We just had Memorial Day. Naturally, that is what we are discussing this week. I know there are many people who have Memorial Day traditions like visiting or washing the graves of people who were in the military or having barbecues with family and friends. Maybe it is your indication of the beginning of summer, or maybe it is just a random Monday off. Or maybe it is your day to get some spring cleaning done, finally!
I don’t know about you, but I have never known (at least as far as I can remember) the actual origin of Memorial Day, so I just looked it up. It originated during the Civil War when people in both the North and the South would plan days to visit the graves of the fallen soldiers and oftentimes decorate them with flowers. General John A. Logan was inspired by these gatherings and declared a “Decoration Day” in 1868. It later became what we know it as today, Memorial Day.
Memorial Day can be a bit trickier than days like Veterans Day because we can’t actually say thank you to those who gave their lives, but like Elizabeth said on Monday, we can do things in remembrance of people, whether they served in the military or not. One example of this is someone I knew who always bought food for his friends every chance he got. Now every time I buy food for a friend, I can do that in honor of him. It can be as simple as that, just paying for a friend’s food. It can also be as big as making donations to someone’s favorite charitable organization in their honor. Or maybe you name a child after someone you loved or admired.
Whatever we do, however we honor people, Memorial Day is a good reminder of the freedoms we have here in the states because of those who gave their lives we should be thankful for that. One of those freedoms is freedom of religion, and for that I am extremely grateful. Like Jesus, so many men and women have given the ultimate sacrifice of their lives and we benefit from their sacrifices.
Even though veterans have a separate day, I think of them on Memorial Day as well. The fact that they are still alive does not diminish the sacrifice that they were willing to make for our country. As I was doing research on the history of Memorial Day, I saw articles about how to celebrate the day. One suggestion was to thank a veteran, which feels like the closest thing we can do to thanking those who gave their lives for us.
Although Memorial Day has already passed, that doesn’t mean that we can’t still honor those who gave their lives for us. We don’t stop celebrating Jesus when Christmas and Easter are over, so why stop honoring other people when Memorial Day is over? We don’t have to go over the top and talk about it everyday, but we can still remember and thank God everyday. I had a friend as a kid who, every time she prayed, she thanked God for sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Do you have something specific that you thank God for every day? Maybe one of those things can be thanking Him for the people who gave up their lives for our freedom like Jesus did.
As we celebrate each year, let’s remember to honor those who have given their lives for our country and the freedoms that we have here (and maybe thank one who is still alive). Memorial Day is not just a day to have a barbecue or just the mark of summer starting.
Abbi