I watched a 60 Minutes story last night that was an update on the 2010 Congressional Medal of Honor winner, Salvatore Giunta. Sgt Giunta was awarded the Medal for his bravery in an ambush while stationed in Afghanistan, in which he prevented the capture of a fellow soldier. That soldier & two others died from their wounds. Sgt Giunta considers them the heroes. They gave their all. He speaks for them now. That is his ‘call’ in this life.
We need heroes. We need people who become the walking example of our morals & beliefs. Heroes do not all look like soldiers.
Zachary Bonner is a 13-year-old who began walking to raise money for children. His Little Red Wagon Foundation has raised $400,000 for projects to help troubled and homeless children.
Former Specialist Troy Yocum does Hike for Heroes and delivers checks to needy military families.
15-year-old Jacob Rice has a goal to give away 10,000 shoes to needy children all over the world. He’s given 1,200 so far, this Shoe Giver of Tampa.
“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you except to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, and to worship the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul? Keep the LORD’s commands and statutes I am giving you today, for your own good. The heavens, indeed the highest heavens, belong to the LORD your God, as does the earth and everything in it. Yet the LORD was devoted to your fathers and loved them. He chose their descendants after them—[He chose] you out of all the peoples, as it is today. Therefore, circumcise your hearts and don’t be stiff-necked any longer. For the LORD your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and taking no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreign resident, giving him food and clothing. You also must love the foreigner, since you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 10:12-19 (HCSB)
Today I will spend time thinking about those that I personally know, and those who are among the thousands that I do not know by name, who have served in our military and their families who have also given so much so that I live in freedom. I can choose to worship my LORD in the middle of the town square and know that I won’t be shot! OR I can choose not to worship God and not be shot for that either.
I choose to love God freely as He planned that I would be able to do. It was His plan that I would live in such a way that others would come to know Him and follow Him because of the difference they see in my life. Am I living a life that follows Jesus and so it does draw others to Him? Do I live in Spirit and Truth, trusting the Holy Spirit to do more of the “talking†than I do? Am I walking in His ways and caring for those who are weaker, who have needs, and asking the Holy Spirit to open my eyes to opportunities to care for the widows and orphans?
On this Memorial Day, may I follow in the steps of those heroes who have gone before me and live a life worthy of the One who has been there every step of the way with all those other heroes – Jesus Christ.
