Sacrifices, Tears, and Pain

When thinking about love, there are a million (excuse my slight hyperbole) songs that instantly come to mind, including “What is Love (Baby Don’t Hurt Me)” by Haddaway. Perhaps that is a valid question for which we are all searching an answer. In its simplest form, we know that God embodies love in every encounter, mannerism, and word. The ways in which He interacts with others throughout Scripture are always cloaked with love and compassion. Most importantly, He illustrated His true love for us by the way He laid down His life, giving us the opportunity to experience eternal life – if we choose to accept it. He wanted nothing in return; it was pure love in its purest form: selfless, giving, and undeserved.

We live in a difficult time (excuse my slight understatement), but it seems as if many acts of love occur right before our eyes. In the midst of chaos and suffering, some people consistently put their lives on the line for us. Nurses and doctors work in the battlefield between COVID and health. Many of them feel exhausted, working more shifts than ever before and experiencing the pain of losing patients from this disease. Personally, I could never imagine the true exhaustion and pain they must endure for us, but I am forever grateful for their undeserved love. My sister is a nurse, and she courageously works with ill patients. Like many others, she has a family at home who want her to be with them, but she knows the importance of her job. At any moment, nurses and doctors could walk away from their profession, if only they saw it as a profession. Instead, they want to care for others in some of the most frightening times of their lives.

While the majority of my blog focuses on the exhausted nurses, others who love others more than themselves deserves the spotlight, too. First responders and military personnel also actively lay down their lives, so we experience freedom and safety. While the world seemed to shut down, they were always willing to step up, protect, and serve. Additionally, other essential frontline workers allow the world to keep functioning in the midst of panic and tremendous fear. They might not know the outcome of the pandemic, but they still willingly continue to work for us. While most of us do not ask for these dangerous gestures of love, all these individuals continue to express them. In John 15:13, it says, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (New Living Translation). These words illustrate the greatest sacrifice one can make for the betterment of others. Interestingly, this version mentions friends specifically, so how much more spectacular is it that people are willing to lay down their lives for complete strangers? I am constantly amazed at and grateful for the frontline and essential workers for their embodiment of Christ and His undeserved, sacrificial love. Let’s take a moment to thank these people for their daily sacrifices, remember those who laid their lives down for us, and the people who courageously lost their battles to COVID. THANK YOU! ❤

Written by Trisha

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Memorial Day: Why It’s More than a Three-Day Weekend

Memorial Day is often taken as a day for companies to have an enticing sales event or an opportunity for a three-day weekend. However, there is much more significance to this holiday. It originates from an immense loss, with over 620,000 soldiers dying in the Civil War, and sadly, it has become commercialized.

Though all of us may not know a veteran or have a close relationship with someone in the military, we all have been affected by those who have fought and fallen to give us the freedom that we experience today in America.

Memorial Day first began as Decoration Day, established by the head of the Grand Army of the Republic on May 5, 1868, three days after the Civil War. The title, “Decoration Day,” was coined to convey the intention of the holiday, which was to decorate the graves of those who had fallen during the Civil War. After World War I, the holiday broadened its purpose to honor those who had died in all the American wars. In 1971, an act of Congress established Decoration Day as Memorial Day and instituted it as a national holiday to take place on the last Monday in May.

Each family may have a unique way of honoring this holiday, but there are a few customs that have developed over the years. Some communities hold parades that incorporate military personnel and veteran organizations. Others observe the day closer to its original origin, taking the time to visit cemeteries and decorate the graves of their loved ones. One of the customs is to fly the American flag at half staff until noon, then raise it to the top of the staff until sunset. One of the more recognized customs was established by Congress, the National Moment of Remembrance. It is the act of taking a moment of silence at 3pm on Memorial Day to honor past and current soldiers and their sacrifices.

It is believed Major General John A. Logan set Memorial Day to the original date of May 30^th because flowers would be blossoming all over the country at this time. This reflects the beauty of the holiday. Memorial Day is meant to be a day of remembrance, a day to reflect on the soldiers who gave their lives in service of our nation. We can look around during this blooming springtime and think about how our lovely American land came at a price. May we use this day to reflect on the security of our country, those who have sacrificed their lives for our safety, and those who are currently bravely serving in the Armed Forces.

Written by Deneen

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Works Cited

Holzel, David. “10 Things to Remember About Memorial Day.” Mental Floss, 20 May 2019, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/27858/10-things-remember-about-memorial-day.

Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs. “Memorial Day History.” U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 20 July 2015, https://www.va.gov/opa/speceven/memday/history.asp.

Memorial Day

It is finally summer time! You no longer have to worry about assignments, tests, or deadlines. Woohoo! A few days after summertime officially begins, your family plans a barbecue and swim party for Memorial Day. You are excited to see your friends and family, but you have some unanswered questions. What is this holiday’s meaning? Is it simply about gathering together on a summer day to relax and celebrate? Is it just a day that the mail does not run? Or, is it a day that has a much greater significance? If you read to the end of this blog, you will no longer have any questions about Memorial Day and its significance.

Everybody can probably recite a few facts about the Civil War that they learned in middle school; however, it was much more than just a few statistics to the people who lived through its trauma. Thousands of young men and a few women valiantly left their families to embark on a journey full of fear, pain, misery, and death. Although some made it out of the war, many were not as fortunate. Mothers and fathers wept over the deaths of their children, who sacrificed their lives for what they believed.

In a time of despair and grieving, Americans united and honored the young individuals who selflessly gave their lives in the Civil War. Throughout the nation, people paid their respects by placing flowers and other objects on the graves of those who died in the war. Because this was occurring in different places around the United States, the exact location where Memorial Day began is unknown. Despite the anonymity, the government declared Waterloo, New York, as the first official city where Memorial Day was recognized because of the festivities held there in honor of the people who perished.

Interestingly, this holiday was originally referred to as Decoration Day because many people would place different decorations on the soldiers’ graves to honor them. Regardless of the name, Memorial Day was designed to take a day out of the year to honor the men and women who perished fighting for what they believed in. Each town might have different traditions for celebrating the holiday, but every festivity boils down to honor and respect. Although this holiday started in honor of those who perished in the Civil War, it eventually became known as a celebration of life for all the people who died fighting in a war.

In 1971, Memorial Day was recognized as a national holiday when governmental offices close to recognize those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for this country. Throughout time, this holiday lost its true meaning. Many suggest it is due to the extended weekend. Perhaps it is because we have become desensitized to the true pain death causes. Whatever the case might be, it is something we can change. Fascinatingly, Congress asked that everything stop at three o’clock for only a minute on Memorial Day in remembrance of the true meaning of this holiday. In the midst of the barbecues and summer festivities, take a moment of silence with the rest of the nation on the last Monday in May to recognize those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. I will take a moment of silence this Memorial Day. Will you?

John 15:13 states, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (New Living Translation). 

Written by Trisha (NEW: Click on author’s name to learn more about him or her!)

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The Caravan Outside Campus

It is the dead of winter. Normally, I would be at home with my family recovering from the holidays, but not today. I am at school—or, more accurately, at work. My on-campus job has called me in to cover a shift, just for a day or two. I am more than happy to comply, and not just because I prefer to keep my job. Since I’m only going to be at school for two days, my parents have granted me control of one of the family cars, which is a rare treat that I fully intend to enjoy.

Like a true rebel, I am going to go off-campus and pick up a nice Chipotle burrito with the hour I have off for lunch. (So edgy, I know.) I hop in my dad’s little silver Accord, adjust the hedgehog ornament hanging from the rearview mirror, and back out of the parking lot, feeling like a real grown-up. As I coast to a stop at the edge of campus, I’m singing with the radio, and all is right with the world.

I look to my left, and I see a few cars heading in my direction. Being the overly-cautious driver I am, I decide to wait for them to pass, since there’s no one behind me to scold me with a blaring horn. It isn’t until it’s too late that I realize how slowly they’re driving and how many cars there are. They’re all in the right lane, hazard lights blinking out of sync with one another.

Baffled, I look up the street to determine the source of this slow-moving party, and one car, ominously long and black, stands out from all the rest. Red, white, and blue fabric flaps from the car’s roof. Suddenly, I remember the last time I attended a DBU baseball game, when the entire stadium dropped everything and paused to quietly stand at attention as, in the near distance, a trumpet played a long, sad song. I remember the one thing I constantly forget about the Dallas Baptist University campus:

Its next-door neighbor is the Dallas/Fort Worth National Cemetery.

I freeze. Breathing too loudly no longer feels appropriate. One by one, the cars in the caravan pass by, the passengers barely giving me and my hedgehog a passing glance.

Reality crashes down on me as I realize that someone in this caravan sacrificed everything for the freedom I was relishing just a few seconds ago. Without that person, I might not have the funding to attend school. I might not have my job, which is a work-study position. Without this person, I might not be able to take off at my leisure and go as I please. Without this sacrifice, I might not be able to choose from a plethora of restaurants just a few miles down the road. I might not have a car at my disposal. I might not even have a driver’s license. Without this person’s willing and selfless sacrifice, nothing I am doing at this moment, none of these little things I rarely stop to consider, would be guaranteed.

In a daze, I realize one of the cars is coming to a stop, and I see the driver kindly wave at me. I shake my head and gesture at them to keep going, and they acknowledge me with another wave. Part of me wonders why they would risk making the drivers behind them mad for stopping, but then I remember why they’re all here. That one person is not the only one who has given up everything for my comfort. Their friends and family do that every day. Even now, as they lay their friend and family member to rest, they care for strangers more than they care for themselves.

The last of the caravan is a pair of police motorcycles, red and blue lights glaring. They wave at me as if to thank me, and I wave back as I prepare to drive away. I can see them in my rearview mirror as I turn onto the street, disappearing around the bend. My focus goes back to the road, but now I’m praying instead of singing as I go.

Thank you, Lord, for the freedom I have in you. Thank you for the freedom you give to all who ask, and for the freedom you have blessed our country with. Thank you for the men and women who defend that freedom every day. Thank you for being with them, comforting them, and loving them. Thank you for giving them the strength to keep going when everything is falling apart, when they want nothing more than to wrest control from you. Thank you for this person’s life; whoever he or she is gave everything in love, just as you did when you sent your Son. Thank you for that courage and that sacrifice. Thank you for the friends and families, and their willingness to give up something so precious to them. Continue to be with those who are grieving today; you are the only one who can truly ease that pain. Help them appreciate the freedom you have offered every one of us, and help me never to forget that again.

Based on a true story

Written by Catherine

Image credit: Carole Sampeck, used with permission in honor and memory of Adrian Sampeck

Remember

It was years in the making. For nearly a decade, the British Parliament and King George III had passed tax act after tax act on paper goods, legal documents, sugar, currency, and tea. The pleas from the oppressed American colonies fell on deaf ears, and everything was made worse by the Boston Massacre in 1770. Tensions ran high. The first Continental Congress met in 1774 to try and make peace with the king, issuing statements and letters to Parliament begging for an end of the relentless taxation. The correspondence was ignored. The king instead passed “The Intolerable Acts.” Soon, American colonists began calling themselves patriots. There were calls for armistice and calls for independence. The colonies were divided. Then the British troops marched on the towns of Lexington and Concord to capture the American militia’s rifle and powder supply. The Revolution had begun.

In the ensuing war, the American patriots displayed their very best qualities of tenacity, patriotism, and heroism. General Washington led his troops bravely into battle. John Adams fought for independence in a stubborn second Continental Congress. Thomas Jefferson labored over his writing table to produce a declaration to Britain. Militia couriers ran back and forth across enemy lines to deliver messages. Citizens tended to battle wounds and gathered supplies for the Continental Army.

Then came July 2, 1776. In a little room in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress declared their breaking off from Britain. Two days later, the Declaration of Independence was adopted.

Since then, every year on July 4, the United States of America celebrates Independence Day. Flags wave. Firecrackers go off. Parades rumble through the streets of American cities. Everywhere, there is a sense of pride and patriotism. It is a time to remember our nation’s history and the struggle that produced it. The Fourth of July is a time of immense pride, but it doesn’t have to be celebrated only on that day. We can remember the sacrifice of our American Founders every day. We have been born in the greatest country in history with the greatest freedoms on earth. We are allowed to choose our own destinies and paths in life, and, most importantly, we are allowed the freedom to worship the one true God without persecution or condemnation. This is the greatest freedom.

We are blessed here in the United States. We are free. God’s hand is on our nation, and we should be thankful. As we celebrate our nation’s birthday, remember the history of America. Remember the men and women who fought for freedom to create a nation based on God’s principles. Whenever you see an American flag, remember.

Written by Jenna

Image credit: http://hhill.wonecks.net/files/2016/01/americanflag-1qe9980.jpg