The Banner

I was literally driving all over the county.
I tried to plan my route so that I could make a square.
I needed to make stops at various places along the way.
This was a back road kind of day.

It was one of those lovely spring days when the sky was colored a springtime palette.
There is a blue in the spring sky that seems to appear only this time of year.
Perhaps that is just in my imagination.
The white puffy clouds against the spring blue sky brought me so much joy.

I had the windows open a bit.
It was still cool enough not to have them down all the way.
Music was playing.
Birds were singing.

I thought of how many people talk about spring cleaning.
Ridding out is another way of expressing the same idea.
Often, the talk is just talk.
Procrastination rather than motivation wins the day.

Not so on this day.
As I drove past farm after farm, I could smell it.
The sweet smell of the soil.
The fields had been meticulously turned over, ready for planting.

The spring blue sky, the puffy white clouds, and the sweet smell of earth blended together.
If one could bottle such a day, this would be it.
I knew that I could have taken a much shorter route.
However, going the longer way blessed my heart tremendously.

I drove on back roads except for one stretch.
There was no way of avoiding the one road, which was by no means a busy one.
It was just a road with traffic lights.
There was no way to avoid this road since it connected to a rural route I was seeking.

As I drove down the road, I noticed that there were banners hanging from every utility pole.
On each banner, there was a picture.
I could not see what the picture was since I was driving.
The pictures appeared to be different as I drove along.

It was not until I got to a red light that I could really see what was on the banner.
Each banner had a picture of a service member.
The banner included their name, branch, and years of service.
A sponsor’s name was on the bottom with the words, Lest we Forget.

After researching this banner program, I learned that there are 146 banners.
Each banner measures 24 inches by 48 inches.
The cost of each banner was $150.
It was hoped that these banners would inspire the younger generation.

When the banners were first hung from the poles, an American Gold Star Mother spoke.
She intended to challenge the community to honor the service men and women.
She wanted to make sure they are remembered.
She wanted to honor those who had fallen and those who continue to serve.

The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by our nation. (Lancaster Online, May 2013)

My heart was full as I passed each banner.
I was driving on hallowed ground in some sense.
The spring blue sky, the puffy white clouds, and the smell of earth served as backdrop.
I drove past the banners with respect and gratitude.

And then I turned the corner.
I was turning off the main street and onto a country road.
One lone buggy, driven by an Amish man with a long beard and straw hat, was in front of me.
A driver is allowed to safely pass an Amish buggy when it is clear to do so.

Not today.
Today, I quietly drove behind it for a short distance.
I watched the horse with his head held high.
I heard the sound of his hoofs on the road, making a quiet sound that matched my mood.

For a moment, the buggy vanished from my sight.
I envisioned a riderless horse with boots reversed in the stirrups.
Some of the banners had pictures of fallen soldiers; respect and honor are due them.
This horse in its simple majesty seemed to punctuate my mood as I finally drove by.

All the things I had seen on my drive seemed to come together.
I thought of the fields turned over ready for planting.
I thought of the smell of the earth as I drove by farm after farm.
I thought of the peaceful day and how it was secured by everyone on those banners.

I have the freedom to drive on a country road because of them.
I have the freedom to see, and hear, and taste, and smell the bounty our nation provides.
Our nation is not perfect; there are many problems.
However, we are free and everyone on those banners secured that freedom for us.

It was a solemn moment.
I passed an Amish schoolhouse with scooters leaning up against a fence.
I passed an Amish woman pulling two children in a wagon.
I passed an open carriage with three Amish men on their way to an unknown destination.

And we are free.

We have freedom in this country secured for us by those service men and women.
We have another kind of freedom secured for us in Christ.
Jesus secured our freedom from sin and death with His life.
Jesus died so that we can live with Him in Heaven for all eternity.

Just like the banners I saw as I drove, there is another banner.
Let him lead me to the banquet hall, and let his banner over me be love. (Song of Solomon 2:4)
Jesus’ banner over me and you is His love for us.
That love, through His death and resurrection, secured our eternal freedom.

Quietly ponder that Truth.
You and I have been set free by the One who died for us.
Take time to breathe it in.
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36)