It may be that there are as many people as there are ways in which people feel honored.
The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Quentin Peterson
It may be that there are as many people as there are ways in which people feel honored.
Being asked to write something for a newspaper, to me, ‘is’ a great honor. Though not the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times; it is in fact, much bigger and more important than that!
It is for our local papers, so the potential of the piece to warm the hearts of people is much larger because everyone knows everyone else and knows who you’re speaking of.
The Sunday evening before our nation’s Independence Day, our local communities came together to celebrate all who have defended our freedoms on a military level and those who serve by protecting those within the nation apart from the Armed Forces.
These sometimes, unnoticed warriors are there in our times of need; be-it the fire-fighter, the ambulance personal helping those in dire straights and the policeman placing their lives on the line for our own.
Our celebration began with our pledges to the Flag; the Christian Flag, and the Holy Bible. Our Color Guard came to set the flags of our nation’s military might, and that solemn and beautiful sight, gives all of us hope that our nation will always fight for freedom and always be free!
Much prayer was offered for our nation and its citizens for continual awareness and support for all that is beautiful and right in our land; asking for the Lord’s strong arm to lead all who protect our nation and giving Him due honor for always doing so in the past!
One of the most touching moments of the service was in the playing of the ‘Armed Forces Medley’ and seeing all who served stand and the realization of the ‘Everyday Joes’, who gave of themselves, that we never knew before.
As a community, we lifted up to the Lord our National Hymns, because it was by Him alone, we now ha them, because it was ‘He’ who established and saved us! We sand together ‘America the Beautiful, America and God Bless America’.
I mentioned an older lady that taught music when I was a boy, who never failed to always have us sing one of the National Hymns, because she wanted to instill in us what freedom is about and how we need to respect the flag and the Lord. Everyone seemed to have one of those ‘Auh’ moments when memories from the past all of a sudden came flooding back!
Another God ordained happening is simply that fact that the churches and leaders of those churches from all around, set aside their own thoughts of who may be ‘more right’, and worked together because we understand that the community is more important than anything else because, truly, we ‘are’ family in spirit!
I was privileged to bring a message that evening called “What is a Hero”, after much guidance from the Holy Spirit, and then let Him lead.
I was honored to tell of the heroism of Henry Irwin, and I implore all to look him up and read about what he did to save the crew of the Super Fortress he was on!
I will say that what I have noticed about heroes is that those who saw action, usually never talk about things and are humble because they hope what they did will make a difference and that those they care about will never have to see what they have themselves!
It is true that most, when speaking of heroes, apply the thought to soldiers. But I feel there are so many more heroes within our nation and community besides!
So, what is a hero? Is the hero the soldier who has come home, who remains silent; who has seen too many difficult things that causes him nightmares, because their family and friends would be better off never knowing what ‘can’ happen, in hopes that they never will have to see things like they have seen themselves?
Is the hero the policeman or volunteer fireman who gets little sleep; works a job; and occasionally has to see and feel all the same things that happen in times of war with battle-wearied soldiers; with the same emotion and heart-ache, and must keep it to themselves for their own sanity and the sake of others?
Is the hero the older veterans, that so many have forgotten about, that take time each year to travel and repair old relics of ships and transports and planes, keeping them in working order for display in the hopes that everyone will see and never forget, and more importantly, not repeat the past?
Is the hero the widowed mother and wife, or the mother who has lost a son, and continues the battle back home under the heavy bombardment of tears and loss and emotion and memories that will never be; trying to never forget; not wanting to remember and nursing the emotional wounds of her children?
Is the hero, the women here at home, who do not have to, but spend countless hours putting together quilts, for the same reason some repair old ships; to honor those who have put their lives on the line?
They ‘certainly’ don’t have to; but they ‘want’ to; because it is what the ‘can’ do, as they do their part to remember and never forget!
Is the hero, the ones who spend hours and hours placing flags on all the soldier’s graves, those who died, and those who served in every war since our nations’ beginning? And they ‘do’ this, in the hope that the price of freedom will not be forgotten!
So, what makes a hero?
We are told in Galatians 5:1 that “It is for freedom that we have been set free!” Some may say “Preacher, what does this have to do with soldiers and war? Well friends, Our Lord is a warrior Himself and commands His ‘Christian Soldiers’ to go and protect everyone’s freedoms.
I am witness that His “Christian Soldiers” go into battle; ready to fight for freedom!
I have seen them, with ‘myself’ and with so many others, who have suffered unbearable loss, as they act as a ‘well-oiled’ military machine!
When all hell has broken loose and there are souls injured on the emotional battle field, I have watched them come in and secure the perimeter of our home as prayer warriors, battling the world and evil with the scriptures and promises of God!
I have seen them surround the battlefield, just as soldiers would, with the weapons of the Spirit, as other soldiers come and protect the injured of heart and soul; dressing emotional wounds; bandaging and setting splints on the broken person and carrying them for as long as needed until they are safe and to a place where healing can begin and where they can begin to function!
And the continual care these soldiers give isn’t only for the wounded of heart, but it is for the community itself; also wounded, and these Christian Soldiers, merit the title ‘Hero”.
What makes a hero? God the Father makes the hero; gives them the strength; be-it in war or the battle field at home! And He does this through His son Jesus, by the power of His Holy Spirit!
“That” soldier; ‘That’ hero, took the bullet for everyone here and gave His life so that we might have freedom for the sin of this world that has caused all these wars!
It is because ‘He’ is the hero, that ‘we’, through Him, can be heroes as well!