This is Memorial Day weekend. Too many people think of it only as a holiday—not as a day to honor those who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. In our area many are upset because plans to have three days of nonstop recreation have been upset by the stormy weather. How sad so little appreciation is shown for those who paid with their lives that we can enjoy freedom.
Today mother and I placed flowers on family graves. It was such a joy to see the rows of flags decorating the entrances of the well-groomed cemeteries. Local civic organizations carefully put small flags on the graves of veterans. We saw volunteers decorating graves of people whose children are probably also buried in the cemetery in another plot. 
Because my ancestors homesteaded on this area of the plains, many of my relatives are buried in small rural cemeteries. I learned much about my ancestors as Mother told family stories. One of the graves I visited was of a distant grandfather whose service in the Civil War is proudly etched into his gravestone. I wondered. Would I have had the courage to stand up for what I believed to be right in a war in those divisive times? Do I have the courage to stand up for my beliefs in today’s troubled world?
Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 2:3