Cheryl’s brother, Keith, had a dental convention in Washington, DC, last month, and he asked Dad and Mom to come along. A new monument had been dedicated to Dad and his generation. Dad did not feel well enough to be there at its dedication on Memorial Day, 2004. He can get “panicky” in large crowds.
This year was a better time, so he and Mom went to see the World War II Memorial, while Keith went to his convention in another part of the city. (If you want to see its elegant beauty, “Google” “World War II Memorial” on your computer, … and be grateful.)
The National Park Service oversees the Memorial, and it maintains a registry of the 16 million who served in our armed services during the Second World War, including the 400,000 who died. A veteran can be registered through records and people, and veterans can register themselves. When an entry has been validated by the armed services, the person’s name and service is displayed.
If you want to see Dad’s entry, look up “Fred Ray, Keystone, West Virginia.” His name is there, for all of us to remember.
As time passes on, a Dad is concerned about his legacy. A man would like to know that his life was not lived in vain, that he made a valuable contribution to the world in which he lived. His memory in the minds of those who knew him will be the remaining tangible evidence that he ever lived. He is concerned that he be remembered, that his life as a Dad and husband will be appreciated.
Memory of a deceased person keeps them “alive” in the minds of future generations, but, eventually, people in the future will forget. How much do you know about your great-great grandfather, for instance? You had one. What was his name? Where was he born? Where did he live? What did he do for a living? What did his contemporaries think about him? More importantly, was he a Christian?
I am glad that we deal with our wonderful Heavenly Father, Who does not forget a single attribute of anyone who will ever live on His planet! Paul had that assurance (II Tim. 1:12). God’s Holy Spirit declared it (Rev. 14:13).
My generation and our children built a memorial to gratefully remember the sacrifices the Greatest Generation made for us. God doesn’t need one. What God did through His Son to free man from sin will be remembered for all eternity! That is God’s greatest legacy!
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