Memorial Day

This coming Monday in the United States is Memorial Day, where we honor those who have sacrificed themselves in their country's services....you know, when I was younger and Memorial Day was mentioned, I would think of older people, such as my father's uncle, who served in the Navy during the Second World War and Korea (I remember going over to his house and going through the old VFW magazines...).

But now I am the older people and when I think of Memorial Day now, I think of my brother who served in the First Gulf war and others and seeing how so many of them are YOUNGER than I am and how some of them will never even live to 1/2 of the age that I am right now....

But the same thing is in both generations, and that is the willingness to volunteer to fight for the rights of their countries and other countries that either do not or never had the freedoms that we take for granted in this country and to borrow from Lincoln...to give the last full measure of devotion.....the sacrifice of their lives.

We honor them because of this and rightfully so, but where did that desire to give their lives come from? It is very simple, it is found in the words of Jesus, who not only said these words, but would in the next day after He said them would example them in giving the last full measure of His devotion in giving His life for an entire world....Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)....the desire to give ourselves for one another comes from the example of Christ on the cross and shows that divine spark which is in each and every one of us, whether we choose to accept it or not.....

And that is what I pray that we will remember on Memorial Day....those who gave their lives for their country and for others....and the example from which it comes from....