A Day to Honor Life...

Memorial Day- to some it's merely the beginning of summer and to others it's a solemn day to remember those who have passed from this life. However, to the war veteran and to the families of fallen soldiers, Memorial Day carries significance so deep that words cannot express their hearts.

When we look into the eyes of those who still mourn these once vibrant men and women, we often sense their loneliness and pain. We hear them choke back tears as they simply say the ranks and names of their military brothers and sisters at a Memorial Day service. White gloves, dress uniforms, rigid posture, and perfectly precisioned salutes represent the reverence and respect flowing from within. Those who have been personally affected by war understand and appreciate this day of remembrance.

What should we say to those who sincerely honor this day? "Happy Memorial Day" doesn't seem fitting. "I'm sorry for your loss" may be closer to appropriate. What would the fallen soldier want from their comrades and the rest of the country on this day?

In an often quoted Memorial Day speech given in 1884 by Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., the speaker ended his address with these words, "Our dead brothers still live for us, and bid us think of life, not death--of life to which in their youth they lent the passion and joy of the spring. As I listen, the great chorus of life and joy begins again, and amid the awful orchestra of seen and unseen powers and destinies of good and evil our trumpets sound once more a note of daring, hope, and will."

The American solder who gave his or her life for U.S. citizens to enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness won't be telling us how to observe the holiday. But I believe that Holmes' proposition to "think of life, not death" would honor the fallen soldier. Their sacrifice follows the example of Jesus Christ laying down His life for our freedom. It's selfless love for others-not so they can mourn forever, but live!

"We know what real love is because Jesus gave us his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters." - 1 John 3:16.

Notice that in scripture and in military service, the willingness to give up one's life is not dependent on the worthiness of the people who benefit from the honorable act. In a perfect world, all who receive freedom and grace would be worthy of such a sacrifice and full of gratitude. But that's not the way it is anywhere on Earth or in Heaven.

"But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." - Romans 5:8.

We are blessed to be living in a free society. May we honor our American soldiers for the liberty we have in this country. May we also give thanks to Almighty God for the freedom we have to spend eternity with Him because of His gift of forgiveness through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

With Love, 

"B"

This post in written in honor of:

My Father: Retired Airforce  Richard H. Brown.

My Father-In-Law: Retired Navy George W. Ross , deceased.

My Brother: Army Kevin R Brown, KIA Iraq, 2007

Privacy Fences

...Thou shalt love the Lord they God with all they heart, and with all thy soul, and with all they strength, and with all they mind; and thy neighbour as thyself..- Luke 10:27

....And who is my neighbour? - Luke 10:29

We have a privacy fence around our entire backyard and I probably wouldn't want it any other way, but it still makes me feel closed in. That's one thing about a fence. There are two sides to it. You shut out intrusions, people, and everything else, but on the other hand, a fence closes you in. 

I read a statistic the other day that said a third of Americans have never met their neighbors. From what I read, I guess that number has increased dramatically over the last several years. I know we've lived in places where we didn't know our neighbors at all. 

I don't think people consciously want to block their neighbors out of their lives...well some might. I guess it depends on what your neighbors are like. In general though, I think we just get so busy and content in our own busy lives that we don't slow down and make an effort to interact with our neighbors.

I think we kind of get like that in how we live in general too. We tend to want to put an invisible privacy fence all around us. We don't let people in. We keep our distance. We don't talk to the neighbors.

It gives me cause to pause because Jesus was the very opposite of that. He was all about the neighbors! He was all about people. He loved them. He cared for them. He got right up next to them. He made room for people in His life.

I think about how close Jesus was with people. Look how much He was on the water with His disciples. They weren't on cruise ships. Fishing boats have close quarters. Jesus was rubbing elbows with those disciples. Look how people followed Him everywhere. I think of the story of the woman who touched the garment of Jesus and how the crowds were pressing on Him.

I tell my teenage son all the time to get out of my personal space. Give me three feet around is what I always tell him. Doesn't work though, but I just don't like people up that close to me. Then I think of Jesus. He really allowed people to get close to Him even physically. We have trouble just allowing people into our lives, let alone dealing with the physical aspect of it.

I think though if we are going to make an impact on people we are going to have to start getting to know them. We have to start investing in the lives of others. We have to stop building up those privacy fences all around us. We can say hello to people once in a while. It won't kill us. We can be kind to people. We can encourage people in some way.

I think of how the early Christians went fellowshipping house to house. You can't really do that without getting to know people. Can you? There is so much in the Bible about encouraging each other and praying for each other as believers. We are to be building people up but we can't do it when we are hiding behind our invisible privacy fences. We have to stop closing ourselves in.

Not only that but in order to spread the Gospel, we have to talk to people. We can't do that behind a fence. We have to make some effort in order to share Christ. 

Sure getting to know people is a little scary. People can dice us up with their words, hurt our feelings, and make us feel small and miserable. It happens. But we just can't stay behind our fences blocking out everyone. Jesus told us how to treat our neighbors when He answered the lawyer in Luke chapter 10.

"And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all they soul, and with all they strength, and with all thy mind; and they neighbour as thyself."

The lawyer then asks Jesus "...and who is my neighbour?"

This is where Jesus proceeded to tell the story of the Good Samaritan. I love this story. Talk about neighborly. The Samaritan helped the man who had been beaten. He bound up the man's wounds, gave the man a ride (on his own donkey), took him to a motel, and even paid the bill. 

That's how Jesus said to treat people. That's loving our neighbor.

The Good Samaritan knew how to get out and invest in people. Look at the things he did:

*The Good Samaritan had compassion on the man.

*The Good Samaritan took care of the man's physical needs.

*The Good Samaritan lifted up the man.

*The Good Samaritan went out of his way for the man.

*The Good Samaritan wasn't selfish toward the man.

I think of all the ways the Good Samaritan acted towards this man shows us exactly how to get out from behind our "privacy fences". We need to have compassion that moves us. We need to lift people up and be encourager's. We need to go out of our way. And then we need to be willing to give. 

I don't know about you, but I know I need to start really investing in other people. I need to break out and find out who people are. I need to get to know the neighbors. 

I need to build more friendships and get to know other believers more. I need to be more of a blessing to people. I can't do that if I never leave my yard. 

I hate to admit it, but sometimes I find myself cowering behind my privacy fence. It is hard to just step out and get involved with other people. I'm going to have to try to stop being scared of the unknown.

We can't witness for Christ to those who don't know Him and we can't have fellowship with other Christians if we don't have any interaction with them.

So, what kind of fence have you built?

Lets pray:

Father God, 

Only you know the fences that we have built around our lives to keep others out. But only you can help us to break those fences down and live according to your will. Guide us to fellowship and bond with other believers on a whole new level to serve and love you.

Amen.

With Love, 

"B"