We Remember

Today we honor and mourn all those military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Tradition is to post the American flag at each gravesite of Veterans who have passed away in service. I loved the tradition at my home church in rural Iowa. Each Sunday before Memorial Day members would bring cut flowers from their gardens. After a reading of the Servicemen buried in the church cemetery, we would each take a bundle of flowers and march behind the flag carried by a Serviceperson to the cemetery, perhaps a half mile away. 

We would then gather around a memorial to an Unknown Soldier to pause in prayer, and often hear Taps played at the other side of the cemetery. We would each place a few of our flowers on the grave, then walk through the cemetery, placing flowers at each Serviceperson's stone marked by an American flag. We also identified the pioneers who settled and established the first organized church in Marshall County in 1851 in rural Liscomb, Iowa.

"God is our refuge and strength an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress," (Psalm 46:1-7 NIV).

Father God, thank You for being our strength through battles, through changes in leadership, through devastating losses of our Service Men and Women who fought for our freedom around the world. We thank You for being at our side wherever we are. We are thankful for You being with those who serve for our country in the military and in leadership. God, we thank You for those brave souls who gave us protection from evil military around the world. Our hearts ache for those we have lost, though we know You were with them. Thank You for being our refuge and our strength. Amen.