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Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.
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Veterans: Gratitude For Their Service

The bottom line in regards to military service is this: where would the rest of us be without those veterans who have served in the armed forces?
Rebecca LuElla Miller on Nov 11, 2019
1 comment

Today here in the US we are celebrating Veterans’ Day, a holiday that differs from Memorial Day (which honors those who died in military service) and from the 4th of July (which celebrates the nation’s birth).

I’m not a military person. And believe it or not—this is rare these days—I was raised as a pacifist. I had an uncle, for example who did not go into the service during World War II but chose to do an alternative service.

But as I’ve studied Scripture, I’ve concluded that pacifism applied to military service isn’t really something God teaches. I’m sure others disagree. Nevertheless, I’m at a point in my life that I realize how great the sacrifices are which our military personnel make. And their spouses and children, parents and extended family. So whether someone believes in the importance of a strong military or not, I think it’s right to honor our veterans—those who have given their time and ability to the service of their nation.

These veterans need more than just a “thanks for your service.” It’s an easy line to give to a veteran, but it’s pretty shallow, although I don’t have a better one.

What is better is friendship. I don’t know much about reaching out to a veteran who has lived with trauma, and is finally coming home, but it seems those who adjust the best have someone they trust and cam talk to. Someone who will be sure they don’t spend their birthday alone, that sort of thing. But more importantly, someone who will love them enough to listen, who will pray with them, who will open up the Bible and help them to gain God’s perspective. Because any veterans who have been in combat, and even those who haven’t, have seen an ugly side of life.

They need God’s perspective on what they’ve lived through.

The bottom line is this: where would the rest of us be without those veterans who have served in the armed forces?

So for Veterans Day, I want to thank God for giving us brave people willing to sacrifice for all the rest of us, willing to defend our nation, our belief in democracy and free speech and freedom of religion. These are values that have shaped our country and spread to other places in the world. But they are not universal, and they do need to be defended.

That our service personnel are willing to put their lives on the line, to step up and do the work to defend what we all enjoy, means more than I can ever express. We are blessed to have brave Marines and infantry, seamen and airmen, the Coast Guard and all those special ops individuals. It really is amazing to think that so many people are willing to set aside a desire for fame or wealth or comfort or ease to step up and stand in the gap for the rest of us.

I am so very grateful for the veterans who have served our country.

For other Spec Faith articles related to Veterans’ Day, visit the search results page on the topic.

Rebecca LuElla Miller
Best known for her aspirations as an epic fantasy author, Becky is the sole remaining founding member of Speculative Faith. Besides contributing weekly articles here, she blogs Monday through Friday at A Christian Worldview of Fiction. She works as a freelance writer and editor and posts writing tips as well as information about her editing services at Rewrite, Reword, Rework.
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  1. Travis Perry says:
    November 13, 2019 at 12:30 pm

    I enlisted in the Army Reserve in 1989 to help pay for college. In less than two years I was serving in a hospital unit in the United Arab Emirates during the Gulf War. In 2004 I became an officer, then as artillery, now in the specialty of Civil Affairs. My military service has as of now involved a total of six deployments, taking me during armed conflict to Iraq and Afghanistan and under more peaceful circumstances to around 30 other countries, including nations in Europe, East Africa, Central Asia, and Central America (with a few outliers like Chile and Togo). Not to mention that there have been around a dozen US states and territories, to include Puerto Rico, that the only reason I went there was because of military training.

    My military training and experiences have given me a great deal of opportunity to see and do things I would otherwise never have done. Yet those benefits did not come without some steep personal costs.

    I feel strange about being thanked for my service. At certain moments I’ve appreciated it very much, but at other times it feels awkward–after all, my service had to do with me and my family more than service to the country. Though I did care about serving the county.

    But anyway, on behalf of all veterans: You’re welcome.

    Reply

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