Our beautiful country celebrates its birthday today. We are so blessed to live in such an amazing nation, "the land of the free, and the home of the brave".
But do we really appreciate the gift of freedom we have been given? Do we think with pride of the United States of America?
Not so much these days. We take these gifts for granted.
I remember the days of "Desert Storm" back in the late '80s. Patriotism was at a fever pitch. Flags were everywhere: on clothing, on lapels, on homes. When the National Anthem was played, tears sprang into our eyes. My children sang "God Bless the USA" every day at school after pledging allegiance to our beautiful flag. We were so proud to be Americans. We all felt as "one nation".
But today, things have changed. Instead of feeling like "one nation", we are all tearing apart at the seams. Our pride in being Americans is overshadowed by selfishness. It is all about "me" and not about "us". We are not all working toward the common good. We are working for our own good, ignoring what is happening next door or in our communities.
So, on this day of Independence, let us call to mind the beauty and wonder of our great nation and the people within it. Let us all come together and give thanks for the gift God has bestowed on us all. Look at our "grand old flag" and remember what it took to have it wave on that pole. Sing our National Anthem and really ponder what happened to bring it about. And ask God to continue to bless our nation and guide our leaders to do what is best in these times of dissension.
And "let freedom ring"!
Great reminder. I think the economy and political turmoil in this country has a lot of Americans not feeling very patriotic, but you are right we need to remember how lucky we are!
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