No doubt you have received many appropriate Memorial Day messages. It is certainly fitting and proper that we honor those in our nation for their ultimate sacrifices, the ultimate cost of Freedom, which certainly is not free. We are so grateful for their service, their sacrifice, their love for God, nation, and fellow man. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13). The many, the millions, we honor today have essentially “taken our bullets,” just the way the Lord Jesus has taken the bullet for each of us.On Memorial Day, my mind turns to Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg. Lincoln appropriately honored fallen warriors: “But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate — we cannot consecrate — we cannot hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.”

But Lincoln also challenged and inspired a nation to honor those who remain, those who continue to fight the good fight, those who stand on the edge of evil holding back darkness from the light of this world:

“It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion.”

Hence today, let each of us “be dedicated to the unfinished work.” Let us determine how we can “take increased devotion” to secure the blessings of freedom for generations to come. Let us determine how to “move a nation to care.”

Our troops and their families continue to fight a long, persistent, deadly combination of global and local threats… they are tired, many are discouraged, far too many are taking their own lives, far too many military families are unraveling… in the ultimate sense, they need “FAITH IN THE FOXHOLE” AND “HOPE ON THE HOME FRONT.” None of us can provide everything they need, but all of us can provide something they need.

The attached video shows such a couple, such a church, that chose to make a huge difference in the lives of “the military in their midst.”

On this Memorial Day, we do honor our nation’s Fallen Warriors, and we seek likewise to honor, affirm, love, and support the troops and families of today who continue to “take our bullets.” May each of us seek to determine what “increased devotion” to the sons and daughters of America in uniform means in our own lives, churches and communities.

May you and your family have a blessed Memorial Day as you “think on these things.” (Phillipians 4:8),

Bob Dees
Major General, US Army, Retired
Executive Director, CCCI Military Ministry