To Show Gratitude

I sat across the table from two veterans and explained that the American Gold Star Mother’s Day Weekend will be giving Gold Star Mothers who have lost their son in the service of our nation’s military a beautiful retreat at a beachfront resort.

Linda and her son, SPC Jordan C Schumann. On July 5, 2011, three months into his tour in Afghanistan, Jordan was killed while on a rescue mission.

I told them all about how when someone contributes they can follow up with submitting a personal letter to the Gold Star Mothers and include a family photo…and how we are wrapping their weekend up in love and gratitude, hoping to bring encouragement to them with people wanting to hear the stories of their sons…

They both got teary eyed.

“Lots of people try to be polite and say thanks to us when they see us in uniform. And we are grateful. It’s nice to hear thanks. But what you’re doin’…you’re giving people a real opportunity to SHOW thanks, not just say it…”

And that, my friends, is the beauty of what God is doing through Believe With Me. He’s giving us all an opportunity to SHOW gratitude.

No matter the size of the donation…$5, $10, $15, or $500! Any amount is a token of appreciation. Any gift is an amazing outreach to these precious mothers who lost their sons fighting for our country.

We have been humbled by the outpouring of love and support for these mothers. Children giving up their hard earned savings, single moms struggling and still giving, broke college students giving up out of their already tight budgets.

Friends who are helping us reach our goal by sharing on social media, reaching out to others they know who are in a financial place to give, or submitting letters of gratitude from elementary school children.

Truthfully, every piece of it just brings me to tears.

So if you are a grateful American…

If you say thank you to veterans or service men and women when you see them in your community…

If you smile every time you see Old Glory waving and think of the cost in human lives it took for her to remain over the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave…

Then consider giving a donation of any size for America’s Gold Star Mothers to have a beautiful weekend retreat befitting of the gratitude for their sacrifice.

And thank you for being the kind of readers who #BelieveWithMe.