Memorial Day Musings: Watch and Pray

This Memorial Day I’m pondering how to best honor those who gave all. I thank God for a military that we cheer, rather than fear. Their part was to defend freedom to the death. So what is our part?

Before Jesus was crucified, He said to the disciples in Matthew 26:38,

“My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.

Stay here and watch with Me.”

Because our physical bodies can’t always cut it, the disciples fell asleep. Jesus would say in Verse 41,

“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.

The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Only Jesus could die to gain freedom from sin. Our part is to remain in spiritual freedom by watching and praying.

I believe that is our call for today. Could it be that those who died for our freedom are most honored when we do our part to be sure that very freedom is not lost or stolen? We need to pay attention that the government remain of the people, by the people, and for the people. We need to stop calling politicians we don’t prefer fascists or worse (this is for all of us!). Give them their four years! Disagreement can be healthy, but division can be dangerous.

Let’s watch and pray that our government exists to protect our freedoms, not be a burden on the people. If our fallen heroes could die, surely I can do simple things like pray, watch, vote, write my congressman, remain informed, be kind to those who disagree and defend truth. It may not be what we feel like doing, or even what we want to do. But thank God for the example of those we honor today who did what was right, not what felt good at the moment.