What's the cost of Freedom?

The cost of Freedom.....

I have a question I've asked myself and now want to ask you...Is freedom really free?

Before I give you my thoughts on what I perceive as the answer.....I want you to come with me.... in your imagination that is.

In our small home town every Memorial Day and Fourth of July we have a parade.....Impressed are you?

Well, perhaps before I run the risk of causing you to exert unnecessary mental energy trying to imagine what these parades might consist of.....I'll, well, ok---I'll just tell you how it is- then you'll decide if it's impressive or not;

These parades are not sophisticated, they are not showy, they are not so impressive as to cause people from "ALL AROUND" to come and view them......They are just a small home town " make it a parade" kind of thing.

In fact they are so long on hometown spirit that no one but a true outsider would ever see- if anything be lacking.

For the average town person the 2 days are a time of remembrance and a time of celebration.The first being a time of remembrance......of all those who fought in wars here or wars on another continent.

Remembering those we once knew or now know..... as well as those in general that fought and perhaps even gave their lives to buy our freedom.

I have a sad confession to make here-- for more years than I want to acknowledge--I've taken my freedom for granted.

Actually, am as guilty of not giving it even a thought most of the time....just doing life.....free to do life my way.

Well, as long as I am not breaking the law---I'm free to keep on keeping on with my journey called life.

As I am maturing in this thing called "my life's journey"

I seem to be paying more attention to the small & not so small things...for example the issues of freedom.......

Yes, I used a plural here because there are several types of freedom issues I want to talk about .....again from the grid of my life's experience.

Let us go back to my town's Memorial Day Parade just a month ago. As the pastor of yet another "small common white church in the center of town" gave the benediction closing out our corporate remembrance---she read a Poem titled " Freedom isn't Free".

It was very moving on many levels ---however, I was struck by the very title---struck so deeply that there was a stirring in my spirit, a stirring that I couldn't and certainly wouldn't ignore. (I have learned the hard way to not ignore these things.)

So as I stood there in an attitude of prayer, while the pastor read on---I knew that I could honestly say "Freedom isn't Free".....there is a cost to be payed, by someone, in some way.

Whether it be the lives of the soldiers whom we came to "give remembrance" of....or the 'cost of loss' paid by the family members....or perhaps a more costly price payed by a vet themselves---- that being--though they returned home from war they never gained there life back -- all because of the trauma of war that gripped their heart and mind.

Of all these losses I feel this is no doubt one of the toughest.....but how can I really know anything about it as I have never had to experience the reality of which I speak.....I truly can only imagine, and I am sure my imagination is PALE in comparison to the reality lived out thru the decades of the many wars our nation has fought in....

So truly our freedom has come at a great cost to many...let us not forget the price that was paid so we can be FREE to do life freely as we choose.

There is another kind of Freedom that isn't either free or without cost to someone(s). But this I will save for another post...for you have given me your ear, and you deserve a break.....see you soon....