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May 29th -31st
A Time to Remember: A Time to Honor
Day is done, gone the sun,
From the hills, from the lake,
From the sky.
All is well, safely rest,
God is nigh.
Go to sleep, peaceful sleep,
May the soldier or sailor,
God keep.
On the land or the deep,
Safe in sleep.
Love, good night, Must thou do,
When the day, and the night
Need thee so?
All is well, Speedth all
To their rest.
Fades the light; And afar
Goeth day, and the stars
Shineth bright,
Fare thee well; Day has gone,
Night is on.
Thanks and praise, for our days,
‘Neath the sun, ‘Neath the stars,
“Neath the sky,
As we go, this we know,
God is nigh.
Maybe you’ve not heard the words before, but at some point, whether on T.V. or in your own life you’ve heard the melody: It’s ‘TAPS.”
The last time I heard Taps so mournfully yet beautifully played, it was at my father-in-law’s funeral; and prior to that it was a police officer who was a fellow-officer of my husband and our friend. No matter the “war” whether it be a soldier fighting on foreign soil to keep us safe or police officers or our military fighting here at home, we owe our freedom to these courageous men and women.
MEMORIAL DAY is coming quickly – May 30th - although now we “celebrate” it on the last Monday of the month. It is very sad to say that over the years the meaning of Memorial Day has faded from public awareness. Now that this special day has been added to the weekend, it is no longer a sacred day reserved for the remembrance of the heroes who paid the ultimate price for the freedom we seem to take for granted. Do you wonder how many young people even know the meaning of Memorial Day? It was a time of parades honoring the fallen comrades. Often the parade route would end at a local cemetery so speeches could be given about this great Nation and its heritage of proud men and women. People would take the opportunity to clean the graves of those who died fighting for our Country. Flowers and flags could be seen through the cemetery placed there by strangers who cared.
It seems that people in other nations often display the true spirit of America’s Memorial Day more than we do. In the 2001 U.S. Memorial Day Guestbook a citizen from the Netherlands wrote: “In 1999 I laid flowers at the grave of a young U.S. fighter pilot who was KIA in my village in 1945. In the Netherlands I know of schools “adopting” graves of Allied servicemen, keeping those graves in excellent condition! Does anybody know of adopting graves in the U.S. by schools?”
As Americans, don’t most of us take for granted the blessings that God graciously bestows upon us? While young men and women are standing in harm’s way everyday for us, do we even stop to pray for them? Do we try to think of ways and things to do to encourage them? Do you wonder how many of them are homesick while we’re sick of being home? Let us take the time to ponder what type of life our military personnel are living while we snuggle gently under the covers of our bed, turn out the lights and sleep in peace.
Let us commit to pray daily for our brave men and women and the families they have left behind. Let us petition God to bring them safely home.
John 15:13 (NIV): Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
America needs help and the only One Who can help us is the One that so many want out of our schools, out of public gatherings and off of our currency. What’s next? What will we, as Christians, allow?
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV): If my people, who are called by my name, will 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.
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