In the mid-1990s, when my son, Joshua, announced that he had enlisted in the Army, I felt nervous yet proud of his decision to serve his country.

When Kuwait was becoming increasingly unstable, Joshua called to say his unit was awaiting word on whether they would be sent to that region. I prayed earnestly for my son’s protection, holding my breath for his return. Thankfully, a few years later, Joshua came home unharmed, never having gone to Kuwait.

Thousands of families of service members have waited for their husbands, wives, sons, daughters, sisters or brothers to return. But instead of receiving a warm hug, they received flag-draped caskets.

Their dreams of celebrating joyful milestones, anniversaries, family weddings and children and grandchildren’s graduations, are buried forever.

I appreciate the solemnity of Memorial Day. Imagine the courage it took for our soldiers to endure weeks, and sometimes years, of raw terror while they wondered what the future might bring.

Their families, convinced that no feeling was worse than wondering 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 day.

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 loved one died while serving our country, I grieve your heartbreaking loss. 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 the sacrifices made by our service members – and the sacrifices of their families? Many, like my friend, Wanda Johnson, were “raised to love our country and honor and respect all the soldiers who preserved our liberty throughout their tremendous sacrifices.”

If we were not raised to love our country and our military, we can begin now.

On this Memorial Day weekend, let’s do something to honor those who gave their lives defending our nation. I know I’m not alone in saying that I don’t pray for America nearly as often as I should. Therefore, to pay tribute to the fallen, let’s unite as a nation to intercede for our leaders in government, in churches and in our homes, so we can truly be the United States of America … under God.

What about you?

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

• 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 beloved service member?

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