Yesterday I was able to attend the Veterans Day assembly at my kids school. In years past I have not attended figuring it was just another assembly for the kids. This year however the 3rd grade cub scouts were doing the flag ceremony and Trevor was going to be the leader and wanted us to come watch. The morning of the assembly we got ready and I grabbed the video camera with intentions of capturing Trevor's great job on tape and fulfilling my motherly responsibility to watch him. I had no idea how meaningful the assembly would be to me personally.
As we sat down and the program started, the audience arose as applause and patriotic music filled the air, and then the Veterans started to file in. Theses were men and women who were relatives of the students and had been invited to be guests of honor at the assembly. As soon as they started coming in the realization hit me that my freedoms were granted and are still protected by real people, people that were walking into the room at that very moment. People that were not only willing to sacrifice being at home with their own families, but willing to sacrifice their own lives if necessary in order for me to be free. Although I had always known this to be true it hit me how easy it is to watch the news, read history books and say that I am grateful for their sacrifice, but not really realize that it is real.
As the program commenced each Veteran introduced themselves and I had to stop and reflect about the people in my life who have served, Grandpa's, Uncles, Cousins, and Friends. I felt a deep sense of gratitude for those that I know and love that chose to serve our great country. Toward the end of the program they had a video/slide show presentation and the children recited the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Pledge of Allegiance. They also sang patriotic songs while the video played. Many of the songs as well as the Pledge of Allegiance mentioned God, and I realized that our country is great because God has made us great through his grace.
I am so incredibly grateful to live in a country where I am free.
I am so incredibly grateful to live in a district where my children can freely say the Pledge of Allegiance and sing songs that mention God.
I am so incredibly grateful that because of our free nation the true gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the Earth, and that I have knowledge of it.
and
I am so incredibly grateful for those men and women who have served, in any capacity, our country to grant me the freedoms I so often take for granted.
(and in case you were wondering.....Trevor did great! The video's are not the best, but here is what I got.)
