We owe a great debt to our current military members and to all veterans who’ve honorably served. While it's plainly evident that their sacrifice, courage, and willingness to serve deserves to be recognized, we ought not overlook those people who stand right behind them: their families. Families of military members and Gold Star families, those who's loved one died in the line of duty, sacrifice every day right alongside service members. Let's not forget those who stand behind and in support of our warriors.

The sacrifices of military families most often takes the form of lost time. There are endless missed holidays, birthdays, baseball games, and life's special moments. While the family is at home taking part in these events, their warrior is deployed to a foreign country, wishing he or she was home. So much of the military member's time is spent deployed, doing what they were trained to do, that the family must bear the brunt of this absence. Reunions are sweet, but getting to the day when their loved one comes home takes a special kind of patience.

We need to support these families, especially when their loved one is deployed. Each family will need something different, but it's an almost universal truth that the spouse who's home caring for the kids needs a break. Offer free babysitting. If the couple doesn't have kids, invite the spouse out as they're probably lonely at home. Mow their lawn, drive their kids to soccer practice. Any and all of these acts of kindness are things we should be doing as neighbors, but when we take special care during deployments, we also use these acts of kindness as acts of thanks.

Of course, it goes without saying, that we should pray for the safe return of our service members. These days, it doesn't matter where a deployment takes them, there's always some form of danger. Prayer goes a long way. Supporting them and their families through prayer can be a great thing.

Today I offer you this: behind every great warrior is a great family. Take good care of them and don't forget that sacrifice is not only made by our men and women in uniform, but also by those who support and love them.

Tags: Community