Remembering

Besides Mother’s Day there are two other very special days on the May calendar – Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day.  Both of these days are directed toward honoring the people who are connected with military services.  Armed Forces Day takes place on the third Saturday of the month and is a day to salute everyone in all branches of our nation’s military.  These men and women can be called upon at a moment’s notice to perform a risky and perilous mission for our country.   President Harry Truman announced the observance of this day in a presidential proclamation in 1950.

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, was designed as a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s military service.  Although observance of this day started much earlier, in 1971 Congress officially designated the last Monday in May to celebrate this day.  As we remember men and women who have given their lives, we are reminded of the famous war poem “In Flanders Fields” which was written by Major John McCrae, a surgeon in the Canadian Army.  In the absence of the chaplain, McCrae performed the funeral ceremony for a soldier who had been killed.  The next day, while looking across the nearby cemetery he penned the poem, which only took him about 5 minutes to place the words on paper.  Dissatisfied with his scribbling, he threw it away only to have a fellow officer retrieve the paper and send it to newspapers in England where it was published.  The poem reads:

       In Flanders Fields the poppies grow – Between the crosses row on row,

       That mark our place; and in the sky – The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.  We are the Dead. Short days ago –

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.  If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow – In Flanders fields.

We are encouraged to take time during May to show honor and respect to those who are serving our country and for those who have given their lives for our freedom.  The scriptures remind us to, “Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king” (I Peter 2:17).  We are also encouraged to “Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor” (Romans 13:7).  We are also told, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12:10).

As you reflect on the great sacrifices made by our military men and women, offer a prayer of thanks to God.  If someone in your family, or a friend, has given their life in the service of our country, talk to another member of your family and together thank God for them.  At a family gathering you may want to observe a few minutes of silence and then offer a prayer of thanksgiving.  Above all, let’s show honor and respect to those who served our country and are still serving in harm’s way.