Honoring Our Veterans

11 Nov

“While only one day of the year is dedicated solely to honoring our veterans, Americans must never forget the sacrifices that many of our fellow countrymen have made to defend our country and protect our freedoms.”  ~ Randy Neugebauer

Today is Veterans Day.  It is a day that we remember all of those who served in many capacities in various military branches in order to secure or defend our freedom.  Some served in times of peace and others in times of war.  All, however, did so knowing that at any moment their lives might be required of them.  They served anyway because of their sense of duty and honor.

Some who returned to us did so relatively unscathed.  They had no wounds and experienced no traumas.  They were, indeed, quite fortunate.  Others returned to us far from unscathed.  They may have been wounded in battles even to the point of losing limbs or the use of some of their senses such as eyesight or hearing.  Others may have come back horribly scared externally.

Then, there are the others who returned with all their scars inside.  Externally, they looked to be untouched by the conflict they experienced.  However, emotionally, mentally, and/or spiritually, they were and are extremely wounded.  Those are often the hardest wounds to deal with as they are so hard to identify unless a person is willing to share how he or she feels.

We celebrate and honor our veterans today.  We remember the freedom they fought for and secured for us so that we could engage in our day-to-day living without turmoil.  We need to remember that it is now our turn to care for them just as they have cared for us.

We can do so, first of all, by prayer.  Praying for others is never a bad thing and can even do a world of good.  However, if we are in a position to do so, we can help in other ways as well.  We can donate to different organizations who take care of the physical or emotional needs of veterans.  We can visit veterans in nursing homes and other facilities.

Finally, we can make sure that we never take advantage of the freedom that they won for us.  What an insult to their brave deeds if we let their hard fought-for freedom erode.  Hold dear to the principles they valued so highly.  If you know any veterans, give them a call and thank them for their service today.  Don’t forget to pray for them.  Pray, as well, that one day we may never have to send people into conflict situations again.

FAITH ACTION:  Pray for all veterans today, most especially the ones who continue to suffer physically or emotionally because of their service to our country and for our freedom.