It's Memorial Day...Do You Care?

I don't mean to insult you with this title, but frankly, it's something I've asked myself today...

Until I heard this song on our way home from a fun filled two days with my brother and his family, including 2 fun filled little nephews that Levi will Lord-willing grow up playing with...anyway, this was the song: "Lay Me Down" by Tim McGraw...



And besides the emotion the song will bring forth, I was thinking about how naive and ungrateful I really am. It's not like I don't know any Veterans or service men. I do. My own Grandfather served. But he doesn't talk about it much. We have friends who are serving as we speak. One in particular, his name is Tuan. To pronounce it, think Twon. Tuan wouldn't agree with much of what I'm going to say, but I'm going to give my view anyway. When you meet Tuan, as soon as you can understand him, you kind of think he's over the top, and he is. But he's also the most loyal friend.

Tuan's Vietnamese. He became a U.S. citizen while in Iraq. Tuan's had a hard life, not something he easily talks about, but compared to my cushy life, it's hard. But he doesn't play the victim. He would give you the shirt off his back if you asked. Tuan says he's just tryign to live the American dream and make something of himself. And he'd say all he needs is a woman to love, but poor Tuan, he doesn't have one. And he'd make you laugh with the sorrow of the situation. He is over the top like that...But we love Tuan. Tuan's been to college for a little of everything, and then he joined the National Guard then he went to Iraq...where he became a citizen and met Gov. Tim Pawlenty. He has a picture with him that he is proud of. Then he came home, and then he went to South Korea after he joined the U.S. Army. He's now in Kentucky awaiting going to Afghanistan, his dream come true, no joke. He says he just enjoys shooting big guns and getting the bad guys. But personally, I think it's more than that. And this is just my opinion, but I think Tuan gets something we just don't. He gets what poverty is, he knows what oppression is, he knows more of the horrors of war than I can imagine. And yet, he serves. He loves music, movies, electronics, trucks, and the newest and best things. He lived above us for a little while and that place was like a mancave heaven. He buys stuff then gives it away.
I don't want to embaress him or make him something he's not, but as much as Tuan's over the top, I couldn't imagine our lives without him. He was the one to never give up bugging Andrew and I that we were perfect for each other. He celebrated our love and since he was in Iraq, he was an honorary groomsmen in our wedding. He said he'd buy our child their first vehicle if we named them after him. We didn't, sadly for him, but we have a picture of Tuan holding Levi this spring, something amazing.
My thoughts of Tuan today were this: Here's a man who doesn't have much family and knows true poverty, but he's willing to serve our country because I think, deep in his heart, he knows it's worth fighting for. He understands what we who have been born and raised in a free country don't always get, freedom has a price, and it's worth paying.

Some of our most beloved patriotic songs carry some pretty important phrases that we don't always focus on
The Battle Hymn of the Republic: "As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free, While God is marching on."
America the Beautiful: "O beautiful for patirot dream That sees, beyond the years, Thine alabaster cities gleam, Undimmed by human tears!"
Did you know the Star Spangled Banner has a second verse?
It goes like this:
"O thus be it ever, when free men shall stand Between their loved homes and the war's desolation! Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n rescued land Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust!' And the Star spangled Banner in triumph shall wave O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave!"

These beloved patriotic songs all speak of the spiritual as well as the physical. And so today, as we remember those who have fought, and those who have died, and those that are still waging the war for freedom and justice, let's remember what they're fighting for. Not just our physical freedom, but the freedom to trust in a God who promises us eternity in that alabaster city if we will only seek Christ's forgiveness and redemption for our sins.

As that second verse says, "Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, and this be our motto: 'In GOD is our trust!'!!

I don't care whether you think these wars are just, what I care about is that we have many people fighting for the justice of others, and we must conquer, not just our physical enemies, but the apethetic hearts of ourselves. We must be thankful and bend our knees and hearts in humility to Christ, for only Christ can give us true freedom.



A few sidenotes: Fleet Farm has an amazing commercial out that shows a soldier Father saying good-bye to his family to get on a plane and says something like this: "The only thing worse than saying good-bye to your family to defend your country...Leaving your country undefended." I respect them so much for saying that.

Also, In Minnesota this weekend, a Husband/Father was on his way home with his 3 year old girl and almost one year old son. They were in an accident that wasn't their fault. The father and daughter were both killed. The little boy is fine. And He and his Mom were on the News sharing about what a great Father/Husband and daughter they were. I cried, because everyone is losing people.
So today, no matter if the person you've lost is a veteran or not, I pray for you and remember with you...