Memorial Day is an important day for us to look at both as Americans and Christians, a day which we can acknowledge the sacrifice of so many who have given us the right to freedom within the walls of this nation. Albeit, these freedoms are many times misunderstood, warped, perverted, and ignored by the people of this nation, but it does not excuse us from recognizing those who have laid so heavy a price upon the alter of freedom for our benefit. Should we be a people of ignorance and trite sentiment simply because we drive nice cars, have big houses, pools in our back yards, good jobs, medical benefits, public education, and so much more than most of the others in the world? How do we so quickly fall away from the things we were founded upon? How far are we who understand going to simply stand by and watch as those few outspoken hippies who want us to forfeit our freedoms yell and scream about world events which they understand less about than they do the history of our own nation? I could ponder questions and frustrations all day without catching a breath; however, that is not why I exist or why I write today. I write that we might think on something a little more meaningful and more beneficial than our current political status. There are but three points I hope to ponder here on this day of remembrance: Why do we sacrifice? Why is thinking on it relevant? Why should it be honored and replicated?
We are approaching a day when none of these things will matter, the freedom that we so yearned for we will realize was just a concept which could never lastingly be obtained with respect to a worldly nation. What we have now and fight to maintain is not going to last forever, there will be a day when it will all fail. At times I don’t want to acknowledge the truth in this, but we must realize in that moment that we are but aliens in a foreign land. The freedom that we are seeking can be found here to some extent, but ONLY in Christ. He came to liberate us from bondage and to set us free from the law which required our eternal separation from God. In America we find much worth in the actions of a soldier who fights and dies to bring us political and financial freedom in the physical world that we live in; but in a much greater way we must realize that Jesus Christ came—fully God, fully Man—lived a perfect life, died a wicked and cruel death, raised from His tomb just as He had promised, and joined God in Heaven, all to serve as a means for us to obtain true Freedom. This Freedom, however is not political, financial, physical, or emotional, but spiritual and eternal. He has provided Freedom to all those who believe that He truly did what He said and who put their trust in Him to forgive the shortcomings in their lives. We all have these shortcomings and if we truly look inside and are honest with ourselves we know it is true that we are not ‘basically good’ at all. We are corrupt and full of evil desires and thoughts, even if we don’t act upon them. We also know that we cannot find happiness or contentment on our own…our money won’t buy it, our big houses won’t accommodate it, our new cars won’t stay shiny enough, our greatest joys will always be fleeting. BUT, I can promise you that God has NEVER failed me, He has always given me Hope for tomorrow, Peace for today, Comfort from the storms of my life, Food and Shelter enough for the day, and Joy which not the most cynical, satiric, or hate-filled soul could steal from me. I am not indicating that these things are the reason WHY someone should turn to Christ…IN FACT, I mean to say that despite these things we owe our allegiance, our lives, our future hopes and dreams, and our complete devotion because of who He is: our Creator, Sustainer, Lover, Redeemer, Almighty King, and Friend—our everything.
He has made us to be like Him; we praise the sacrifice of our soldiers in the cause of freedom and we weep when we think of those who have shed their blood so that we might have the right to be called Americans all because Christ shed His blood that we might be called sons and daughters. Think about this when you hear about our soldiers fighting for us today, some paying the ultimate price, because their sacrifice whether we like it or not points directly at Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us. Sometimes the Truth stings, but it is always sobering and brings us to a better understanding of who we are and what we are here for…think about it!
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6 comments:
Good message Shayne. I also think those soldiers fought for spiritual freedom, as we certainly couldn't be free to worship as we do, otherwise. I know you would agree with that to, so I just thought it worth saying. Thanks for the mighty musings. Sincerely
Your papa
Great message Shayne. I simply must post a note. I appreciate the
fact that you have such powerful
feelings and the greatest way of
expressing yourself. What you have to see is deep and earnest.
More than that, I appreciate the
fact that you are not afraid or
ashamed to share with the world how
you feel.
There are many who may agree and
maybe even feel the same way you do ... however they are afraid
(for whatever reason ... political
or social standing or whatever) to
express themselves. What a shame!
I admire you for your great sense of principle and standards and you
have a very real way of expressing
your deep and earnest feelings.
Keep up the good work ... you are
quite the orator. I am proud to
say you are my grand nephew.
Your old Auntie Glenna.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us, Shayne. I admire your ability to express your feelings in words that are very moving. I concur with the content and share your gratitude to our soldiers for the freedom they have protected. Keep up the good work. God bless you. I love you lots!
Aunt Netta
Thanks for sharing your thoughts for the rest of us to read. You have a way of putting it that many cant!!
Shane...extremely well-said! I admire your ability to verbalize what many of us FEEL! I'm proud to say, "we're kin"! Thanks
Jeri-dean Marks-Reynolds
Shayne...I appreciate your comments. We live in a very complicated world these days....although I suppose it's been that way since Adam and Eve left the Garden.
I salute and shed tears at our military men and women who stand ready at the first call to come forward and serve their country men. They are filling a vicarious role, just as our Savior did. We need to ever pray for them to fight the "just wars, the wars that will libertate the unliberated". We need to pray for them to act as honorably as US Soldiers GENERALLY have in past wars.
Finally, we rejoice in the knowledge that in one fine day, this world will be subject to kings, despots, dictators, etc anymore, but a righteous king will bear the kingdom off to His father and say the work is done.
Then, shall we see all holiness and all compassion ruling the 4 corners of this earth.
America has her problems; make no mistake about that. Some of our mistakes are so horrifying it causes our hearts to skip when we have to admit our ambassadors of goodness have made a mistake. Our soldiers have made mistakes. Our leaders, yes, even our president have made mistakes. But this land we call the United States of America STILL is the greatest, most blessed land on the planet. And we owe a debt of gratitude to all those who have given their blood, their lives, and their time to keep it that way.
As my son served in Afghanistan last Christmas, he asked not for candy and trinkets, CD's, video games for himself. No, he wrote home and asked that our family buy every soccer ball we could find, some baby dolls and stuffed animals for our soldiers to take to the orphanages and hospitals where these little children lay suffering, frightened, and alone. I know that every soldier who took a gift came away with a much larger outlook of what the American Soldier is all about.
American's brightest days are still ahead. It is our responsibility to make them possible. Our responsibility to prepare this world as much as we can for the return of the only just monarch and king who will ever lead with love and peace, and that will be the Lord and Master, the Prince of Peace. May he say to those of us who serve, have served, or have sent our children to serve this nation, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall see God."
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