Thanks to the Veterans

So today is Veteran’s Day. A day we honor and remember those who have served our country since its inception. But how does one say thank you to someone who gave several years of their life in service? And how can one properly express thanks to a family whose loved one gave the ultimate sacrifice? We can and do pay honor at church services, though all of our good intentions are horribly inadequate. And we hold community programs and hear from great Americans, still our attention drifts. This morning, on a network radio program, it was reported that there are only 116 veterans of WWI left with us today. I was saddened when I heard the report, not because those veterans are growing older and nearing the end of this journey we call life; they are facing an inevitable moment we will all face. My heart sank because we continue to add to the number of veterans daily. Hear me clearly, I am a patriot, I am proud to be an American, but I also fear we have grieved too many children and parents with the death of their loved ones for no reason. If our freedoms are in danger, then we ought to fight with all we have within us. But to endanger the lives of our soldiers by engaging in conflicts we don’t have the cause or will to win is sinful. This country is great because we have stood and fought for liberties and virtues that we believe in; not because we wanted to save face, control wealth, or to flex our military muscle in the global community. My prayer is that God will continue to bless the USA with men and women who are willing to step forward when our liberties are threatened.