Every Day is Memorial Day

Memorial Day ranks as one of the most important days of the year for Americans. It stands as a reminder of those who have paid the ultimate price in securing the freedoms that we enjoy in our great country. My father used to say that he could write a book about what was wrong with America, but he could write a library about what was right with it. On Memorial Day Sunday, I get to stand up in church when they recognize all the veterans in attendance. I feel great pride. I also feel great sorrow and gratitude when they ask those that have lost a loved one in a military conflict to also stand.

We have a need for memorials. They teach our children about the sacrifice so many have made for their way of life, of unending opportunities and freedoms. The nature of memorials is that they are enduring and unmistakable. When we stand at the memorials to our departed veterans all across the country there is no doubt what they represent. When we visit a grave site of a departed family member, we pay respects to their memory and legacy. Christians celebrate Christmas and Easter in remembrance of God’s love for us and Christ’s obedience in paying the price for our sins. In reality, everyday of our lives can be some type of memorial to those that have influenced and even saved us.

So on this Memorial Day we remember the true American Idols; those that left their lives voluntarily to defend us again all enemies, foreign and domestic and never returned home. And in remembering them we continue to honor them. A nation that forgets its past will have no idea where it is and where it is going. General George S. Patton said, “Every American solider is a Four-Star Army.” And on this day in particular, we take time to pay a special tribute to those that were completely obedient to the oath they took to defend the Constitution and make the ultimate sacrifice.