**Reflections on Remembrance Sunday: A Reminder of Love, Sacrifice, and Hope**

This Remembrance Sunday, we take a moment to reflect—something I find myself doing often, especially when the calendar reminds me to pause and remember. For me, reflection is always a trip down memory lane, filled with both highlights and lowlights, reminding me of the goodness of God in my life. It’s often a moment to consider how far I’ve come and how much God’s hand has been in every part of my journey, both the good and the bad.

In those moments of reflection, I don’t just look at the triumphs but also the stumbles—the mistakes I made along the way. I’m sure many of you have had similar moments, where you look back and think, *“What was I thinking?”*

Like the time I faked piercings in my ears when my parents were away. I thought I looked "real cool" but didn’t realize the havoc it would wreak when my mom came home. She was furious when she thought I had permanently pierced my ears. She even tried to rip them out! Safe to say, that was a lowlight in my life, not just for the embarrassing moment, but for realizing how badly I had misjudged the situation.

Last week, I had a lowlight. After a meeting at the church, I was waiting for the elevator when my ADHD kicked in, and I started pretending to shoot hoops (don’t judge me too hard, we all do weird things in our heads). In the process, I dropped Liana’s keys into the elevator shaft. I tried to stop them with my foot, but they slipped through the gap and fell out of sight into the abyss. The sinking feeling was real, especially since those keys had a special keychain I’d made for her. That’s a lowlight I won’t soon forget.

But here’s what’s beautiful about all of these lowlights—they don’t define me. In fact, none of them define who we are. And that’s where the power of the Christian journey comes in. Jesus’ love for us is far beyond what we can comprehend. As we reflect on our shortcomings, our sins, and our mistakes, it’s essential to remember that God, in His mercy, has made a way for us to move forward, not bound by our mistakes, but redeemed through His love.

### The Power of God’s Love

Let that sink in for a moment: God’s love is not something we earned or deserved. It is a gift, freely given through Jesus’ sacrifice. Our mistakes, our lowlights, our shortcomings—they are not the final word. God’s love is the atonement, the bridge that brings us back into right relationship with Him. When we reflect on our life’s journey, from the highlights to the lowlights, we discover God’s love through it all.

Verse 7 of 1 John reminds us, _“Love comes from God.”_ This kind of love, agape love—the sacrificial, unconditional love that desires the best for others—is God’s nature. It’s not something humanity invented. It’s divine, and because God is love, it should be reflected in the lives of those who follow Christ. His love should be the heartbeat of how we live and interact with the world around us.

### Our Lowlights Don’t Define Us

As I reflect on my past—both the highlights and lowlights—I find that God’s love is evident through it all. My lowlights don’t define me; they’ve been atoned for by Christ’s sacrifice. From the blessings to the lessons, God’s love has always been present. Even in my worst moments, His love has never failed me—and that’s true for you too.

Maybe you’ve heard about God’s love for years, but today is the day to truly take it to heart. Maybe you’ve been hearing about His love and forgiveness, but you’ve never really believed it. I want you to know—God loves you. He loves you with a love that is relentless, perfect, and transforming. And no matter what you’ve done or where you’ve been, His love is for you.

It’s time to let go of the walls you’ve built and invite His love into your heart. God wants to give you peace, joy, and a sense of purpose that only He can provide. He wants to restore you and bring you into a relationship with Him that’s full of Kingdom purpose and power.

### A Season of Hope

The physical pain Jesus endured was unimaginable, but it was His love for us that kept Him going. When He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30), He was declaring victory over sin and death. He did it all because He loves us.

### A Call to Remember and Share

As we wear the poppy this Remembrance Sunday, we honor those who laid down their lives for our freedom. We remember their sacrifice, which allows us to gather today in peace. But as Christians, we also have something far greater to remember: the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. His sacrifice didn’t just secure our earthly freedom; it secured our eternal freedom.

1 Corinthians 5:20-21 reminds us that we are Christ’s ambassadors, called to share the hope and love we’ve received with others:

_"We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."_

Christ paid a debt we could never repay. He offers us a relationship with Him, a relationship that is full of grace, mercy, and hope. It’s our calling to share this gift with others. As we remember, let’s also share. Let’s remember the sacrifice of Jesus and honor it by being faithful ambassadors, spreading His love and hope to a world that desperately needs it.

As we pause for communion today, reflecting on Christ’s body broken for us and His blood shed for us, let’s also take a moment to pray for those in our lives who don’t yet know this hope. God is calling us to be His hands and feet, to share the love He has lavished on us with those around us.

### Closing Prayer

I pray that each of us would be stirred in our hearts today. That God would show us who we can reach out to, whether family, friends, or coworkers, and share this incredible message of hope. May we not be content just with our own salvation, but have a deep burden for those who need to hear about the love of Christ.

As we leave today, remember that we serve a God who is more than enough, El Shaddai, the God of limitless love and grace. His love is available to all. Let’s share it, live it, and be faithful in spreading the hope that only Jesus can give.

**Amen.**