Memorial Day

Memorial Day—a day to remember the men and women who gave their lives serving our country. It is a day to stop and reflect on what people that I have never met have done for me. Many of those who served our country valiantly were so young that they never fully enjoyed living themselves. We are blessed to live in a great country that allows us to have freedoms that are not enjoyed in other places. Yet these freedoms have come at a price. That high price is the lives of our men in women in the military who were not afraid to die for what they believed in--our country.

Last year when I had the opportunity to travel to France, the highlight of my trip was being able to visit Normandy, the spot where our troops went ashore during World War II, which ultimately led to winning the war. As my husband and I put our feet into the cool water we were in awe of the moment. So after basking on the beach for a short while trying to imagine what the scene looked like so many years before, in anticipation we went to locate the memorial and museum. The cemetery is striking, just like the Arlington Memorial Cemetery, with all of the crosses and stars of David perfectly aligned. As I meandered through the grounds, I discovered people were there from across the world to remember and pay their tribute to people they never knew.

I had no idea how moved I would be in the museum, but as I read the many stories of the men who lost their lives on foreign soil, tears began flowing down my cheeks. I examined the walls, and saw the pictures; I learned that some of the men had enlisted by lying about their age because of their passion for our country and others never even made it to shore that day. I realized that many families made sacrifices by losing more than one son in the same battle. Our host on the trip reminded us that if it had not been for our troops, his own country of France might have been speaking German today. I was bursting with pride that I am an American.

Today I will take time to remember and thank God for a rich heritage. I will walk by Freedom Park in Edwards, Colorado and express gratitude for the men and women listed there and pray for their families. Will you join me?

Philippians 1:3 I thank my God every time I remember you.