There are so many who have given their lives for our country.  As a spouse of a retired military man, I have seen the men leave and known of some who did not return.  My heart goes out to the families left behind.  My prayer is that their loved one knew the Lord, so he or she is now in a better place.  But there are wives who lost their best friend and lover, children who lost their father and parents who lost a child.  It is for them that I write this post.  I remember the sacrifice that their loved one gave…a life that we will never know how much promise it held.  Thank you, USAF, US Army, USN, US Coast Guard and USMC.  Thank you for being willing to sacrifice.  And thank you to those left behind who know what they are risking each time they say good-bye.  Jesus Christ was our example, laying down His life for all of us.  We are blessed to be a nation in which we can worship the Lord and for which brave men and women are still willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.  May you meditate on what it means to serve and sacrifice, for both the active duty member and the family.