“These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”—John 16:33 (NASB)

In the United States, today is Memorial Day. It is day we honor our military men and women who have died while serving our country. It is a day we pay tribute for all U.S. Veterans who have sacrificed their lives for Americans. We are the land of the free because of them.

I have been home for a week after some much-needed girl time with a friend of mine who lives in Destin, Florida. We met in 1998 when she moved from Florida to Texas to get her master’s degree in Elementary Education. Her move from Florida was due to her husband, Air Force Sgt. Dee Campbell’s death.  He was killed with 18 of his Air Force comrades in the 1996 Khobar Towers terrorist bombing in Saudi Arabia. 

Soon after she arrived in Arlington, she visited an Episcopalian church, where I had been leading and facilitating a support group for younger widows/ers. Of course, the church connected the two of us. We had the common bond of having husbands tragically die at such a young age. We soon became friends and were socializing together. My daughter who was 3 at the time we met, loved “Mawee.”

Marie was quite involved with an organization called TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) It is nonprofit organization that provides resources for those grieving the death of their loved one who was in the military or a veteran. Eventually she became a full-time employee for them and moved to Washington, DC.

Once she moved, other than through social media, we weren’t in contact with each other. Life got busy for both of us. Her with her new career and me being a full-time mom taking care of my family. Last year, we reconnected when she invited me to visit her in Florida. Neither of us were sure if it would be awkward or not as it had been over 10 years since we had last seen each other.

Obviously, it wasn’t, or I wouldn’t have gone to see her last week. It was as if there hadn’t been all those years between us. It was so much fun reminiscing with her. We even had a cardinal visit us on her balcony while we were together. A sign for both of us that God is near as well as how God brought us together.

So, today, I honor her husband, Dee who was killed in that unfathomable terrorist attack as well as all the other fallen soldiers who have sacrificed their lives for us protecting our country. We also remember the many lives lost once back home due to PTSD.

If you have any friends or family in a branch of the military, I encourage you to reach out to them to let them know you are thankful for their service not just today, but any day you think about them. Or, if you know someone who had a military loved one or veteran die, let them know they are on your mind. Maybe even include an encouraging scripture to go along with it. It is a small way to encourage and share the love of Jesus with them.

Father God,

 Thank You for all of the fallen soldiers who gave their life to defend our country. As many of us our celebrating with our friends, I lift those up who grieve for their loved ones who have died from their military service. I pray for those struggling with PTSD or mental illness. Lead them to organizations to help them heal. Guide their loved ones on how to best support them. I praise You for giving us the Ultimate Sacrifice, Your Son, Jesus, who died on the cross so that His children would receive eternal life. I pray these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

May Verse

I have chosen Proverbs 17:22 as my verse for the month as a reminder to find the joy in all things.

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.”—Proverbs 17:22

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