Today is Memorial Day. I will fire up the grill and throw on burgers and dogs and generally chill out. Many of you will spend the day at the lake (it’s a little chilly on the mountain to consider that) and lots of folks will spend time with family and friends.

I was reminded yesterday that the predecessor to Memorial Day was Decoration Day. Now, we’ve talked many times about Decoration Day here – and we’ll surely revisit that subject again.

I want to argue that Memorial Day is different – and for many of you who served under the Red, White and Blue I know it’s a much heavier day.

Just to recap, as I’ve mentioned here before, following the Civil War, Confederate widows and families sought to remember their fallen heroes and dedicate one Sunday each year to tend to their graves. This holiday quickly grew to cover all graves. Every church designated a special Sunday when we’d dress in our best, travel to family burial grounds, lay flowers and reminisce. It is a joyous day with family, friends and neighbors.

Today, we have over 16 million, living veterans (according to USA facts). While most of those men and women will tell you that today is about their fallen comrades and not them, I still want to urge you to stop for a moment and consider the price these vets have paid and the burden they carry for your freedom.

Many Americans today have scarcely been touched by war. As awful as the 9/11 attacks were, that was a single dark day for us. Many people around the world live with rockets and bombs exploding on a regular basis. Almost 22 years since the terrorist attack, we’ve cleaned up the mess and built a memorial. In Israel, Ukraine, Iraq, Afghanistan…I can’t even make a whole list of the countries where you can see today the evidence of war and terror. If you will look around at your neighbors and communities, you can probably see the scars here too. Some Americans start each day strapping on a prosthetic limb or settling into a wheelchair because war stole a foot or leg. Maye the appendage was saved but no longer works properly. Have you seen eye patches or burn-scars?

And then there are the innumerable, invisible scars our veterans carry. The lost heroes we memorialize on this weekend were their brothers in arms. What is often only a name on a wall for us was a dear friend for them.

Today I implore you to remember them, both living and dead. Thank a veteran when you see them – if they are willing to wear a cap or shirt proclaiming their service then you must be willing to voice your appreciation. And please pray for them, especially today.