Thank You!

Thank you! Two little words that never seem to sum up our true feelings. Especially for me today. I am not sure what it is, but holidays that we take to remember our troops and our veterans always get me a little emotional and I am not blaming it on the pregnancy.

We typically go to the early service on Sunday mornings as our church. Although, it is sometimes hard to get up early and make it to church by 8:15 am (especially since everyone else in our Sunday School class attends the late service), it has been truly rewarding. The 8:15 service is traditional...meaning that we sing more hymns than praise choruses and we are BY FAR the youngest ones in the service. We love that we have been able to meet and be embraced by this older generation in our church. This past Sunday, I could not have been more proud to sit in "my" pew with my fellow worshipers. Our church family was asked to bring pictures of themselves, their spouses, their parents, children, etc., that have served in the military or are currently serving. They played a slide show that was divided into the branches of the armed services and had a slide for each person, showing their name, their picture in their military uniform, time served, and where they served.

I cried. I looked at the varying ages of the veterans, some that are still currently serving our great nation, and I was overwhelmed. I looked around the church at these wonderful older men who served our country and I was so proud to be where I was and I could not help but cry. After the slide show, one of our pastors asked all that had served in our military to stand. It was so humbling to be in that room with the generation that helped to secure a lot of our freedoms and who probably gave and served the most in our military than any other generation. The pastor asked those who had a spouse or child that was currently serving to stand and then those that had lost a spouse or child while in the line of duty to stand. We clapped for those standing and said thank you...but those two words do not seem like much!

How can two words replace years of protecting the freedoms that we have as Americans, even the freedom for me to go to church and be in the same place as many of the men and women who put their lives on the line? How can two words make up for the horrible things that they had to witness to protect all the opportunities that we have been given? How can two words make up for all the time that they have had to spend away from their families? How can two words replace those who gave their lives to serve?

I am so proud of the country I live in, mainly for the men and women who serve and make it what it is. The dedication and sacrifice that you give on a daily basis will not go unnoticed by me. I am proud to say that I am the daughter and granddaughter of veterans. And I pray that my children know what honor and respect that our service men and women deserve for all they have done to make each day worth living.

I cannot think of this day and not think of the parallels between our men and women in the military and of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He gave the ultimate sacrifice of all when He died on the cross to take our sins away. He served. He gave. He died. And He is still alive today and all of my past, present, and future rests in His hands. He who gave us the freedom to choose Him. He who is the giver of life. He who is all.

So today, find a veteran and thank them for what they have done. Sometimes if you hear it enough, two words are enough.

Also, take the time to thank God, the ultimate giver of all blessings! He enjoys hearing those two words, as well.