Mondays with Mike: Memorial Day

Thanks for the feedback and engagement on last week’s extended interview with our Fine Arts students!  This week is another 2-parter. 

Part 1 is today, with a short devotional/reflection on Memorial Day. It follows immediately below and is meant to encourage our community on this national day of rememberance.

Part 2 is tomorrow, with interviews of our student-athletes across multiple sports. As we close out the school and competition year, we want you to hear from their perspective on both how the year has been and also what they are looking forward to. I know you will be inspired!

Part 1, Memorial Day Reflections, follows:

Listen on Podbean HERE (or click picture above–closed captioning provided) Listen on Spotify HERE

While it’s easy to mix up Veterans Day and Memorial Day, it’s crucial to understand that Memorial Day is dedicated to remembering those who died in service to our nation. This tradition began after the Civil War and has evolved into a national holiday, recognized since 1971 during the Vietnam War.

For many veterans and many families, today is an especially significant day of remembrance. If you know a veteran, I encourage you to be sensitive and inquire about their well-being. Connecting with them can be a meaningful way to honor this day.

Personally, I’ve been reflecting on my service and the incredible men and women I served with. People often wonder, was their sacrifice worth it? Does it mean anything, especially after we are no longer there where these warriors served and fell. I assure you:  they believed you were worth the sacrifice, regardless of your background or beliefs.

As Christians, we follow a God who deemed us worthy of the ultimate sacrifice He could make. Jesus, God, became human and laid down His life for us. Today, we remember those Americans who similarly gave their lives for others same on Memorial Day. “Greater love has no man than this, than to lay down his life for his friends,” said Jesus.  Ultimately, Memorial Day is about love, in the most wonderfully ironic and heartbreaking of ways.

So, amidst the celebrations and cookouts, let’s take a moment to reflect on what this day means for us personally, as a community, and as a nation. It’s more than the start of summer; it’s a call to joyfully follow our Lord and serve the world He loves, to be willing to give for others’ good, even if it costs us everything. Today we recognize those fellow countrymen who paid that price.

Thank you for listening. There’ll be an additional podcast tomorrow with great interviews from some amazing student athletes. God bless you.