Scripture: Psalm 33:12–15, John 10:18, Romans 5:8, Matthew 25:37–40
Introduction
Each year on November 11, we celebrate Veteran’s Day. We honor those who have served in the military to defend and protect our country and freedoms. This service project is an excellent way to thank them for all they have done for us.
Refreshment Ideas:
The following website gives excellent recipes for patriotic food ideas: https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/patriotic-recipes-4th-of-july-cookout/
Decorations:
Mason jars can often be found in the corps kitchen, or the women may be willing to donate some from their homes. Add rice that has been dyed red to the jars, along with small American flags. Simple white tablecloths would make the centerpieces pop. Scatter white and blue candy on the tables as a fun snack. Print out Veterans Day quotes and ask the women to share them when they assemble the jars. The following website is a good source for quotes: https://www.countryliving.com/life/g24793588/veteran-day-quotes/.
Service Project:
Crafts Using Mason Jars
The following website has additional items for easy crafts using mason jars, which could be distributed to a VA Facility: https://www.prudentpennypincher.com/mason-jar-4th-of-july-crafts/
Hot Chocolate Mugs
Assemble small gift bags containing hot chocolate mugs filled with a hot cocoa mix and marshmallows. Add encouraging cards that the women have written thanking the veterans for their service and assuring them that they have not been forgotten. Deliver the bags to a VA Facility.
Guest Speaker Options:
Asking a local veteran or watching a video of a veteran talking about why they served would be inspiring and informative. The links below contain a testimonial and some historical facts about Veterans Day.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEvkJRPv4TQ
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1wwJv_ndGM
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWD4Oy6fKlo
A Life of Service
Some of what I learned about Veterans Day I learned at school. But the majority of what I learned was from my Father, who loves history. As a family, we attended Veterans Day parades, toured old army bases and bunkers in Northern California, and enjoyed seeing old tanks. However, it wasn’t until I married my husband that I heard personal stories about military individuals.
My Father–in–law and mother–in–law came from military families. They met at the swimming pool in Fort Benning when they were teenagers. My husband’s grandfather served in the U.S. Army. Colonel Don Hanson served faithfully, and even though I never had the chance to meet him, his flag is displayed proudly in our living room. Lieutenant Colonel Don Vest also served in the Army and shared his stories with me every time I saw him. In addition, my husband has many uncles and aunts who are veterans. When I speak to them, I can feel a sense of pride in serving our country. But, as they share their war stories, the pain from losing friends and seeing war casualties are also evident.
Serving our nation comes at a cost. All veterans in our country were willing to lay down their lives for this country and its people. What a selfless act of service. When a new member of the Army joins a military branch, they are sworn in and promise to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” (https://www.todaysmilitary.com/joining-eligibility/enlisting-military)
Our veterans worked hard, spent time away from their families, and encountered dangers that often haunt them for years. Yet, they sacrificed for the freedoms we now have, which is a reason to be thankful to them. We live in a great nation, it may not be perfect, but it is a great nation (Psalm 33:12). We have many freedoms and rights in our country because of the sacrifices made by veterans.
When we look at the Bible, we see that Jesus willingly gave His life for us (John 10:18). Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom of sin. Jesus showed His love by dying on a cross. Jesus is the prime example of how we should serve. Knowing that Christ is our example of service and that He sacrificed His life for us should be enough for us to say thank you and live a life of thankfulness. God loved us even while we were sinners (Romans 5:8). Our desire should be to serve others by following Jesus’ example. Willingly, we should give of ourselves to help those in need, just like our veterans gave of themselves and dedicated their life to serving our country. We should also give our life to serve our heavenly Father and help those He’s called us to serve. When we serve those around us at the corps or in our community, let’s remember that we are serving them in Jesus’ name (Matthew 25: 37–40).
As the next generation grows, our job is to teach them that Jesus is our ultimate example of living a life of service to others. Knowing this, we can show them that veterans are a modern example of living a life of service. So as we go and deliver these small gifts of appreciation to our veterans, let’s remember to thank them for their service personally.
Let’s Pray
Father God, I come before You today to say thank you. Thank You for loving us and saving us. Father, thank You for our veterans. God, I ask You to bless the men and women who have dedicated their lives to serving our country. I pray that You will give them Your peace. Thank you for giving them the desire to serve. God, I pray that You would send Your protection to those still serving and send Your healing hand on those who are suffering. I pray that You will strengthen their families and bring comfort to those who have lost loved ones and friends. We love You, God. Thank You for listening to us. Amen.
