Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Tribe Life Tuesdays: God Bless America!


Let’s take a stroll down memory lane… 
In 1776 the fathers of our great nation signed The Declaration of---just kidding. I will not be teaching a history lesson today. However, I will be writing about my love for this great nation. This is certainly not a political post--so don’t fret. But, this a post about heroism and gratitude. 
Joe and I recently spent the day honoring those who have lost their lives in the midst of saving others. There is something incredibly extraordinary about people who choose careers that require them to walk the line between life and death each day. Those are the people I want to honor in my writing today.

I have always had deep gratitude and love for the Great U S of A, but it wasn’t until I hit my teenage years and into college that it really took shape. I studied Political Science in school and loved it. My favorite holiday, hands down, is the 4th of July--and I sob at any movie, documentary, 30 second clip, etc. that has anything to do with patriotism. Oh yea, I love country music too (my mother has disowned me many times because of this). I just can’t help it.
My favorite place to visit is the Northeastern portion of our country because it is so rich with history. One year, early on in our marriage, Joe, myself and a few other family members took a trip to Pennsylvania to visit one of my brothers who at the time was playing college football there. We took a day trip over to Gettysburg--and I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. 
There we were, standing in the same field where over a century earlier brave men were losing their lives to protect their families and a belief system that is still being fought for today. That moment in the field was exhilarating and humbling. I remember during one portion of our tour I left the group and just cried, both in grief and gratitude. To think that people who you will never meet would defend you at most, and at the least defend our common core values.
While on this tour, we drove by building after building that had been preserved but still had bullets and cannonballs lodged in or the remnants there of. As I reflect on those images of war, I see how it so reverberates the sound of my life and maybe your life too? 
As life happens, words and experiences hit us like one of those bullets. Sometimes we have major things happen in our lives and they hit us more like cannonballs leaving wounds and gaping holes in us that seem unrepairable.
But, they are fixable. Most often, time and grace are the ultimate repair mechanisms.
 The threat of war on that field is no longer. Instead, it is a memory that helps preserve our history and catapults us into a bright future.
  • However, the memory begs the questions…
    • Are you willing to serve another without expectation?
    • Are you willing to protect your relationships?
    • Are you willing to honor all--even in the throes of war?

So, I honor all of you who have served, or are currently serving our country, our states, our cities and our neighborhoods so courageously. I grieve with the families who have lost their loved ones who have fought to protect us--their sacrifice will never go unnoticed. I will do my part and pray that as our nation moves forward, we truly are under God.
See you next Tuesday. 

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