62. Remember Our Soldiers and Their Families

The humbling sign at a veterans’ hospital states, “The Price of Freedom Is Seen Here.” We in the United States are very fortunate to live in freedom, and we have the ones who have fought and continue to fight to thank for the privilege to live here.

Those who fought in prior wars for our freedom deserve our gratitude. Organize a celebration for veterans at your local nursing home or veterans’ home. Contact the director for permission and the number of veterans who will be attending the celebration. Everyone in the nursing or veterans’ home is invited. Below are some suggestions:

•  Serve refreshments, such as red, white, and blue frosted cupcakes (in the United States) or cookies or a large sheet cake frosted with a flag of your country.

•  Enlist your children to design a certificate for each veteran, thanking the veteran for what he or she has done (see the example found in the templates section).

•  Sing “America the Beautiful” or “The Star Spangled Banner,” and invite each one to join in the singing.

•  Hand out small flags to everyone in attendance.

•  Take photos of the veterans (with their permission, of course) to print later and hang in the dining area of the home where they will be remembered daily.

•  Contact your local newspaper and ask if they would be interested in featuring some of the vets in an article honoring them.

Suggest that your town or city promote Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, or Independence Day by sponsoring a parade for each or all of these holidays. Invite all those who have fought or plan to fight for our country to be a part of the parade.

Suggest that your teenage son or daughter interview a veteran. The number of World War II veterans is quickly dwindling, which makes it all the more critical to have their stories written down before they’re gone. Be sure to attend the interview with your teenager (it’s never a good idea to send someone alone on an interview), and offer to help record the information. When I wrote a book a couple of years ago about people aged 70-90, I was privileged to interview several WWII veterans. Since that time, one has passed away, but the story he told me remains forever secured in print.

Another way to remember our soldiers is to recognize the ones who are fighting even today in the war on terror. Remember our women serving also. There are 203,000 active-duty women in the military as of September 30, 2005.²⁵ Many of them are in the midst of roadside bombs and other unsafe conditions. Involve your family or church group to pack a care package for a soldier. Obtain the name(s) of a soldier serving in another country from your church or National Guard office.

Our children’s church class undertook such a project one Sunday. During class, each child folded a brightly-colored piece of construction paper in half. Then he or she decorated the card using markers, crayons, and stickers. The child wrote messages on the inside of the cards, such as

•  God loves you

•  Happy Easter (Other holiday greetings may be used depending on the time of year)

•  Thank you for fighting for our freedom and the freedoms of others

•  We appreciate you

•  We’re praying for you

•  [Various Bible verses]

We contacted and asked the soldier’s mother what else we could include in the package we were sending. Teary-eyed and grateful, she told us how her son loved beef jerky, licorice, and gum and how such items were not available where he was—a small camp in the middle of the desert in Iraq. We included these items, other non-perishable treats, and a card game in the package.

Your family can also make a difference by remembering and supporting the families of active military personnel. When a spouse is called to active duty, the parent at home takes on the role of both. Below are some things you can do to help the parent during this time of uncertainty:

•  Offer to help deliver children to school and/or take them home.

•  Offer to run errands or pick up some much-needed groceries.

•  Promise to keep the family in your prayers and follow through with that promise.

•  Call or e-mail on a weekly basis to see if there are other needs.

When a friend of ours learned her husband would be serving in Iraq for six months, our prayer group was quick to let her know that we were there for her. Sometimes just knowing that someone cares is the biggest comfort of all.

Up for Discussion

Which project(s) did your family undertake in the above activity? Why is it important to remember and honor our past and present members of the Armed Forces?

Discuss John 15:13. How are those who have fought in the past for our country and those fighting now giving up their lives for others? Why do you think this is an important verse, and how does it correlate to what Jesus did for us?

Read Judg. 6—7 about Gideon’s calling and later his defeat of the Midianite army. Gideon, a farmer, was shocked and unsure when the Lord told him, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together” in Judg. 6:16. Gideon asked for signs that it was truly God speaking to him.

Once convinced, Gideon assembled an army, only to have it reduced to the size of only 300 men upon instructions from God. The Midianite army was large—in Judg. 7:12 the people were described “thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.” Still, Gideon and his small army were able, with the Lord’s help, to defeat the Midianites. Discuss how sometimes faith is all we have during difficult times and why it’s the most important.

Read Rom. 8:31. How is this applicable in the story of Gideon? How was Gideon’s faith increased by the conversation he overheard in Judg. 7:13 and later with his victory? How has God protected our country through the years?

Some of the soldiers fighting the war on terrorism are from backgrounds that have little in common with fighting with the armed forces. How can God use those with diverse backgrounds, such as He used Gideon, for any of His purposes? How might He use you for His greater plan?

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

—John 15:13