My Thanks to You

Jeremiah 20:11   But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior;
therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me.
They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed.
Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten.

I’m not sure that this belongs here, but after the movie I watched the other night, I feel compelled to write about it. My family has a long and very rich history of service for this country.  Based on the research I’ve completed, it appears there has been at least 1 member of my family involved in each of the major military conflicts in which the United States has been involved.  In addition, we’ve served in law enforcement and in the fire and emergency medical services.

I am very proud of this history – not because I’m a man who loves war, bloodshed or any of the hardships associated with conflict, but because I know that my family believes in freedom. The men and women who I’ve known were, and are, warriors.  Not warriors of aggression, but warriors for peace, liberty and upholders of the freedoms and rights given to us by the Creator.

There are many reasons for which this country was founded, (some of which are far from honorable) but to the men who sought independence thought certain freedoms, inalienable rights were so important that they etched them permanently on parchment.

Through the years, and really from the beginning of time, countries have had different visions.  Men have fought by order and by choice. But the warriors I speak of, hold these God-given rights so dearly that they have gone across the world to share them – in some cases, laying down their lives to ensure that people throughout the world can experience and enjoy something for which we have grown accustomed.

War and hatred are not a creation of God, but a by-product of the Free Will provided to us by the Creator. That said, God does stand on the side of the oppressed and those who would fight for them.

It is, almost without exception, exemplified in the men and women who have served and who currently serve our country in wearing a badge, in bunker gear, driving an ambulance and those who wear the uniforms of our country’s armed services.

To each of you and your families, I say thank you and may the Creator, our Father, bless each and every one of you and keep you safe.