Veterans Day honors veterans who have sacrificed their lives for the freedom of our country.
Many paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives. For many others, they returned alive, but their lives will never be the same. Many of these men and women who returned have scars.
Some of those scars can be seen from traumatic wounds that few of us could endure. And, some of those scars go deeper than we will ever know. Many have suffered, and continue to suffer from mental and emotional scars that may run so deep, we will never reach the bottom of those scars.
These veterans are honored every year on this day in November. But, these are not just veterans of war, these are also veterans of everyday life. Their war on the battlefield may be over, but their struggle on the ‘homefield’ is waged every day. For some, there is a war within them on the field of everyday life.
Military veterans have provided us the privilege and the freedom to choose a way of life. But, because of physical, mental, and emotional scars, for some of them, the way of everyday life has been chosen for them.
Everyday both military and non-military people fight battles within their own lives. Some have wars that rage against their physical, mental, and emotional being. They fight wars within their own soul. They scar, but they survive.
Perhaps you are a veteran of life. Maybe you are a veteran of personal wars, a personal tragedy, and personal injury. These wars may be because of choices you have made, or choices made for you and even to you. You did not choose the scars you received. However, you survived!
Hopefully, you are more than a survivor of your war, you are victor! You have overcome the battle that has waged against you. You have won the wars inside you. If you are a faith-based person, “Greater is He that is in you…”
Why have you experienced this? Just as only military veterans can relate to other veterans of the things seen or done, only another veteran can understand. In everyday life, only you can share those experiences. Only you can help those people who are still in the battle. Only you can truly understand. Only you can come alongside and help them become victors.
Our veterans have provided us the freedom to pursue victories in our own lives. As veterans of everyday life, let’s help bring freedom to others who are fighting the same battles that we have won. In honor of this Veteran’s Day – no one left behind.
