Veterens Day: Welcome Home
- Joel Balin
- Nov 11
- 4 min read
On November 10th, I officiated a committal service at the Georgia National Cemetery. I was struck by the endless rows of markers of military personnel and their spouses that lined the vast grounds. It was the coldest day of the season, with a wind chill of nineteen degrees.
Because of the sheer number of veterans being interred there every day, we were only allotted about 15 minutes. Yet in that short span, the bitter (for Georgians) cold cut to the bone. When I climbed back into the car, I couldn’t feel my fingers.
I was thinking what a sacrifice I had made, and then…. I saw the rows and rows of gravestones as I drove through the memorial grounds.As my fingers thawed, my heart melted—for the true sacrifice of those who gave their service, and those who gave their lives.
On November 11th, at Arlington National Cemetery, a wreath-laying ceremony honors our fallen heroes at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Amid the resting place of more than 400,000 service members, veterans, and their families, the President and others gather to commemorate the service of veterans who have gone before and those who remain.
Across the nation, there’s a growing resurgence of gratitude—a renewed desire to honor those who secured our liberty to live and worship freely, and to recognize the visible challenges and hidden struggles that many veterans carry after returning home from active duty.
As we reach out with acts of service, words of kindness, and the love of Jesus, let’s thank those who served—and support every effort to bring healing and redemption to their lives.
Because when redemption touches a veteran’s story… we see miracles like this one from our fellow Wednesday Warriors, Dave Ely, who wrote:
In the fall of 1968, I boarded a civilian transport plane to return home after eleven and a half months in Vietnam—months marked by the chaos and intensity of the Tet Offensive. I had served as a signal officer in Saigon, working tirelessly to support communication lines during one of the most pivotal moments of the war.
As the wheels of that plane lifted off the tarmac, I believed I was heading home to a grateful nation. I pictured cheers, flags, maybe even a warm embrace from a public who understood the cost of our service.
What I found instead was a nation divided—and a college campus even more so.
Shortly after my return, I enrolled in graduate school at Cornell University. My sun-darkened skin still bore the tan line from my ball cap, a silent but visible reminder of where I’d been. That tan line became a lightning rod. Instead of support or curiosity, it drew debate, judgment, and hostility… It was a lonely time.
Life moved forward, but a deep, unspoken emptiness lingered. My return from Vietnam had left a space in me that even love, family, and career couldn’t quite fill. I began to realize that what I was missing wasn’t just acceptance—it was peace.
In 1976, that peace found me. I came to understand my need for Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. It was not an overnight change, but a steady and transformative one. Accepting Christ dealt with not just the scars I carried from war, but the sin nature within me. That decision—more than any other—has shaped my life ever since. It gave me a compass, a foundation, and a calling to live a godly life.
I stopped apologizing for my uniform. I stopped hiding my service. I started standing tall as a veteran, and as a man who gave his best in a difficult time.
If I could leave one message for others who have walked a similar road, it’s this: you are not alone. There is purpose beyond pain. There is peace beyond battle. And there is a God who sees you, loves you, and welcomes you with open arms.
To God be the glory!
Welcome home!
Every day, we reap the benefits of those who have defended our freedoms and inalienable rights—rights endowed not by man, but by our Creator.
For Veterans Day, let’s remember, respond, and reflect in ways that honor our veterans for defending freedom—and honor the Lord, the Author of freedom itself, as we:
Give Thanks
Reach out to anyone we know who has served in the military—or whose family has. A simple “thank you for your service” carries eternal weight when paired with the love of Christ.
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:13
Honor Their Sacrifice
The greatest way to honor those who preserved our freedom is to use that very freedom to bless and serve others.
Freedom is not license—it’s a launchpad for love. True liberty always finds expression in humble service.
“Do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” — Galatians 5:13
Model Their Courage
Let’s model the selfless service of veterans—sacrificing our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor for the cause of Christ and liberty.
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” — Mark 10:45
“Once people drink from the stream of liberty, they will want to know the source! Liberty is not man’s idea, it is God’s, and that is the truth that sets you free.” — Isabella Brown, quoting Charlie Kirk
Pray
Pray for the well-being, comfort, provision, and salvation of veterans and active-duty personnel.
Pray for revival within the ranks—and for military leaders like Pete Hegseth and others to stand strong for truth and faith.
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” — James 5:16
Welcome home, Veterans. We honor you. We bless you. And we thank God for you.
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” — 2 Corinthians 3:17
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