A Joyous Perspective on Service: Because you were called...

(This post includes several pictures of the men and women who served alongside my son, Seth. They will be forever a part of our family)
It's Friday, and time for another Friday Night Thought Tale with the Henderson's. While here in the US we have been preoccupied with a little thing called a Presidential Election, I have tried to keep my focus this week also on what we remember today. Each November 11at 11:11 am we pause to honor and recognize those who have served our country in the Military. And while this service might bring up in you various emotions and opinions, please stay with me as I share with you a bit about an important aspect of service we can often overlook. We usually come upon those serving in some capacity as they are midstream, and we missed the paramount beginnings of why they are there at all. We assume it was a choice or an obligation or perhaps an order. It becomes a little minimalized in those terms. But for me, those who seem to do the most with their service have instead maximized the reason for it. Because - 

They are there because they answered a call.

Not a literal call, but an internal, somewhat pesky call that won't go away. There was something different than the status quo activities that they needed to do with their life. They could ignore it, even if the Government said otherwise, or they could answer it. I am certain many of them gulped hard as they

signed their name on the 'enlistment' papers. Called service does that to you. It reminds you of its gravity and its seriousness. But off they went, and they went without knowing whether they would return to talk about it.

That's the part of service that I call 'Valor'...

val·or

ˈvalər/Submit

noun

great courage in the face of danger, especially in battle.

"the medals are awarded for acts of valor."

synonyms: bravery, courage, pluck, nerve, daring, fearlessness, audacity, boldness, dauntlessness, stout-heartedness, heroism, backbone, spirit; informal: guts, true grit, spunk; moxie.

No time to argue, but that doesn't preclude any ongoing struggle with the decision. A day to day of doing what is required and what is necessary. Answering to leaders who do not always tell you that you are appreciated. Some will see battle up close, and others will only see it from afar. They serve those who may never say thank you. Some earn medals of recognition and others just do their time of service and return home to pick up where they left off. Forever changed. 

And for those of us who did not have that kind of calling, they deliver an important example.

You see, we all have experienced a call to service in our life. It might appear once and encapsulate everything you become. It also might reappear and change throughout your time here on Earth. But no matter what, those who answer the call to serve in a military capacity demonstrate the importance of listening to the voice inside. Even that small act of valor, listening to the call and acting upon it, can change the course of your world. It will most definitely change you. 

Answering a call of service will change you. 

And give you an opportunity to expand upon those changes. To teach others how to serve and to find even more ways to fulfill the calling. It's not about the recognition or the validation. It's about the duty to the calling. 

So tonight, Chris and I will raise a glass to our Veterans with a symbolic red, white and blue shot. I call it "Service is Calling" to commemorate the day. May all of you who are holding your calling at bay take a lesson from these women and men who answered theirs. Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do about it today. Cheers, Friends! 

Service is Calling Shotail***

1 oz of Rum Chatta

1 oz of Grenadine

1 oz of Blue Curacao

Layer each, beginning with the chatta and ending with the Curacao. They will swirl together, just like true Americans. Cheers!

***Always drink responsibly. Never drive after consuming alcohol. Take an Uber.