Walts Guest Column on Veterans Day 11-11-13 I was sitting in the dark, meditating the other morning, and God spoke to me and asked me to write the following about this particular Veterans Day. Some of us gather together in various places or participate in certain events to remember and celebrate our Veterans and their enormous contributions to our ability to remain the “land of the free”. Some of us treat it as just another day. That is one of the gifts that this freedom gives us. CHOICE. However, I would like you, just for a brief period of time, to imagine in your mind and with your heart, that you are a sailor, soldier, airman or marine. Picture yourself in a hostile,foreign war zone fighting in defense of the freedoms we love so much. Very little is friendly or familiar in this environment. Your family and friends are thousands of miles away. You also know that your brothers and sisters-in-arms all have family, friends and relationships steeped in love and hope for a future, back home. The relationship that you have with your comrades in arms is critical to your and their survival. You depend on God and on each other for your very life. You have a relationship and a bond with each other and want them to survive and come home as much as yourself. This bond is hard for outsiders to understand. This selfless team attitude and effort is critical to the success of your mission. Now, perhaps you can understand why any one of them will step out in the face of a deadly enemy assault to help a brother or sister in distress. This is the character of the American military veteran. If you really think about it, what other attitude or character traits would you want in your fighting men and women if we are to preserve this great nation? I think the following verse is applicable: John 15:12-13 (Jesus speaking) “My command is this: love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” I think of the many fathers, mothers, husbands, wives and other family and friends of our past, present and future veterans. They all know the possible realities when their loved ones enter military service. And still they are proud of them and support them. I think because they understand and acknowledge that there is a greater cause and a higher purpose in this world, and the next, than self. God also knew this and the following verse describes it well: John 3:16-17 (Jesus speaking) “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” Let us give Veterans Day the respect and honor it deserves. We are the only ones that can truly show our appreciation. They need this and have earned it. Thank God for this, “Our Promised Land”, and thank the United States Veterans for their defense of it. Jeremiah 29:11-14 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.” Walter C. Scott, Chaplain VFW Post 7705 Weaverville, CA
Posted on: Wed, 13 Nov 2013 20:20:03 +0000
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