Memorial Day is a day chosen to remember all those men and women who have given their lives for our freedom.  From the Revolutionary war to the war in Afghanistan, we have continued to sacrifice the lives of our best people.  One day is hardly enough to be grateful for that sacrifice.

My two brothers were military and so was my husband.  Thank God, they all came home safely.  My cousins fought in the Korean Conflict, my brother in the Cuban Missile Crisis, my husband and many friends in VietNam.  Grandfather’s in WWI and II and Great grandfathers in the Civil War.

Some were injured, some were prisoners of war, some were traumatized for the rest of their lives.  Some never made it home, some came home  a different person, some only want to forget while others want to remember.  One thing is for sure, war and conflict affects them all.  You can’t watch your buddies get blown to pieces or fall on a bed of bungi sticks and not feel something.

Memorial Day is a time when we visit the graves of our fallen heroes.  We put flags and flowers on the graves to honor them.  We say a prayer for their families and play taps to remind us of their complete sacrifice.  What does that all mean?  Is there not a better way to honor these men and women, and even sometimes children?  Is there something we can do to make the world a better place?  Is there a way to stop all this killing and maiming of our loved ones?

Reach out a hand to help a neighbor or take a friend out to lunch; speak encouragement to those who are depressed and give hope to those who have lost hope.  Touch some lonely heart and smile.  The little things do matter.  It doesn’t take a lot of effort to change the direction of someone’s day and one person really can make a difference.

Matthew 5:9 tells us, “Blessed are the peacemakers; for the shall be called the children of God.”  As His children we should always strive to walk in peace.  God’s very presence should bring peace to a situation.  Many times in the scriptures the disciples would use, “May the God of peace be with you.” as a farewell greeting.  The peace of God passes are human understanding.  He is peace manifested in the earth.

With all the wars and unrest in our world today, it is hard to find the way to peace.  God has shone us that He alone is the source of that peace.  He has given us wisdom that we may break down the walls of misunderstanding and the horrors of uncontrolled power in the hands of men.

In Ephesians2:14, it says, “For He is our peace, who has made us one and broken down the middle wall of partition between us,” so why can’t we grasp that concept?  As long as men and women crave wealth, power, dominance and control it will be difficult to live in peace.  Our individual peace must come from within , for Jesus is our source.