Happy Veterans Day (a little late)

I know this post is post-Veterans Day, 11-11-09. However I would still like to say a great big, hearty thank you to any and all veterans who may be reading this or run into someone who does read this. So please pass my thank you on to any veteran you know and give them one of your own would you?

Why do I think veterans deserve our gratitude? Well, it is not because I am veteran of the USMC. I do not and would not go around begging people to appreciate me. Either they do or they don’t and that’s up to them. Besides if I had to pull it out of them would it be real gratitude anyway? Most of the time people think pastors and churches are so pro-military because they fight and die to give us the freedom to worship God. Well, that’s part of it, even though some of those freedoms seem to be in jeopardy right now. All though that is not the whole or even the biggest reason because quite frankly I am going to worship God and spread His truth no matter what the government and the laws may say. So whether I have the freedom to worship or not is going to change my devotion to God.

My main reason for appreciating the military is because of the warrior himself/herself. I served with some might fine individuals and my guess they would have been fine people even without the military. However there is one thing they did by joining the military that not all fine people do. They loved me enough to put their life on the line for me. They have put or are putting their life on the line for my freedom, security, and safety everyday. Some did/do it over here, and some over there. Some did in peace time, some have/are doing it during war/conflict. Whether peace or war time; whether stateside or abroad; they all have handed their fellow Americans a blank check with their signature on it and a letter that says this check is payable up to and including my very life! How can you not appreciate that?!

I remember a few years ago seeing a man by the name of Dave Roever(SP?) speak at a Promise Keepers conference. Dave has a few body parts missing and is severely disfigured from an explosion while serving in the Vietnam War. At this conference Dave asked all the Vietnam vets to stand and be thanked for their service to their country. After his message I saw Dave at his ministry booth and I went to speak to him. I told him how much I appreciated his service to country and now his service to God. I also told I was disappointed in something in his message. I told him that I was sorry that he, a Vietnam vet, had to ask his country to thank him and them for what they had done to protect us. I told you already that vets do not like to ask for gratitude; but also do not like to see our brothers be disrespected and unappreciated either because we know what they went through for their fellow Americans.

By the way, Jesus had something to say about that, John 15:13, “There is not greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”(NIV)