War is hideous. In recent years I think, in many ways, we have become immune to war’s hideousness and ugliness. We watch wars play out on television sitting in our living rooms. War is a decision men/women make in Washington and we rarely feel it’s consequences.

But this weekend may we pause to think about war. And those that fought. And those that lost their lives. And the families that miss them. Let us remember those that served us so bravely and sacrificially.

The movie, American Sniper seemed to show the hideousness of war from all angles. Not just the deprivation and hardship of the battlefield but the emotional toll taken by the men and women and their families.

As we raise our beer glasses and flip our burgers there are many who are not here to enjoy our celebrations. They paid the ultimate sacrifice. As did their family. We cannot remember our brave men and women without remembering the spouses, the parents, the children, the cousins, the aunts and uncles that remember them every day of the year. Not just on Memorial Day.

Those of us able to enjoy the holiday weekend are blessed by those who have worked so hard to protect our freedom. Let us thank God for His rich blessings on us and for those who protect us even now in a foreign land.