Honoring others on Memorial Day and Beyond

I love Memorial Day. Although it is great to have a three day weekend and with BBQs with friends and family, Memorial Day is about more than that. Memorial Day is a time to remember and honor those who gave their lives for America. This is a true American holiday because we take time to honor those Americans who died in battle defending our country. And honoring them is exactly what we should do.

But honoring those we lost doesn’t have to be reserved for just Memorial Day weekend. In fact we should honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice throughout the year AND we should honor people in general. There are people all around us who make sacrifices for us. Whether it was a parent, family member, co-worker, friend or someone else entirely, there are people in our lives who have sacrificed so much for us. That is why we should take opportunities like Memorial Day to honor those around us. Honor those who gave their lives for us, but also those who made an impact in our lives.

How can you do this?

• Honor those lost and their families. As great of a time it is for so many of us, this is a really hard time for a lot of others. Even though we are not in an active war currently, families have lost loved ones in military action. And, even if you take it a step further, people have lost loved ones period. Whether they are in the military or not, there have been loved ones lost recently. As I posted last year, take time to honor them by being a listening ear or caring soul. Be there for them as they share stories and their emotions.
• Honor those around you. Honor is a really big, broad word. There are lots of ways you can do this, not just on Memorial Day but daily. Honoring someone is to show great respect and to hold someone in high esteem. Whether you agree with everyone or not, you can honor them and respect them. You can treat them in a godly way. After all, Jesus said to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 10:30-31). He didn’t say love them sometimes or only love those who love you. He said love everyone as you do yourself. Love and honor are closely aligned. So love those around you. Honor those around you. Respect those around you. Do all these things daily and see how God uses that to minister to them.

Memorial day weekend is the unofficial start to summer. It’s nicer outside, families and friends have BBQs, the pools are open. There is a lot to celebrate and it is perfectly fine to celebrate. But lets honor people as well. Let’s honor those who gave their lives by remembering the sacrifice they made. But let’s also honor those living. Honor your parents, your siblings, your co-workers, the person in the grocery line in front of you. Honor them.

What do you think? How have you honored those around you and now gone on Memorial Day and beyond? Share below or on social media using #ymsidekick when you share.