As of today, 3,420 U.S. troops have died in Iraq since the war began in 2003. 386 troops have died in Afghanistan. Nearly 400 of these U.S. troops are buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. in a location known as Section 60.

I just finished reading an article about a nineteen-year old soldier, Justin Davis, Pfc., who was killed in combat in Afghanistan recently. He was buried in Section 60. The article talked about his mother and the many others who visit Arlington each year to mourn the loss of a loved one killed while serving our country.

Maybe it is the TV monitors tuned to CNN that I am in front of each month in countless airports, constantly reminding me of the war we are in and the overwhelming loss of life as a result of this war. Or maybe it is because as a father of two, I can't imagine the sense of grief Pfc. Davis's mom must feel losing her son who was only one year removed from high school. Most likely it is the combination of the two. Whatever the reason, I find myself this Memorial Day Weekend thinking more and more about the sacrifice that so many men and women have made and are presently making for this great nation in which we live.

That a soldier would be willing to go to a foreign land and actually give his or her life to save another amazes me. For one to give his or her life for what he or she believes in is an incredible thing. When you stop and consider this, it truly makes the story of what Jesus did on the cross by giving his life for all so much more amazing to me. I can't even begin to grasp how God must have felt the day His Son, Jesus, too made such an incredible sacrifice for what He believed in. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice and gave His life so that you and I could live. But I wonder how many of us ever take time to pause and think about what Jesus did for us on the cross? And then, thank Him.

I sat near a soldier recently on a plane. I overheard him telling another passenger that he was on his way back to Iraq. I have to admit I wondered briefly if he would make it back alive. And I now wonder, if he does not, will he too one day be laid to rest in Section 60?

I walked over and shook his hand that day and said, "Thank you." He didn't have to ask, "For what?" He knew.