Memorial Day Thanks

This morning I woke up in a comfortable bed in a quiet neighborhood, looking forward to a relaxing holiday with my husband and children. But while I was sleeping (at least as much as Tori would let me!) men and women thousands of miles away were wide-awake in anything-but-quiet neighborhoods in Iraq and Afghanistan. They were patrolling streets and training troops and hunting terrorists in the most dangerous neighborhoods in the world. And tonight, while I’m sleeping peacefully, they’ll do it all over again.

As America celebrates Memorial Day, it is a wonderful opportunity to thank those who have put themselves in harms way (whether this year or sixty years ago) in order to protect us from harm. And to thank their families as well—the husbands, wives, children, and parents who have selflessly lent us their loved ones. We owe them a debt of gratitude for every comfort of a free society. And there is no way we can repay them, or their families. “Thank you” isn’t enough, but it’s a start.

So to our friends, Dennis & Diane whose son is in Iraq, and to every service member or family member who is reading this today: Thank you for your sacrifice so that we can work, play, raise our families, and most importantly of all, worship God in freedom. And thank you for peaceful nights of sleep. May God grant the same to you and your loved-ones, for “He gives to his beloved sleep” (Psalm 127:2).

On behalf of the other grateful girltalkers,
Nicole