Today is Memorial Day. Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the men and women who died while serving in the country’s armed forces.[1] Whatever you do today, take time to remember the fallen and those that were left behind.
Of all the branches and jobs in the military, the ones that fascinate me most are the paratroopers. I know you’ve heard this question asked before, “Why would anybody want to jump out of a perfectly good air plane?” It sounds crazy, but I’d love to. When I was in college my senior used to take me to Wings and Wheels at Santee, South Carolina and paraglide from the jump planes every weekend. I wanted to give it a try but it took parental permission and I KNEW that was out of the question. Anyway, I enjoyed it and learned a lot.
One thing I learned there was what trust means. My senior instructed me how to re-pack his chute after his first jump. He then proceeded back to the jump plane. I begged, pleaded and finally prayed as the plane climbed back to altitude. For the next couple of seconds, I thought my heart was going to come out of my chest until I finally saw his chute open. When he arrived on the ground I told him I was scared to death, but he just shrugged it off. Then, I learned he had put his faith in the emergency chute.
The main characters from In the Shadow of Jezebel, Sheba and Jehoiada, had to learn to trust each other before they could do the Lord’s will. Both were risking their lives with that trust. As an idolator, Jehoiada could have had Sheba put to death. If she involved her mother and grandmother, Sheba could have easily had Jehoiada assassinated. But they learned to trust the Lord first and then each other later.
Do you have that kind of faith? Are you willing to risk your life on it? We trust the men and women who jump out of “perfectly good airplanes” in the military to keep us safe, but do we know the same about God?
God said if you have faith as little as a mustard seed you could move mountains. Maybe we need to move some of the mountains in our life. And perhaps that faith, even if it is “as small as a mustard seed”, will move some of those mountains in your life so you’ll have a clearer view of the true meaning of faith.
Charles Arndt is married to Angie Arndt. He works for the DMV, but don’t hold that against him. They live in the middle of a big wood, counting down the day to his retirement.
Connect with Charles on Facebook.
- “Memorial Day”. United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Retrieved 2010-05-28.
Comments 6
Angie,
Great reminder. Freedom is indeed not free. I’ve had many family members serve in our country’s military and thankfully all of them returned safely. Today I pray for the families that lost loved ones. Our faith helps us endure and overcome the tragedies and challenges in life. He is always holding us even though we sometimes forget He is there.
I hope all my BFFs have a blessed holiday:)
Michele
Charles and Angie, That was a great post. I used to think I wanted to jump. That was when I was young. My friend and co-worker who was in the 82nd airborne said you can’t jump just once. You have to at least jump twice so you can say it wasn’t a fluke. Thanks for the words about trust. I sometimes have trouble trusting people as I’ve been hurt before but I am trying to trust more.
Author
What a great post, Charles! Thanks so much for sharing a part of your experience and your heart on this special day.
I, too, am grateful to have several family members who have served (and one still serving) in our military forces but none have been lost. I pray today for those families who haven’t been so fortunate. May the Lord give them grace to trust Him for those things we may never understand.
Michele,
Thank you so much for commenting and yes, we have so much to be thankful for. Oh, yes, we cling to our faith when times are rough because there is nothing else we can hold onto. Thank you so much for that reminder!
Connie,
Charles would love to jump, but me? Not so much. I’m just too afraid. 🙂 The 82 Airborne? I bet your friend had some stories to tell! And I’m sorry to hear that you’ve been hurt. It’s so hard to trust someone again, isn’t it? Thank you for sharing your struggles and I’m glad Charles’ story helped.
Mesu,
He says you’re welcome! Although he’s an auxiliary BFF, he still wanted to contribute. 🙂
All of our family members have come home although a few have come back very different than they left. But I suppose war changes everyone in great ways — some may not be as visible as others. As the saying goes, “Some gave all. All gave some.”
Joining you in your prayers, too. Thank you!
Great post for Memorial Day! thanks so much for sharing this story. 🙂
Thank you so much, Dana! You’re welcome and happy birthday to you! I hope you had a great day. 🙂