The Cost of Freedom, Thank you to many who have paid a price...
Monday morning, we stood in a small
cemetery on the open plains near our home. It's out of town a few miles, situated on a small rise. Our community has a small service each Memorial Day to remember those who have served us- ones who have went to distant lands to fight for freedom, those who have missed time watching their children grow, spent many nights way from wives and husbands, friends and family- those who have given their lives for our freedom.
I think we often truly forget what freedom really is, at the cost that has been paid and is still being paid so that we can be free... to wear what we wish, to live where we want, pursue the dreams we have, to sit in worship services of our choices, to elect our own leaders, to watch our children grow and not be told how we will plan our families, our lives... we are allowed to dream and reach for those dreams. Instead, we often choose to complain because life isn't how we want it, yet we have the freedom to change it. We forget that much of the world lives much different than we do, much of the world has no idea what freedom is.
As we stood Monday morning with many others who were there to honor and respect people from their families and the community they love and call home, I was reminded how important it is that my children know and understand what freedom is. Most of all, that we raise them to honor and respect those who have served and are serving them, that when a person in our military walks through the door or past time on the street- that we say "Thank you" for the sacrifice they have made and are making. When we meet families who's loved one is serving far away and in great danger, that we love them, reach out to them, and most of all... pray for them.
As we stood there and they placed a wreath at our small monument to our military, I am proud of those I know and love who have served and are serving...
*of my parents who served in the Army & the Reserves
*my great grandfather who served in WWI,
*my uncle in WWII, my father-in-law in Vietnam,
*our dear family friend, who saw action in during his career service in the Marines.
*my husband's uncle who's grave we visited at Arlington a few years ago,
*dear friends from medical school who serve in the Air Force
*our neighbor who served years as an Army Chaplain and who's children are now serving
*our friends who are currently in Iraq serving our country
*our neighbor preparing to deploy
*a friend in the adoption community who's husband is a Marine
*an adoptive family we traveled with, he's currently in Iraq
*A friend from residency who is serving in Iraq as a military physician
This list can go on and on when I really stop and think of those people... people who answered the call to serve our country and fight for freedom. For some, the price has been great... For each of them and their families, I am very thankful.
At the end of the ceremony, a moment of silence, everyone was still except for the wind whipping across the plains and the sound of the flags lining the cemetery cracking in the wind. From the silence rose Taps... it brought tears to my eyes as memories of just last week while talking with a friend, Taps began to echo in the background of our conversation... Her husband is currently serving in Iraq, she's holding down the home fort with their 4 small children. Echoing across the base were they live was the sound of a bugle- honoring a soldier, he was a son, a husband, a father and a friend from down the street who did not return to his family but gave it all serving his country.
Freedom is a blessing that has not come to us for free... Thank you to those who serve us...
One of my favorite Christian artists is Mark Schultz. He has a beautiful song he has written intitled "Letters from War."
Click here to go to YouTube to watch his beautiful video, once you are on this site, choose the song "Letters from Home" which is listed in the music list below the little movie screen.
Monday morning, we stood in a small cemetery on the open plains near our home. It's out of town a few miles, situated on a small rise. Our community has a small service each Memorial Day to remember those who have served us- ones who have went to distant lands to fight for freedom, those who have missed time watching their children grow, spent many nights way from wives and husbands, friends and family- those who have given their lives for our freedom.
There are so many pictures on the web of Greensburg and the destruction there. This is a picture taken driving up to Greensburg, what it looks like from a distance.
My birthday strawberry shortcake:)
Lenna took this picture of me enjoying my coffee with my strawberry shortcake:)
