no. 228 what a moment of silence means

in our house, well, it's loosely defined.

often by the comings and goings
of teenagers and children,
of company,
of friends,
of family,
of single soldiers stationed here-far far away from home
for whom we carve out a special place
where quiet is quite infrequent
but more often than not the noise is a welcome happy sound.
we create the clatter of this life to keep the rest of the world out.

until we can't
and then the moments disrupt our noise and silence consumes the sounds of life-

a by-line in the army paper, alerting us to the reality of
this life
and how in a moment of explosive violence
this life
is changed forever

a movie that sells out at our PX and in two hours creates a silence by taking your breath away
this life
and how so selflessly these soldiers give all
this life
is changed forever

a place where people prepare, support, and sustain loved ones by providing for the future
this life
and how never forgetting the love, honor, duty, and devotion
this life
is changed forever

WHAT do you do, in that moment of silence, WHAT?

giving thanks is so much more than the dollar you spent on that yellow ribbon magnet you've put on your car
giving thanks is so much more than the poppy you took from the VFW volunteer outside the grocery store today

it is more-more than an outward sign
it is more-more than a day off work
it is more.

my blog
my sermon
my challenge.
coming out of the silence on this post today
is yours.

stop being quiet
take your moments-
your silent moments-
and talk
to your children
to your family
to your neighbors
ABOUT
memorial day.

DO something.
don't make these moments of silence
moments that are easy to come by and easy to let go-
these moments SHOULD make you stop.

each moment signifies the exact second
that someone gave all
so that you didn't have to
and did so because
in the committment ceremony,
in their moment,
they said they would.

what does a moment of silence mean?

in memorium on this day
with respect and profound meaning for your lives
from this army family to all the others
our moment of silence begins now...