Always Remember
Table Talk
Setting the Table
You are welcome here. Come just as you are, bringing whatever is on your heart today. Take a few moments and allow yourself to just be. Take a couple deep breaths, grab yourself a cup of coffee, light a candle, do something that brings you comfort. Allow yourself to be present in this moment.
Remembering is a responsibility, a duty.
“Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them.”
– Franklin D. Roosevelt
Genesis 28:20-22
And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.”
Food for Thought
On May 30, 1868, Memorial Day (originally called Decoration Day) was first observed to honor the memories and gravesites of Civil War Union soldiers. Eventually the day became synonymous with honoring all military who died while fighting for our country. As an Army veteran, I believe that no organization has done more in the creation of pomp and ceremony than the U.S. military in memorializing fallen war soldiers – the uniforms, the folded flags, the men and women representing their branches of service marching in step. The swords, bugles, shouted commands, and the erect walk or stance of a soldier guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is something sacred to behold. Viewing the military’s detailed actions of respect for the dead and those left behind to mourn them can be breathtaking.
Memorial Day has now evolved into an official holiday, honoring the memories of non-military personnel as well. Civilians across the United States trek to cemeteries or visit final resting places of loved ones to honor their memories with flowers and prayers. While ceremony rituals like those mentioned above tug at our emotions, the actual front-facing presence of a granite headstone or stone marker is something quite different. These physical memorials allow one to visually remember lives, whether the person viewing them knew the deceased or not. The physical memorials shout to the world, “Look! Someone whose life mattered to others used to live on this earth, and we put this marker here to prove it.”
Jacob understood the importance of both a physical memorial marker and the emotional connection to it. His powerful encounter with the promises of God through a vision in Genesis 28 was something he didn’t want to forget. It convinced him to make a covenant with God by building a physical memorial using a stone ‘pillow’ he slept on during the vision. As an act of worship and faith, Jacob promised he would serve and tithe on the blessings God had promised once he returned from his journey. This building of a memorial to acknowledge God’s divine providence is the first one mentioned in the bible. The site was called Bethel, which means “holy place” and “house of God”.
Jacob was wise in understanding that remembering is a responsibility, an intentional duty. On Memorial Day we remember people via cemetery headstones, ashes, or grave markers, but remembering God’s grace via the heart memorial stones we consciously and subconsciously plant during our victories in Christ are important, too. The enemy may be sickness, crushing debt, unwanted divorce, or abuse, but just like Jacob experienced, God has promised that we are more than conquerors in what we face because He will never leave or forsake us.
It is necessary to pause daily in the holy place of memory (more often than we may do on Memorial Day) to remember the victories God has wrought in our lives through the death of Christ. As a veteran, I will proudly have my flags on display to honor the brave men and women who did not come back from war. As a widow and human being, I will mourn lost friends and family members. But as a Christian, I will pause and remember the memorial stones of ‘God events’ in my own life. Events that remind me of how real God is and how He has been faithful in keeping me and those I love.
Regardless of what scenario describes you as a person on this upcoming holiday, keep in mind that memorials are purposely chosen, sculptured, and created to make sure someone or something is not forgotten. Yes, enjoy our freedom as a nation thanks to the sacrifices of our war heroes. Attend the cookouts and re-opened pools, which are traditional entrances to the summer season. Celebrate and shop the sales as part of the day’s commercialization. But never forget the most important thing – we can do all these things because God covers us with His grace and promises while we sleep. Always remember.
This Memorial Day, honor someone who has gone before you, whether it be a fallen veteran or a loved one who has passed. You could visit their gravesite, display a symbolic flag, write a poem or journal entry honoring their memory, or share stories about them with a friend.
Take a moment and learn about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier – its history and the dedication of the soldiers who have guarded it for almost a century.
For a printable version of today's reflection Click Here!
Blessing
May I be alert to the Holy Spirit’s promptings on Memorial Day to pause in the midst of my activities to remember the soldiers who fought and died so I could live free in this country. Show me, Lord, how to build memorials in my heart or physically as individual reminders of how you have kept your promises to me.
A little Table Talk for your table...
Share about something God has done in your life worthy of building a memorial or “Bethel”, like Jacob did to thank God.
What activities have been a part of your most memorable Memorial Day?
If you don’t typically do anything to honor fallen soldiers, brainstorm ways you can be more intentional in showing respect for them this Memorial Day.
Try taking it to the Kids Table...
Turn Memorial Day into an educational moment! Teach your child about the holiday and the history of the traditions we now associate with it.
Explain the reason flags are flown on Memorial Day. Perhaps display a flag of your own, big or small, in memory of the soldiers who fought for it.
If you’d like to take this day to honor the memory of a loved one, how can you share that sacred moment with your child? Could you share stories with your kiddo about that person, take your child with you to place flowers on your loved one’s gravesite, or maybe your kiddo could draw them a picture or write them a note.
Meet Our Welcoming Voice!
Jacki-Lynn Baynks is a veteran of the US Army. She is an educator, author, and licensed and ordained minister. She is passionate about creating successful after-school partnerships between urban churches and public schools to keep at-risk kids off the streets and Black churches involved in education. She has recently relocated from Charlotte, NC to a quiet suburb outside of Philadelphia to be closer to her family and grandchildren and to prepare for a new position at Temple University's School of Public Health.
To hear more from Jacki-Lynn throughout the week, follow along on our Instagram!
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