II Corinthians 10:5

"Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."

November 10, 2009

Thanks a Million!


“It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.
It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.
It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.”
-Charles M. Province


During World War II, Americans knew the reality of their country at war. It was evident by the scrap drives, the victory gardens, the advertisements urging people to buy war bonds, the blue stars displayed in windows, and by women working in the factories. Today, our country once again finds itself at war, but looking around at our fast-paced society, you wouldn’t know it. Sure, we hear about it on the news at night, occasionally we will pass along an email about our troops and what they’re going through, or we have a magnet on our cars saying that we support our troops, but the commitment and resolve that was displayed in America in the 40’s is not as evident now. We must realize that our troops are putting their lives on the line for us, giving up their safety for us, separating themselves from their families so that ours can be together. Just last week we witnessed the horrible events at Fort Hood, and realized that our soldiers are in harms way even right here at home. We must be resolved to earnestly and sincerely remember to pray for our troops, and the families that they leave behind. Looking back through history, we can see many times where prayer has turned the tides of wars. Douglas Winnail in his article, “Does God Guide World Affairs” tells of such time.

“In the summer of 1940, the German blitzkrieg had pushed 400,000 Allied troops to the European coast near Dunkirk, France, where British military planners were expecting the greatest military disaster in their history. Yet, in a tactical blunder, Hitler suddenly halted the advance of the German tanks just as they were closing in for the kill. The King of England announced a National Day of Prayer, and thousands flocked to churches. During the nine days of the Dunkirk evacuation, the normally stormy English Channel remained as calm as a millpond—while a storm broke over Flanders, grounding Germany’s Luftwaffe. These unexpected events allowed nearly the whole Allied army of 338,000 irreplaceable soldiers to survive and fight again—an amazing development which British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called a “miracle of deliverance,” when thousands of Englishmen gave the credit to God…”


So this veterans day, I would encourage you to pray for those who are willing to sacrifice their lives so that the rest of us can be free. I would also encourage you to take a minute to send a thank you note to an American Soldier. The website “Let’s Say Thanks” enables you to send an e-card to an America soldier serving overseas. Here’s the link: http://www.letssaythanks.com/Home1024.html


Remember, we are the land of the free because of the brave. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend.” John 15:13
…_

-M. Wanschura

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good, good gathering, Meagan!

love you,
Mrs. Sands

christina said...

Thank you, soldier. And thank you God, Giver of all good, for courage, freedom, sacrificial love, and life.

Off to send an e-card...

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed the article Meg-nicely done as always. Bri

Isaac said...

Meagan, I liked how you added the music!

Tyler Godin said...

Thank you soldiers!

It's so disheartening to watch our president flush away freedoms that so many men and women have sacrificed their lives for.

America, America, God shed his grace on thee....

God Bless Our Troops!!!

Unknown said...

“It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion."

So true!

On pacifists enjoying their ideology at the provision of non-pacifists:

In 1966, Charles de Gaulle removed France from NATO and ordered all U.S. troops evacuated from French soil. Secretary of State Dean Rusk asked de Gaulle if his order included the 60,000 soldiers buried in France from World War I and World War II. De Gaulle was speechless.

We must truly appreciate the Chinese Christians, who follow Christ despite the inconvenience of religious persecution / oppression.

LJTwinsGirl said...

Yes. Thank You, Soldiers!
Thank you God for a free country!