Honoring Others When We Are Dishonored

This past weekend our daughter, Cristine, served as a guardian on an Honor Flight to Washington D.C. If you aren’t familiar with Honor Flights, they are a wonderful way our country has chosen to honor military veterans. The veterans are flown free of charge to our nation’s capitol and honored with a dinner and ceremonies at the war memorials in D.C. Cristine was blessed to assist two veterans from Vietnam.

The trip began with a bus ride from Fort Collins to the Denver airport. She said that all along the way policemen, firemen, and others stood at the major crossroads saluting the veterans as they traveled by. That was just the beginning of an amazing two days in which gratitude and honor were poured out upon the men and women who served our nation so faithfully.

Cristine and I cried together as she shared the events of the two days. Years ago as a Navy nurse I cared for many returning injured from Vietnam. I remember the dishonor many of them suffered in our country at that time and it was such a blessing to hear of the honor poured out on them now.

Another thing brought tears to my eyes as well. Three years ago the abandonment and betrayal that led to divorce had crushed our daughter’s tender heart. Since then she has received counsel and has placed her life in the Lord’s hands completely. It has blessed me to watch the Lord heal and restore her wounded heart. It has been a joy to see life and vision return to her. Now it is an even greater blessing to see her move beyond her own needs and focus on the lives of others.

Her life is making a difference for others. She has reached out to so many other wounded people, bringing them hope and joy in the Lord. Does she have moments of loneliness? I’m sure she does, but she chooses to reach out and not focus within. She has always been a giving person, but the crisis of her own life has brought a new depth of tenderness and love to her caring.

We have choices in life when we are dishonored, when we are mistreated, and when we are wounded by others. Only Jesus can truly heal the depth of hurt within us. We can’t just put on a happy face and determine to have a better day.

Part of healing is forgiving, part of it is resting in His arms. And a huge part of it is determining what we will do with our lives. Scripture tells us, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” [Proverbs 23:7]

What we allow ourselves to dwell upon determines our direction.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says, For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…” The enemy’s goal is to bring us to a standstill. He wants our hurt and pain to drag us down and keep us from moving forward in God’s plan for our life.

We must be the ones who determine what we will allow our thoughts to dwell on. Philippians 4:8 tells us, “whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things..”

When we have been wounded by the enemy’s attack on our marriage, there are a lot of things we can choose to think about. Whichever ones we choose will determine how we live our life. “Therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” [Deuteronomy 30:19] Love, Marilyn