Let Us Remember!

Friends today is Friday before Memorial Day which is Monday. In Hebrews 11 and verse 4 we read about Abel. It says by faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain” and as the verse concludes it says, “and through faith though he is dead he still speaks.”

As I looked at the brick among many bricks in this World War II memorial the name on the brick would not mean much to you. Under the name were these words…Pacific, Okinawa and China. But this brick means a lot to me. For you see the name on the brick is my Dad’s. John W. Navarre. He served during World War II. He died 7 years ago. When I stand and look at this memorial brick…I remember.

Here’s a poem from a man named John Lyttle on this Memorial Day weekend to encourage us TO NEVER FORGET BUT TO REMEMBER:

Stand by my grave and remember
Come, stand by my grave and weep
Hang your head low but lift up your cry
Unfurl the banner let the flags fly
And never forget the life that I gave
Today is the day to stand by my grave…and remember

Stand by my grave and remember
Come, stand by my grave and weep
However, whenever, wherever I died
Why, how much or whoever has cried
Just never forget the life that I gave
For the land of the free and the home of the brave
Today is the day to stand by my grave…and remember

Stand by my grave and remember
Come stand by my grave and weep
Just think of the things I have missed through the years
I felt none of the joy and shed none of the tears
So never forget the life that I gave
For the land of the free and the home of the brave
Unfurl the flag, long may it wave
Today is the day to stand by my grave…and remember

Stand by my grave and remember
Come, stand by my grave and weep
Remember, my troubles and trials are through
Weep but the weeping is really for you
Still never forget the life that I gave
For land of the free and the home of the brave
Unfurl the flag, long may it wave
O’er the country I died to protect and save
Today is the day to stand by my grave…and remember
Most of us live and labor under the delusion that hardly anyone cares what we do…and that nobody will care when we are gone.

This is not true…the first person to ever experience physical death upon this planet according to Hebrews 11:4…still speaks. And as I look at the brick that bears the name of my Dad…I REMEMBER.