Ask Him How to Celebrate Memorial Day! Frightened and Alone?
Even in a time of multiple conflicts and wars, it is amazing how easily many Americans forget the authentic faces of Memorial Day.
Recently I attended a program that was being filmed for a Christian TV special. The military honor guard entered the room while the Charlotte Symphony played ballroom waltz song! Everyone remained seated, many even continued talking, even though our great banner of freedom was being displayed before us with all the ritual, formality, and respect that the members of the military troop could project.
I sprang to my feet when “Ole Glory” was escorted in the room regardless of the mistaken choices of the majority of the congregation (perhaps provoked by the mistaken “cue” of music). I stood in respect for the many brave men and women who sacrificed their Memorial Day BBQs, their families, and all too often their lives so that “Ole Glory” could continue to be a “Grand Ole Flag.” I also stood in honor of my husband’s military career that has spanned over four decades. There were those times, while working at National Headquarters in the D.C. Area, he would be called to go into an unknown location for undisclosed periods of time. On several of these occasions, I was hospitalized in the ICU facing an aggressively, progressive form of Multiple Sclerosis without my best friend and support at my bedside - frightened and alone!
Yes, just like this little fellow at his daddy’s graveside, I was often left frightened and alone so my loved one could bravely defend our great banner of freedom, Ole Glory.
Frightened and alone, much like this little fellow sits gazing at his father’s grave. For him there will be no little league baseball games and fishing trips with his daddy. Instead he must continue in life, frightened and alone, so adults can ignore the flag his father just died to protect.
He sits frightened and alone, so their egocentric video filming will not be interrupted for a program correction to respect our greatest symbol of freedom?
He cries, frightened and alone, so that Christian leadership can ignore Ole Glory while filming in a building named “American Heritage.” But without the sacrifice of this little boy’s father, there would be no American Heritage!
In this time of so much political discord and lethargy, let us not forget the foundation on which this great country was built.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP, LET US BE FIRST TO STAND TO OUR FEET IN HONOR OF THOSE WHO STAND BRAVE TO PROTECT OLE GLORY!
Reprinted by request from editorial section by Dr. Carolana Callaway.