MEMORIAL DAY REVISITED
I want to apologize on behalf of CountryCitizens newsletter for having forgotten to mention Memorial Day in our May issue. While I was preparing for the annual Memorial Day BBQ, I was suddenly struck by the thought that I was so consumed with preparing food that I had forgotten the real reason for Memorial Day.
I don’t think I am alone. Too many people just see it as another day off from work or maybe the first barbeque of the season. Plans for the day include sleeping in, getting a start on the yard projects, planning a trip to the relatives, boating at the lake, or other recreational endeavors.
I remember the days when the morning was filled with gathering flowers: peonies, lilac branches, tulips or any others. The flowers were put in containers with water and loaded into the car or truck. The members of the community would travel to the local grave site and begin unloading these containers of flowers. The first stop was the memorial for those soldiers lost in WWI. Piles of flowers of every color imaginable were lain at the foot of the monument. Then individuals would wander off to the graves of their loved ones either lost in battle or simply lost to life here on earth.
It was a sad day but also an honorable day of reflection, as we considered the lives of young men and women who had died in defense of our country and its values, or had just been obedient to the call of their country to serve. It is the same feeling I got when I looked down beneath the beautiful waters of the Pacific Ocean at the USS Arizona lying on the bottom of Pearl Harbor and thought about the lost dreams, hopes and desires of those who died there.
I feel that many have lost the desire to honor the sacrifices of others. Whether it is the military, the police force, the firefighters or just common citizens who have raced into danger to help others; there should be a time of remembrance, gratitude and honor.
We would be foolish to think that public school teachers would teach our children about honoring lost patriots. Most students are not taught to honor the flag, the Pledge of Allegiance, the National Anthem, and certainly not the importance of Memorial Day. Teachers today have long lost their interest in Memorial Day, if they ever had the interest. Students that are not taught about honor, soon end up burning flags, tearing down memorials, cursing police, and speeding by firemen as they work to pull people from cars along busy freeways.
This responsibility lies at the feet of parents. We are the ones who are supposed to “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6) That means, we may have to take a step back and consider our own heart.
We have prayed for our country and for a president to set our way anew. We have stood on
2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
Turning from our wicked ways is translated as “repent” which means change your mind, turn back, cause to return and to restore. Perhaps we need to return from our worldly endeavors and reestablish or restore our old traditions of honor, patriotism, love of nation, love of God and love of others.
I have repented of my loss of focus and have started planning for a more meaningful MEMORIAL DAY next year.
kln
Galatians 6:2 encourages fellow believers to "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. As a community, we are bound together with the love of Christ." We exhibit that love through prayer for one another. Someone in our midst may be hurting, believing for a new job, seeking direction from God. When we come together in agreement for each other, we see God begin to work! We want to agree with you. We encourage our readers to let us know what we can all agree on for you. If you have a specific need that you would like us to pray for, let us know. The Word of God compels us to pray for one another in the community where we live. So agree with us as we pray for each other!
Community Prayer List
-Pray for those involved in protecting the border
-Pray for President Trump, the entire Executive Branch
-Pray for the country of Israel and its protection from Muslim countries
-Pray for the Peace of Israel