Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
After three straight days of rain, the sun is making an appearance today. And while it is still in the forties this morning, the day holds the promise of time for yard work, grilling, and remembering those who have gone on before us.
The birds are visiting the feeder, and squirrels are chasing each other around the yard. My cat is checking out her favorite sun beam location and Tropical Storm Beryl has come ashore to drop heavy rain in parts of the southeast that are in the midst of a severe drought. The works keeps on spinning even as we pause to remember those who died in service to their country. We also set today aside to visit the graves of family members who have passed on. It is a day to rejoice, and a day to mourn. We are humbled by the sacrifice of the men and women who died serving their country to ensure the freedom we enjoy stands. It is also one of those days where conflicted feelings can leave a person uneasy and more than a little emotional.
Those who have died either placed their faith in the principles of John 3:16 or in something else. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For those who have passed on who believed in Christ, we rejoice because they stand in the presence of their Savior. Their struggles have ended. They are home. For those who did not grasp onto the promise of salvation in Christ, we mourn their loss. For whatever reason they made a choice to reject the gift of grace offered freely by God in His Son. They chose to let go of the hand of reconciliation and grasp onto something more unsure, fleeting, and thus condemning. It is never too late to reach out to Christ. We need only to look at the example of the thief on the cross from Luke 23:40-43. But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
On this day of remembrance take time to offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the lives of those who gave their all in service of our country. Offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the lives of our family members and friends who have gone on before us. And offer a prayer asking for the words to share with our family and friends who do not embrace the promise of eternal life in Christ Jesus. Personally, I would rather rejoice over someone's arrival in heaven than mourn someone who did not. How about you?
PRAYER: Lord and Giver of Life, this is a day where we take time to remember those in the faith who have gone on before us. Their lives we shared, and we miss their presence in our lives today and still we rejoice in their victory. Our thanks to You O God seems so inadequate. Yet for those who rejected Your grace we mourn. We ask for Your words today and everyday. We ask for the faith to step out boldly to share Your promise of grace and salvation with those who do not know or have walked away from that gift. Gives us words to speak. This we ask in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ, Amen.
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