism stories end, and we don’t want it for our allies or for ourselves.

Those who have lost loved ones to the fight for freedom, and the veterans among us, live in this reality in a more visceral way than most.

Memorial Day is a day to remember and honor our fallen heroes. If you have a veteran in your life, show some extra compassion on this holiday. Chances are Memorial Day brings to mind good buddies they fought beside who never got to come home to their families.

Not only is Memorial Day a day to honor the fallen, it is also a day to remember the why.

Why must war exist? Why must we have a Memorial Day to begin with?

Because, while no one of sound mind likes war itself, Americans know that fighting to keep America and her allies free is the only option. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. We refuse to let our loved ones live in a land of fear and control. We refuse to allow our freedom to worship God to be stripped away.

And so, in the process of holding onto freedom, lives are tragically lost. War is a reality that can’t be undone.

Some of us have grown up in an America that has always felt steady and free, but we need to remember that freedom is not a given. It is not a right. It is not something to grow complacent about.

Freedom is something we must acknowledge to be a hard-fought privilege, and we must collectively determine to hold onto it.

To all who have lost a loved one to battle, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Their sacrifice—your sacrifice—is not unnoticed, nor is it forgotten. You are seen. They are remembered. They will forever be honored as heroes of freedom.

A Memorial Day prayer…

Lord, hear our prayers on this Memorial Day. We thank you for each and every soldier’s life sacrificed in the name of making a better life for your people through freedom. Thank you for their bravery, determination, and ability to see a bigger picture than many of us see. Bless and encourage their families today. Thank you also for our veterans—comfort them today as they remember. Thank you for their many sacrifices as well. Bring us all into your light and help us embrace the freedom you offer us on a personal level, through Jesus. Amen.

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Let me know in the comments what Memorial Day means to you, what your plans are this Monday, or any other thoughts you have! And if you haven’t already, I’d love to have you subscribe to receive future posts and updates to your inbox – you’ll receive a free 7-Day Parent’s Prayer Guide when you subscribe as a thank-you. Have a great weekend! 😊

Remembering my Uncle David, a brave Marine
who lost his life in Vietnam.

Grit and Thankfulness

Life, , , ,

By the time you read this post, Memorial Day 2020 will be over and you’ll be back to work or your otherwise normal daily life (as if anything is normal these days, ha!). However, as I write, it’s still very much Memorial Day. I’ve had war on the mind for months as I’ve been researching and writing a new manuscript that involves both WW2 and Vietnam, so today, I’m feeling the holiday a little bit more than usual.

My Uncle David, my dad’s oldest brother, was a brave Marine who died in Vietnam, years before I was born. Every year I see his face in pictures and imagine his family receiving the gut-wrenching news. Every year I clench my teeth to hold back tears as I try to explain the significance to my own children. Every year, there’s a memorial service held in the country cemetery where David rests, and his father—my 93-year-old grandpa—still dons his own WW2 era Navy uniform and fires his rifle in the traditional, emotional, three-volley salute. Every year except this one. This year there were no Memorial Day services in Illinois. (I live in Indiana, but am usually able to travel back to my hometown for the holiday).

No in-person, official recognition of the men and women who, as Ronald Reagan put it, gave up two lives on the battlefield—the one they had lived up until that point, and the one they would have lived in the future. Another point for COVID-19.

Uncle David.

Most of us use Memorial Day to plant gardens, go boating, or cookout—or, if you’re like my kids, wash the car with the hose and water guns. And there’s nothing wrong with that! It’s fun! Thanks to our selfless military, we have freedoms and liberty and, unlike most generations before us, the option of choosing leisure on a regular basis.

But as we enjoy our freedoms, let us not forget that Memorial Day is gritty. For many, it is filled with tears. Memories. Regrets.

Let’s take more than a fleeting second of remembrance, and spend some time being deliberately thankful. Thanking God for the men and women who have laid down their lives to help shape America into what it is today, so that we can live in peace and safety and help other countries do the same. Thanking families who have courageously lived with a gaping hole after losing a family member. And thanking the soldiers among us for living their lives with the bravery of knowing that on any given day, it could be them.

Lord, thank you for each of our nation’s fallen soldiers. Encourage families today, Lord. Provide comfort for those who are sad, guidance for those who are lost, and hope for those who are lacking. May we see your greater purposes as we go about our lives, and may the eyes, ears, and hearts of America—and the world—be turned to you alone. Thank you for your provision and endless love.

Amen.

Quick update on me – Power Up is officially the winner of a Christian Indie Award! It’s such an honor, and I pray God will continue to use this book to guide kids and adults into deeper relationship with his Holy Spirit.

Also, as I alluded to above, I’m working on a women’s Christian fiction manuscript. I would appreciate prayers for this project, as it’s turning out to be bigger than I originally thought, and I only want to follow where God leads on this. I’m actually in the process of turning my one completed manuscript into three separate manuscripts. Exciting, but a lot more writing, which takes a lot more time! I couldn’t do it without your support—thanks for sticking with me and caring about the words I’m putting down.

May they be pleasing to you, Jesus.