Learning to Lean

He was a poor farmer who stood with musket in hand upon Lexington Green. Facing him were representatives of the world’s most powerful military. But he stood because he leaned upon the principle that all men are created equal.

He faced 15,000 of the feared enemy along the angled rock wall on the third day of a ferocious and terrifying battle. Smoke and noise and the cries of men filled the air, but he stood because he leaned upon the principle that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

He climbed over the wall of earth into the death of no man’s land, into the biting teeth of Maxim machine guns, explosive ordnance, and barb wire. And still he moved forward because he heard the call of his nation and he leaned upon the principle that duty to God and country were standards upon which to live and die.

He jumped into the chilling waters off France and crawled along the sandy beaches of Normandy and did so under withering fire. He did his job as they all did their jobs because he leaned upon the principle that tyranny should not conquer liberty, that evil should not conquer good.

She ministered to the needs of the burn and wound victims as they were brought to her from the battle field. They had experienced some the worst that war had to offer and a tear filled her eye as she saw their pain. But she stood because she leaned upon the principle that all Americans must lean together upon the pillar of hope that this nation can and will endure any struggle to maintain its freedom.

They endured the cold and death of the Korean Peninsula; they waded through the rice paddies of Viet Nam, and risk all in the sands of the Middle East. But these men and women stood on the wall for all of us so all Americans could lean upon the principle that God has given us a sacred trust to preserve this nation that He has so blessed.

Today we lean upon the price these veterans paid for the preservation of our freedom. More than that, we lean upon a greater price paid at Calvary for a greater freedom offered by the Captain of our Salvation, our Lord, Jesus Christ. May we lean upon Him as we live our lives in His eternal service.