Yoder: Poppies and Promises: Honoring Sacrifice on Memorial Day
By Kathy Yoder
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free” Luke 4:18 (NLT).
What do you think of when you think of Memorial Day? Maybe a cookout? Hamburgers and hot dogs? A time for dad to get out the barbeque and put on a silly apron? Time spent with family you don’t see every day? Do you put flowers on a loved one’s grave? Do you remember someone who gave their life in war? Is it just a long weekend with a much needed break?
When I think of Memorial Day I think of plastic red poppies. When I was a little girl veterans wearing hats and so many medals they clunked when they walked, would sell the poppies for a donation. They sat behind card tables set up in front of the grocery store. It was a beautiful sight. I remember thinking that some of those vets looked so old. I chuckle with the realization that they were probably younger than I am now.
The poppy stems had wires in them. We’d buy a shiny red poppy and wrap the stem around a button, proudly wearing it on our shirt. In a way, it was like a little medal for us kids. We didn’t have to sacrifice anything for it, not even our hard earned allowance. Our parents bought it for us.
We’d also go to the cemetery and put flowers next to the grave stones of loved ones who’d passed on. Some I remembered, some I did not. The one I don’t remember but will never forgot is my little brother Scotty, who died too young.
The cemetery was on top of a big hill with green grass and soft breezes. A gentle, quiet hush lived there that was only interrupted by bird song and an occasional squirrel chuckle. Sometimes I’d take off my poppy and leave it on one of the graves.
It wasn’t until I was an adult that I found out the meaning of the poppies. The Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion Auxiliary volunteers use the contributions to help veterans and their families. The poppy is a flower that is a recognized symbol of sacrifice and is worn in honor and memory of the men and women who have served and died for their country in all wars.
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).
In the World War I battlefields of Belgium, poppies grew wild amid the ravaged landscape. How could such a pretty little flower grow wild while surrounded by death and destruction? The overturned soils of battle covered the poppy seeds, allowing them to grow and to forever serve as a reminder of the bloodshed during that and future wars.
Years later, in my twenties, I was awarded a fellowship to travel to England with Friendship Force International to foster cross-cultural understanding. One day, I saw a flash of red on the other side of a stone wall. Climbing over, I discovered acres and acres of wild red poppies, instantly reminding me of those plastic ones from my childhood. That sight deepened my appreciation for the poppy’s connection to sacrifice.
I also heard a story about a small English village, where every road led to the town square with a life-sized statue of Jesus right in the middle. Jesus’ arms were outstretched, welcoming all. A plaque at His feet read: “Come to me, you who are weary and have heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Villagers gathered there for joy and sorrow. Children played, couples married, families prayed. During World War II, parents brought sons to pray over them before they left for battle. When the war ended, villagers returned to the statue, only to find that bombs had destroyed Jesus’ hands and feet. Some wanted to restore it, but a woman spoke up: “Leave it. We are His hands and feet in this world.” The villagers agreed, adding a new plaque: “We are the hands and feet of Jesus.”
May it be so. May we all be the hands and feet of Jesus today. May we each remember those who have sacrificed so much. Because of them, we live in freedom today. And may we all remember that true freedom comes from Jesus. He came to set the captives free. And He succeeded. He is the ultimate red poppy. In the midst of the death and the destruction of the cross, Jesus won. He came back from the dead. He is alive. Because He lives, we can also live. And that’s the most important thing to remember this Memorial Day and every day!
Kathy Yoder is a devotional writer. Reach her at Kathyyoder4@gmail.com and Kathyyoder.com.
