polish pioneers

remembering

In Poland, as in America, we are celebrating a national holiday. Poles are celebrating their Independence Day as Americans are celebrating Veterans Day. I am obviously not the history buff in our family nor an exceptionally patriotic person, but I have come to appreciate certain things as a result of living in Poland for only a short time. As I have learned about the tumultuous past of this country, I have become increasingly appreciative for the freedoms I have as an American. I am grateful to people in Poland and in America who have taken risks to secure freedoms which citizens of both countries now enjoy. I enjoyed this exerpt of today's LCMS devotion which acknowledged the significance of this day:

Today is a day for remembering persons, human acts, and events through whom and through which the merciful goodness of God overrode the evil of humanity to grant blessings to many parts of the world. There is much of human failure in the records of the wars in which people serve their countries, much that demands repentance, much of which we cannot be proud. But there is likewise much for which we need to be humbly grateful to God and to those who served us well. We surely pray and work for peace, but when war is unavoidably thrust on us, may God turn it to good.

God of the nations, we thank You for the service of our veterans. We ask You to be with those who now serve. Amen.

(See http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=1066&devodate=11%2F11%2F2005 for the full devotion.)

posted by Polish Pioneers @ 10:48 AM