Pastor's Blog: An Early Thanksgiving
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If you look on your calendars, you’ll see that Thanksgiving Day doesn’t happen for another couple of weeks. But sandwiched in between the holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving is another holiday that should elicit our gratitude but too often falls through the cracks because of the busyness of the season. I’m referring, of course, to Veterans Day, which this year falls on Sunday.
There once was a time when Veterans Day was a much more widespread observance. In large measure that was because of the draft with which every male was required to register. Avoiding some period of time in the military was virtually impossible without a deferment of some type. Consequently, there were many more veterans than there are today, which led to a greater awareness in society of the importance of honoring military service. One of the consequences of our present volunteer military is that the number of veterans is now much smaller and with that reduced number is reduced appreciation for the sacrifices veterans made. No doubt there are other factors that contribute to this lesser sense of appreciation, but I don’t know of any more pertinent.
Regardless, as someone who came along after the draft and did not serve in the military, I am grateful for those who did serve and contributed toward the protection of the liberties I enjoy as an American citizen, foremost among them the freedom of worship. Their service has enabled all of us the choice of exercising this signal liberty, along with the other liberties that contribute so much to our everyday life.
We will recognize our veterans at both services this Sunday, which we do every year. But this year, I’d invite you to join me in expressing your personal gratitude for what our veterans gave and the difference it has made. Like every expression of gratitude, as recipients they will appreciate it, and by God’s grace it will remind them in some small way that there service was most definitely not in vain.
“And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised, who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the word, whose weakness was turned to strength, and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies” (Hebrews 11:32-34).