Take 5 with Kathy - "Remember..."

Today is Remembrance Day in Canada and it is also being observed in many other countries of the British Commonwealth. Our American friends refer to it as Veteran’s Day. We specifically remember the armistice signed at 11:00 AM on the 11^th day of the 11^th month, 1918, which brought an end to the First World War. As other great wars have been fought and ceased, we also remember the many civil conflicts, acts of terrorism, and on-going hostilities that shatter the lives of people around the globe. We must never forget.

Remember those who have fallen

Their ultimate sacrifice

The unselfish gift

Of life

For those left behind

 

Remember the innocent

Caught in the crossfire

Thoughtlessly robbed

Of a future

Helpless victims snuffed out

 

Remember the wounded

Bloodied hands reaching skyward

Being quickly drained

Of hope

Lying in chilled muddy fields

 

Remember the survivors

Grieving widows, terrified orphans,

The agonizing pain

Of living

Without precious loved ones

 

Remember the devastation

Burning rubble, splintered homes

The putrid stench

Of death

Lying forgotten in the streets

 

Remember the homeless

Trudging wearily in mass

Bearing the weight

Of what’s left

Only memories to take forward

 

Remember the aftermath

Teary hollow eyes

Surveying twisted ruins

Of a homeland

Devoid of all familiar

 

Remember the rebuilding

Landscapes taking new shape

Hills crudely formed

Of debris

Someone once called home

 

Remember the price

Paid on our behalf

Forget not the blessing

Of freedom

Take nothing for granted

 

Remember…

We must remember…

We will not forget…

 

“Remember what happened long ago; acknowledge that I alone am God and that there is no one else like me. From the beginning I predicted the outcome; long ago I foretold what would happen. I said that my plans would never fail, that I would do everything I intended to do.” (Isaiah 46:9-10, Good News Translation)

Until next Sunday,

Kathy