Veterans Day - a little early

I will be out until next Thursday to attend a memorial service for my Grandfather. He passed away earlier this summer but we had to wait until next week to have him interned in Arlington National Cemetery. Our nation's WWII veterans are passing away at the rate of about a thousand men and women a day. Arlington performs many, many ceremonies every day. So many that my Aunt and Uncle had to wait this long. I have heard it said that our veterans fight and die for the very freedoms that we take for granted. The right to vote for our governing body is not a universal experience. The ability to smear and disagree vocally with our governing bodies. Very few other countries know first hand what we enjoy. To support our soldiers is not just a call for them to come home. It is not just to tell them that we support them. It is learning about what they experienced, and not judging what they went through. Like Theodore Rososevelt once said, "it is not the critic who coumts, but the one who steps in the ring". In Vietnam and in Iraq today - all that the American public hears about day in and day out are the casualties. Both American and civilian. Not about the lives that were saved from oppresive regimes. Not about the schools or hospitals that were built. Not about the people who now are able to leave their homes and go to the market. You want to support out troops? Go out and proclaim these victories! Go out and wave the flag of their success! Because if our men and women die and those who remain come home and all they hear about is the death... what pride are they going to feel in themselves when no one remembers their accomplishments? Our WWII veterans achieved a great and wonderful thing. They removed three very oppresive regimes. Regimes responsible for the deaths of tens, maybe even hundreds of thousands. But do you know what it took for America to get involved? It took Pearl Harbor. It took us getting a black eye before we interviened. Prior to that the Japanese had invaded most of Asia and inflicted many injustices upon Korea and China. Hitler had invaded most of Europe and interned an entire piece of the European culture known as the Jews (and others "less desirable"). I once read a Chinese tale. I do not know if the story is true, or if it is just a proverb - but it rings true. This is to the best of my memory so please bear with me... The Emperor of China was walking with his physician in his garden. The Emperor asked his physician, "Who is the greater physician, you or your brother?" The physician replied, "my brother is the greater. He sees illness a far off, before it takes form and treats it. Where as I treat the illness after it has taken form, and therefor I receive the greater recognition. but my brother treats it before it is widly known." Hindsight is 20/20. Epsecially when there are things to be seen in hindsight. But if something is prevented where is the concreate, without doubt, type proof? There is none. There are a lot of things I do not agree with in regards to those who govern this country (and my state and city), but God has inplaced all authority on this Earth. Democrat, Republican. Democratic and dictator. I do not understand it all but I do know it all works together for His glory. If you want to support our troops (and this goes for the other nations with soldiers in harms way) do not pound and beat down all the bad that is going on - seek out the good that has been accomplished - and rejoice and proclaim those accomplishments. Then you are supporting those soldiers and sailors. Updates: Samurai Yarns Verse for today: Colossians 1 : 15-20, ESV The Preeminence of Christ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by [6] him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.