Share Your Gifts - Memorial Day Remembrance

My great-aunt Lizzie was my grandmother's sister and was married to my grand-father's brother. They had four children; but, it was said that my great-uncle was a mean and violent man. To protect Lizzie and her children the men of the community came together and advised the husband that it was best for him to leave the family and the community.

This small community built around a Catholic Church and cemetery in the hills of west central Louisiana was a people of Native American and French descent. It was a community with a very devout Catholic faith that was closed and tight knit. Most of the people who lived in the community were related. Family helped the family. Being poor and rural, everyone had a garden and chickens, maybe pigs, and a milk cow. Those who fished and hunted helped as well. But still in the 1940s, it was hard for a single woman with four children. Many of the young men had left for WWII. Rationing of most staples such as sugar, flour and coffee was in place. The community was between three military bases and the hills and forest in the area were used for military training.

One rainy night before Christmas, after everyone had gone to bed, there was a knock on the door of Aunt Lizzie's house. Standing at the door were three young soldiers in soaking wet uniforms. They were polite and said that in the dark and the rain they had become lost. They asked if they could sleep in the corn crib or on the porch to get out of the rain. My great aunt said the porch would be fine.

The rain continued and she thought of the young men on the porch, some other mother's sons and asked them to come in and warm themselves by the fire. One of the young men, asked if she had maybe a small biscuit to eat. The only thing in the house was a chicken that was for the holidays. Aunt Lizzie pulled it down and using her rationed flour and rationed coffee prepared a meal for the young soldiers. The next day the weather cleared, they were given directions and set off for the base.

The Bible tells us that those of "earth speak of earthly things," and "the one God sent does not ration his gift of the Spirit." The earthly gifts of the Spirit that each of us can share is love and compassion. We are not to ration these gifts but to give and share them freely.


Members of my family died in the military. They shared their gifts by protecting those at home. Remember in your prayers those who who shared the gifts of their life protecting us in their military service.