November Challenge: Day 11

Today is Vereran's Day, a salute to those who have served and who are currently serving in the military, and is an opportunity to remember their service and sacrifices for our country. Their service is so much more than just country and includes all of the people that reside in it. Their sacrifice extends beyond their physical services provided in war to include time away from their family and sometimes a greater emotional loss than they could have ever prepared for. I am so very grateful for the men and women who have served our country and who continue to serve. I have many veterans in my family and I have also had the privilege of knowing many more. I can attest to the fact that their sacrifice continues long after the war is over. 

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. John 15:13 (NIV)

Conflict and war has existed since the beginning of time. There has always been a need or a duty to fight, to protect, and to preserve what a person feels rightfully belongs to them. Historically soldiers were soldiers because of their gender, ability, and proximity to war, but as populations grew larger there became a distinction between warriors and average men. War was an act of conquest rather than the protection of rights. Then Jesus laid down His life for the preservation of our lives and the true heart of a solider was born. Jesus sacrificed His perfect life for a life that wasn't perfect, that in  countless ways was unworthy, and shouldn't have been preserved. In His death He didn't just die for His friends, but for His enemies too, as well as for all of the people who didn't know Him. His death wasn't a conquest for sake of conquest, but a sacrifice committed by a pure heart, a heart that deeply loved us. Today's soldiers have this same heart. How do I know?

At one point in our history there was a draft and young men were required to serve their country. Of course there was a real and pressing need as our country saw war after war, but that need didn't last forever. There came a point when the draft was removed and young men had to decide their future based on their own hearts rather than the will of a nation. The men who entered into the military did so well aware of the high stakes of war and continued to enter anyways. They didn't do this for country. I love my country, but I wouldn't sacrifice my life to keep it alive. They did it for the people in the country. I would gladly sacrifice my life to preserve the life of a friend. Our country isn't perfect, but within it lies the foundation for a wonderful life for the people we love. That life is worth protecting. Jesus didn't die for the country of Israel, but for the people that made up the nation. Our soldiers aren't honored because they fight for America, but because in every act of service they fight for the people that make up America. They fight for those they love, for those they hate, and for those people they don't know. The men and women of the military willingly lay down their own lives for the lives of others, that includes you and me.

War is a tense topic of discussion. It elicits fear and anger. It also elicits pride. There is a belief among some that war is completely unnecessary while others believe war is a decisive move in the quest for victory. There are still others who understand the merits of war, but also understand the need to strive for peace and diplomacy. Regardless of your own personal views on war, I believe it is important to recognize the intent of the soldiers and to thank them for their willingness to sacrifice based on that intent. The men and women of our military are filled with a love so great that they would risk life and limb to protect those they love, the people of this country. 

Today I am so very thankful for their willingness to sacrifice it all for me and my loved ones. What are you thankful for today?

The Misstep

Life is a journey of many paths and though we believe we are on the right path, we sometimes misstep and stumble. A misstep doesn't mean the path we are on is bad, but rather that we took our eyes off of the road and made a mistake. This happens much the same way as when we are walking on a sidewalk and trip over a tree root or unevenness in the concrete. The sidewalk isn't bad; we simply lost sight of the path our feet was walking on. Sometimes we are so focused on the end of a path that we try to speed up to hurry and reach our destination. In our hurry, we forget to look critically at our path, and we stumble as we take a misstep.

A misstep is a stumble and not a fall. You can regain your focus, regain your calm, and restart on your path. Stumbling is not the end. Peter, in his path to Jesus, had to walk on water. He was doing it and then he misstep (by looking down in disbelief), which made him begin to sink, but he called out to Jesus. Jesus was there to help him back on his path with His arm outstretched to Peter. Peter's misstep was not the end of his journey, but rather an opportunity to grow and learn more about his destination: Jesus. Jesus could have become upset, He could have put Peter back on the boat and walked away, but He didn't because there was more to be learned from the misstep then if Peter had walked on water perfectly in faith. God could easily prevent us from stumbling, but He doesn't. He allows for the missteps and He allows for consequences because His desire is that we would learn and that we would grown in our faith. 

As we hurry towards our destinations, eager for the path to end, we need to stop and remember that sometimes the journey is more important than the destination. We will all get where we need to go, but we won't all learn what we need to know before we get there. Watch out for the missteps, do your best to stay on the path, but don't worry if you should stumble. Reach out and grab Jesus' outstretched hand, allow Him to pull you back on your path, and continue on your journey. Your path is not a track to be ran, but a journey to be enjoyed.