Let's thank God again, for the first time, for being an American!

Already Friday? We will take it, thank you very much. It is Friday, July 6, 2012. This past Wednesday we enjoyed a wonderful celebration of our nation's independence. I was up early enjoying some wonderful Community and thinking about how blessed we are as a nation. We traveled over to our eldest son's home and enjoyed a wonderful community patriotic parade in Kingwood, Texas. It was a delightful presentation of American values. It had a little of everything. Plenty of flags. Of course. Floats. Bands. Politicians. They never miss an opportunity to show up where there is a crowd. Horses. Vintage cars. Motorcycles. Military of all flavors including some wounded warriors. Let me just say this. I was raised up in an era where this patriotic respect was poured into my young life and I am so thankful it stuck. Sure. I know that we as a nation are flawed and our failings have been notorious at times. However, there is something about America. Alexis de Tocqueville, the famous writer, observed in 1831 this distinguishing characteristic as he toured our nation, America is exceptional. There are those today, sadly, some in high leadership, who do not see this great nation as being exceptional, as having a special role in the world, and as having been given that role by Almighty God. They would prefer that we tone down our little celebrations and take our place as just another member of the family of nations. That's not who we are. We are America and may God help us to live up to the potential He ordained for us. Amen.

After the parade we enjoyed some barbecue with all the trimmings and some desserts and a wonderful ice cold watermelon. I had put that melon in a cooler and covered it with ice at about 6 a.m., and let me tell you, it was about as good as a watermelon can be. Many of us sat and watched the History Channel where they were running the series on the Revolutionary War. I've watched that series several times but it never gets old seeing the retelling of how we became a free people. When we got to our home we took a short nap and then we watched the Capitol 4th of July celebration from Washington D.C. on PBS, then we watched the Macy's 4th of July on Hudson Bay, New York City, and then we watched the Boston Pops do their thing. Fireworks and more fireworks. You betcha! We thank God for the freedom to make the choices we made on that day. We thank God for those who gave their all in order to allow us the great privileges we enjoy as a nation. We thank God for those who continue to wear the uniform of our nation today. I am not ashamed of the lump in my throat when I see our flag, hear our anthem, our pledge recited, or I observe a disabled veteran. I read some disparaging remarks by a prominent entertainer about our 4th of July celebrations and I thought to myself, he might well be thankful for the freedom of speech and expression that others died for so that he would have the right to even say those things publicly.

Last Tuesday I had an interesting forth and back with a Hispanic fellow. He did not speak good English but he started the conversation by saying something about there being no work on Wednesday. I explained to him that it was because of the birthday celebration of our nation, 236 years. He seemed surprised but also appeared to be genuinely impressed. He doesn't know our history. He doesn't know what it means to have that feeling when the anthem plays. He respects our nation as a place for him to earn a living, and he is fortunate because the fact that he doesn't know anything at all about our country doesn't keep him from enjoying a paid holiday. A number of years ago I remember looking over the materials being studied by a Vietnamese immigrant as he prepared for his citizenship test. It had many questions about our founding, our constitution, and our laws. I could see in him, even as an older person, a sense of pride in his learning about America. I have no problems whatsoever in folks identifying with their heritage. If you know your people came from Ireland, then be proud of that. Or whatever land that might be involved. But, at the same time, I am convinced that our being Americans if what makes us who we are in this land of the free and home of the brave. Returning to that collective sense of Godly pride in how that He in His providence brought this great nation into existence will go a long way in reclaiming the American Spirit, and I am for that. Amen and Amen. See you next week and may God bless one and all is my prayer.  ....More later.