Give Thanks For Brave Warriors
All these were fighting men who volunteered to serve in the ranks. They came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of the Israelites were also of one mind to make David king. -- 1 Chronicles 12:38
Today is Memorial Day. It is a day to remember all those who gave their lives so that we might have the freedom to worship God, to live our lives, to launch our dreams.
We honor our soldiers and their families on this day but really it was set aside to remember those we have lost. I have walked beside numerous family members and friends who have served. I have watched their sacrifices -- the separations, the haunting images of war that remain long after a tour of duty, lingering health issues.
I have only lost one, my cousin, back during the Vietnam War. His parents are gone now, as well, but they never recovered from his death. There was no closure. Only a certain hope and promise that they’d see him again one day. I will forever remember the haunted look in my aunt’s eyes every time she spoke of her son. His medals and photos surrounded their family room but those things couldn’t replace his presence.
Memorial Day meant so much to my uncle. He was a retired serviceman himself. He knew how huge the cost could be. He just never really expected his son to pay that price.
Isn’t that how it always is? We always think it will happen to someone else’s family, in another neighborhood, another town. But sometimes it happens to someone we know and love. And suddenly this holiday from work and school, this three-day weekend filled with fun, takes on a new, deeper meaning.
The Bible tells us that King David’s troops were “brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear. Their faces were the faces of lions and they were as swift as gazelles in the mountains.” (1 Chronicles 12:8b)
We don’t always agree with the politics of war. But surely we all agree about the sacrifice our soldiers make. And their families as well. They choose to defend our freedoms. They choose to put their lives on the line every day.
“They helped David against raiding bands, for all of them were brave warriors, and they were commanders in his army. Day after day men came to help David, until he had a great army, like the army of God.” -- 1 Chronicles 12:21-22
Today we remember those who died so that we could live in freedom. We honor them and embrace the loved ones they left behind. We give thanks for the brave warriors who have died.
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