Celebrations!

My son's 9th birthday was Friday. It is crazy to think that I have a NINE year old!! I trashed his room, as is tradition in our house, with streamers, signs and balloons while he slept. We had birthday muffins and he opened one gift before school (also tradition), I ate with him at school for lunch, and then we went to the Rainforest Cafe for dinner (both tradition). It was such a great day for such a cool kid, but it really has gone by SO fast. We moved where we are 4 years ago, he wasn't even in kindergarten yet, and now my daughter will be in the fall. It kills me! My little girl keeps insisting that she wants to be 'big', not little anymore, and my son acts grossed out when I give him kisses. It's hard to adjust.

We went to church Sunday and they had a big military-themed service for Memorial Day. They had really cool videos, that looked like major movie trailers, full orchestra with what also sounded like movie soundtrack scores, then they had a soldier dressed on one side of the stage under a spotlight, and families in our church that had lost loved ones in the war seated on the other side behind a metal coffin draped in an American flag. The soldier sang on one side, while the families sat on the other. I didn't cry, but I was really close. I'm telling you, the walls around my heart are breaking down. They ended the service with really up beat gospel get-out-your-chair-and-dance type songs. It was really moving.

Today is memorial day, and it got me to thinking. I don't know enough about politics to speak on them. I don't know enough about the war to make a judgment about it. But I do know, no matter what people believe or say about their political background or thoughts on the war, they do, or at least those I've met, do regard soldiers highly, do feel indebted to them, do appreciate and honor them. AND RIGHTLY THEY SHOULD.

But, I thought about it. There is one who gave His life for us to take away our sins, sacrificed Himself to save us. And most of us, including myself from time to time, take it for granted, treat it like a fairytale or don't acknowledge it at all. Even if we don't 'believe' in the war, we get choked up at services, even if we don't know a soldier, we honor them when they return. But there is one who does know us, does love us, did die for us specifically, whether we believe in Him or not. Why aren't we choked up anymore when we hear about Him, why aren't we honoring him in our days? Wasn't he the ultimate soldier for our freedom??

Oh, and I found the song the guy sang at church on You Tube. Yes, it is country. I happen to think the guy at church sang it better, but that's just me...:-)



Verse to ponder: John 15:12,13 (NIV): My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

P.S. The total for YL is now up to 515.50!! Only 134.50 left. WOO HOO!!