MEMORIAL DAY

Memorial Day

A day to remember the people who died while serving in the country’s armed forces.

I know that – sorta.  For some reason, there is a gap in my understanding of Decoration Day/Memorial Day.  Somehow, I missed the part about it being for those that had died while serving in the military.  Did I learn it wrong in school?  Well, after all these years, I have no idea.  My best guess; in my mind, the holiday is what I saw around me. 

My dad served in WW II.  He rarely talked about it.  And only when he and one Army buddy were together.  The war was left behind.  It was not something to be discussed at the dinner table.  It was not something …. it was not something he wanted to remember.  He did not go to Decoration Day services so we did not go either.

My memory associates Decoration Day with families placing flowers in old fruit jars, going to various cemeteries and placing those flowers on the graves of their family.  It was a time to pull weeds around the head stone.  It was a time to tell the annual story about grandpa building a fence and forgetting to put a gate in.  And, of course, he, the horse and the wagon were inside the fence!  These annual stories always brought smiles and tears.  It was a time when families laid their differences aside and honored their ancestors. 

Maybe that is why my idea of Decoration Day/Memorial Day is a bit confused.  History books, society and the news told me one thing but the actions of my parents and family told me something else. 

You would think I would have figured this out when they renamed this day to Memorial Day in 1967.  But honestly, when the name was changed to Memorial Day I was busy being a bride of two years, raising a one year old and trying to make ends meet.  

Where am I going with this?  I have no idea.  I do not know what to write next.  I do not know how to end this.

Oh, yes I do.  I kept the idea of respecting our ancestors.  I moved honoring soldiers, alive and dead, to Veteran’s Day.  That way I was not confused about this day.

There are many things that confuse us in life.  We are a product of what we see in our day to day lives.  What our parents teach us.  What school teaches us.  What we read in the paper and hear on TV.  We get confused because we then pick and choose what we keep and what we do not.

Well, I thought I knew where I was going.  So, here is the deal.  Now that you have read this, think about what you know to be true (Example:  Memorial Day is to honor those that lost their lives while serving) versus what you really want to think (Example:  Memorial Day is a day to honor my ancestors).  Apply that to your faith.

The end.

UNEXPECTED ENCOURAGEMENT

The other day hubby and I went out on a farm drive.  If you live in a rural area or are the wife/child/friend of a farmer, you know what a farm drive is.  “Hey.  Want to go for a drive.”    That is what you hear.  This time of year what they mean is, “I want to go see if the field is dry enough to work and you can help me check it out.”  (My sweet hubby knows that if he really wants me to go, all he has to do is use the words “back roads.”  Those words are the equivalent of dangling a carrot on a string and pole before the horse.)

So off we went to find those back roads.  He found dry fields.  I found encouragement printed on a sign, in a front yard.

The sign said:  YOU MATTER

My heart shouted thank you to the home owner because I could picture all the people that sign encouraged.

• An exhausted person after a very long shift
• A parent driving to yet another practice/game/?
• A widow/widower going home to an empty house
• A teenager who feels invisible
• A child of divorce who spends weekends with the other parent
• A teacher who had a rough day
• A minister on the way to a hospital visit
• A spouse along on a farm drive 
• ANYONE AND EVERYONE

Unexpected encouragement – what a gift! 

AND -- Not once but twice.  A few days later, it happened again.

There I sat.  Waiting on the train to pass.  Looking at the graffiti.  Thinking some of that is pretty good art.  When I saw it.  Right there on the side of a car.  Almost to the end of the train. 

Spray painted in large letters:  YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Again my heart sent a thank you to the person on the other end of that spray paint can. 

Encouragement – we expect it from those we love.  People at church.  People at work.  Friends.  BUT what a blessing when encouragement is unexpected.  Words that are slipped in the routine of our day.  Words that leap out and wrap themselves around us.

YOU MATTER

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

These words are true.  Read them aloud.  Allow them to wrap around you and encourage you.

A SPRING COLD

The sun is shining but do not say it out loud.  You might scare it away.  It is a lovely day.  At least I guess it is.

I have the dreaded spring cold.  Started small.  Just a tickle in my throat.  That tickle did not hang around long but it left behind a raspy voice.  Quickly joining in to make it a quartet are the sneezing (Should have bought more Kleenex the last time I stocked up.), the plugged up nose (I hate the plugged up nose because breathing is rather important.), and the cough (For sure not your sweet, quiet, ladylike cough you see on TV.).  Bless hubby he made a trip and I now have cough syrup sitting beside the open-your-nose pills and boxes (plural) of Kleenex. 

My head is so full I feel like a bobble head doll. 

All this means I am only at the computer long enough to write a very short blog.  (I saw that smile.)

Sin is a lot like my spring cold.  That ole devil sneaks up, tempts us with a sin and we need to be ready. 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace,  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.      Ephesians 6:10-18

I sent hubby to the store to get what I need to fight my cold.

To fight Satan’s plans, I go to God.  There I find exactly what I need. 

I have to go lay down now.  My head no longer wants to stay upright.

Have a blessed week.   

RAIN, GIGGLES AND LAUGHTER

Last weekend three other ladies and I headed to a “Girl’s Getaway Weekend” in Hannibal, Missouri. 

We started making plans for this weekend a month ago.  Motel rooms were reserved.  Getaway bags ordered.  Added to the bag was a crazy light up glass which could be filled over and over.  (With water of course.)  We were sure the band would be loud.  We studied the activities the merchants had scheduled.  We were ready.

One of the things we have absolutely no control over is the weather, so we started listening to the weather channel.  We kept our eye on the weather app.  Rain Friday.  Rain Saturday.  Rain Sunday.  OH MY GOODNESS!  What do we do? 

Well, duh!  We got in the car, of course.  We drove in the rain.  We got out of the car.  We lifted our umbrellas high.  And we got wet.  REALLY WET!  We had a blast!!!!!

We giggled as we stuck our heads through a picture board and made silly faces.  Oh, you never get too old to make silly faces.  Especially when your head is stuck through a sheet of plywood!

We made earrings and bought popcorn.  We bought chocolate too.  Remember, chocolate is a food group!  We took a Haunted Hannibal Tour.  Two of the girls climbed the stairs to a lighthouse and came back extremely wet.  I have perfect timing and decided to fill the car up with fuel during a break in the rain.  That break lasted long enough for me to get out of the car.  Not long enough to fill it up.  I changed clothes when we got to the motel.  I think those jeans are still wet.

We laughed as we shared stories.  So much fun being girls, lying across the beds and saying, “We really should go to sleep.”  Made us all remember those slumber parties from when we were silly teenagers. 

Then we drove home – in the rain.

Making plans was fun.  It gave us something to look forward to.  There was rain but there was joy.  Sorta like my Christian life.

I know where I am going!  There will be rain and there will be joy as I travel the road toward my final destination.  There will be friends to lighten my burden, when it is more than I can carry.  There will be friends to share in my joys.  There is one who always has His eye on me. 

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look!  God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”    Revelation 21:1-4

Do you know where you are going?  Are you making plans now?  Do you have a church family and friends who will walk beside you?  Do you talk to the one who always has His eye on you?

May your journey be full of joy

and

may you always find support and love when it rains.