What does Memorial day really mean to you? Sure, you go and watch parades, salute the flag, put flowers on the graves of your loved ones, but have you ever stopped to consider what this day commemorates to those who have lost loved ones while serving our country so that you ca be free. Young wives who kissed their new husbands good-bye, never to have them return again or returned in a pine box. Parents who watched their children go off to war wondering if they would ever see them again. All of those kids, yes kids, who were drafted or enlisted during Viet Nam, how many do you know that left with smiles o their faces only to return from the war zone beaten and battered with lasting nightmares and effects of the war - a war they supported but returned as not heroes, but hated and despised by their own countrymen? Those patriots of years ago who went off to save the nation, either by joining the Confederacy or the union soldiers, fighting against their own brothers and relatives, defending their right to live in a free country where ALL MEN are created equal. Or even those earlier than that those who fought to make this country free, a country where we could attend the church of our choice and have a vote in our own government. The first and second World Wars were not fought on our soil, but fought in foreign countries, thousands of mile from home, our soldiers defending others' rights and keeping our country free from oppression. We are a free democracy - let us continue to fight to keep it that way. If you see a service person today, shake their hand and thank them for their service. If you see a veteran, probably proudly wearing a hat from their branch of service, shake their hand, thank them for their service and watch the their eyes tear up in thanks to you for recognizing their sacrifice for you. And pray for the families who members never returned.
The weather is really heating up in S Texas as summer bears own on us. It is the start of the hurricane season, with one already named and gone on already. We keep a watchful eye on the weather and the hurricane watch in order to be prepared to flee to safer areas if necessary. We have been so blessed already and pray that God continues to keep everyone safe form danger.
Our Tuesday distribution is coming to and end this Tuesday, as Ida is really overwhelmed with taking care of Tuesday and Friday distribution. Those who come on Tuesday to receive the blessing of food and clothing have agreed to come on Friday in order to lighten the load on all of us. Although it will mean more folks will will be poicking up food baskets and checking out donated clothing, we will be able to keep up with them. Summer is more difficult as the kids will be home from school and need to be fed during the day. The schools offer free breakfasts or lunches, but the folks in the colonias have no way of getting their kids to the schools as the buses do not run in the summer.
Fred will end his extra duties of mowing in the park this week - so will begin to make improvements in the distribution area in the colonias. He and another gentleman, Brother Sandoval, will put down a floor under the area where the ladies fill the baskets (boxes but we call them baskets) so that they are not walking on uneven ground or in the mud when the rains come. It will also give us both time to catch our breaths and listen to what the Lord has in store for us.
Our Sunday School class today focused on Time - how we use the time we have everyday. We often say we did not have time to do this or that, but what we really mean is that we did not make time. One of the reference was Ecclesiastes 3 - "To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven". We discussed a season - not literally a summer, fall, winter spring season ( oh my - remember Princess Summer Fall Winter Spring from the Howdy Dooty Show?)!! Back to Ecclesiastes - not a season of the year, but really a season in our lives. When we learned how to walk and then run - to talk, to eat by ourselves, all of our school years, our going out in the world alone, our early married year and early parent years. then our empty nest years - many of us are in the final seasons of our lives, perhaps not in mind but certainly sometimes in our body. There is a time for all phases of our lives and all those things that affect our lives. We just need to realize when that time comes and react to it accordingly. We need to listen to the voice of the Lord as He reminds us of the season changes and embrace the change just as we embrace the changing seasons of the year. Did you realize that it was just in the late 1800's that the world began to adopt the universal time? 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day, seven days in a week, 52 weeks in a year?? Amazing - France at one time wanted to have 100 seconds in a minute, 100 minutes in an hour, etc. but abandoned that and joined the rest of the world in a universal time. Not the time zones, but a standard for measuring time. Not so long ago was it??? So how do you define time??? We are always checking our watches, checking the time, figuring what time is our next appointment or chore, or bedtime. Make the best use of your time folks - you can never bring back that last minute.
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