Remember Our Veterans

By: Joanne Viola

“This is my command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” 

 (Joshua 1:9, NLT)

Today is Veterans’ Day.

“Almighty God, we commend you for your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
(from The Book of Common Prayer, page 823)

 We must be grateful for those that have gone before our lifetime, and for those currently serving, to protect the freedoms we enjoy each and every day. We must not forget, nor minimize, their sacrifice. We need to also remember the sacrifice of each and every family, as they are without their loved ones for extended periods of time. May God be with, and keep safe, those that are now serving and comfort their families in their absence.

“Courage is almost a contradiction in terms.
It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die.”
(GK Chesterton)

Photo by Justin Casey on Unsplash