A WORD FOR TODAY, November 11, 2024
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, November 11, 2024
“You therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit the same things to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier on duty entangles himself in the affairs of life, that he may please him who enrolled him as a soldier. Also, if anyone competes in athletics, he isn’t crowned unless he has competed by the rules. The farmer who labors must be the first to get a share of the crops. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.” 2 Timothy 2:1-7, WEB
Most veterans are embarrassed by the attention they get on many of the military holidays. They cringe when you say thank you on Memorial Day. “This day is for those who died.” They will make sure that you know Armed Forces Day is meant to honor those who are actively serving in the military. The one day they embrace is Veterans Day, the day we remember those who served and survived. They deserve our thanks because they made many sacrifices and often still struggle with what they experienced during their times. While we are thankful always for their service, it is most appropriate to thank them today.
There’s a meme on the Internet that shows a picture of a World War II Veteran in a wheelchair with the caption “Somewhere at the VA, there’s a 90-something old fart in a wheelchair.” Then another photo shows the army wading through water in full gear to the beaches of Normandy where they fought their way into the history books with the caption, “Who was a bigger badass at 20 than you’ll ever be. Thank him.” Sadly, most of those who served in World War II are disappearing from living history. Only a fraction of one percent of those who served are still alive (about .004%).
There are millions of others who have also made incredible sacrifices to serve our nation. Those men and women may not have done something extraordinary, but they have gone above and beyond in their own way. They have left their families for long periods of time, lived in tents during periods of extreme heat or cold, faced enemies on land, sea, and air. They have worked long hours, missed important milestones, suffered injury to body, mind, and spirit. Their families have also suffered, too, because they have made sacrifices we’ll never know.
It is estimated that there are about sixteen million veterans in the United States. Whether they were on the beaches of Normandy or worked in an office at a base somewhere domestically, they served valiantly for your sake and made sacrifices we may never understand. There are too many veterans who struggle physically and emotionally, too many are homeless and to many have committed suicide. A word of thanks might help, but we need to remember them year-round in other ways, to help them live a full life despite their struggles.
We celebrated All Saints Day a few days ago, honoring the ordinary men and women who are remembered for doing extraordinary things for the Lord. They lived faithfully above and beyond the call of duty, often dying for the kingdom of God. While we do remember all the saints, living and dead, on All Saints Day, we usually remember the individual men and women on the day of their deaths. It is interesting that we would remember two military men on Veteran’s Day. November 11th is the day we remember Menas of Egypt who was a Christian soldier during the days of Diocletian’s persecution. He deserted his post and hid in a cave, but he realized that he could not live with so many other Christians dying. He professed his faith in the arena at the annual games. He was beaten and tortured but would not recant and he eventually lost his head. We also remember Martin of Tours, an army officer, but I’ll talk about him more tomorrow.
The date for our national celebration was chosen because it marked the end of World War I, but we thank all those who have served faithfully throughout the history of our country. Just as most military members will never be remembered for extraordinary service, most Christians will never be honored as a special saint by the church. Yet, we are all called to live faithfully and do whatever God calls us to do according to the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. We remember and thank our veterans because they are examples of how to live lives for the sake of others. As we remember and thank, let’s remind them that they do not have to go through their struggles alone.
This is why we remember the saints, too. They teach us how to live our lives for the Lord. Through them we learn that God does not make us go it on our own. He is with us through every battle, giving us all we need to stand firm in our faith.
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