Your loved one is serving in the military to protect our freedoms. What milestones are you looking forward to celebrating with them when they finally return home?

Are you excited about throwing a party for your spouse’s next birthday – and the next fifty birthdays? Sitting in the front row at your child’s wedding? Holding your brother’s or sister’s first (or fourth) newborn? Giving and receiving a huge hug when your dear one returns home?

In the last couple of years, thousands of families of service members have waited for their husband, wife, son, daughter, sister or brother to come home. But instead of receiving a big hug from their loved one, they received their flag-draped casket.

Dreams of celebrating those joy-filled milestones are buried forever.

I appreciate the solemnity of Memorial Day. Imagine the courage it took for our soldiers to endure countless weeks, sometimes years, of raw terror, wondering what the future would bring.

And their families, convinced there was no worse feeling than not knowing if their loved ones were all right, realized how wrong they were when they heard that dreaded knock on the door. These newest members of the Gold Star family (families of fallen service members) would gratefully trade the “not knowing” for the awful certainty they now face every single day.

Where would the United States of America be if our brave men and women hadn’t fought so valiantly – some even to the point of death?

God speaks highly of those who lay down their lives for others:

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13 ESV

If your friend or loved one died while serving our country, I pray we, as a nation, will be found worthy of the huge price you and your fallen soldier paid.

To the rest of us, I ask:

Do we, as a nation, appreciate our service members’ sacrifices – and the sacrifices of their families?

I’d like to think so. But on this Memorial Day weekend, let’s make sure we do. I know I’m not alone in saying that I wish I would’ve prayed for America as much as I pray for her now.

Therefore, as a way to honor the fallen, let’s unite as a nation to intercede for our leaders – in our government, churches and homes – so we can actually be …

the United States of America … under God.

What do you think?

I’d love to hear your thoughts about this post. (Others might also benefit from your comment.)

• Have you lost a loved one who died while serving our country? If so, please accept my sincere condolences.
• Would you like to tell us a little about your loved one?

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