Happy BIG Birthday, America (and me)!

Our country’s birthday! This one is a BIGGY!

(And so is mine. I will hit the 8-0 mark on July 5^th. My spiritual birthday is also this month. 69! Yay!

The other day, I thought back to 1976, when we celebrated our country’s 200^th birthday...

I thought about…the great bicentennial and watching on television all the awesome festivities, which included an international fleet of tall ships in New York City’s harbor and the beautiful array of fireworks over the Statue of Liberty.

A wave of patriotism and nostalgia swept over the nation. People decorated practically everything from their cars and trucks to the front doors, mailboxes, and fences of their homes, to businesses, and even to fire hydrants with flags, buntings, and streamers.

Local communities and high schools painted large, patriotic, and historical murals in town squares and on public buildings and flags were hung on major landmarks. There were parades, pageants, and festivals.

Riders on horses and covered wagons all decked out in flags left from Santa Fe to journey across the states. The American Freedom Train ran as a museum with American artifacts, as it traveled the contiguous 48 states for 21 months.

Trains were painted in stripes of red, white, and blue. NASA painted the flag and the bicentennial symbol on the side of its vehicle assembly building. Commercial products by the score displayed packaging of red, white, and blue.

Some of the TV coverage lasted for fourteen hours. Disney went all out, even changing the theme of their nighttime parade.

And the list goes on and on.

So, I thought about…the reason for all this: that the pilgrims embarked on such a dangerous journey to leave their home to settle in some strange land.

Aboard ship, they found that the sailors resented their daily prayers, hymns, and scripture reading sessions, but, in the end, the sailors admitted that the pilgrims were strong and brave.

When they disembarked and stepped on shore at Provincetown in 1620, they knelt in prayer and held a prayer service of thanksgiving. Prayer was the basis for all they had done and all they would do.

I then thought about…how those prayers undergirded the foundation of this nation and brought about the reason for celebrating Independence Day.

I thought about…our founding fathers, who made significant contributions to secure this nation's independence and formation, thereby giving us the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

I thought about…all the precious souls who put their lives on the line for this country that we might enjoy the freedoms and privileges that we do.

And then...you know what broke my heart? Knowing all this is no longer true. Where is the nation’s patriotic spirit? Yes, this country has problems, just like any other country. But no other country is like the United States of America. So, where are the words of John Dickinson (1768), who wrote, “By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall!” in “The Liberty Song,” which became a major rallying cry during the American Revolution?

Do we bend our knees for our country? Do we pray for our President (whether we like him or not) and all who are in authority?

Do we pray as Paul instructed Timothy, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” (1 Tim. 2:1-2 ESV)

Let’s renew our patriotic (and spiritual) spirit. I think this very special video will help. I hope you will watch it. It’s Red Skelton reciting the pledge of allegiance…

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Happy Birthday, USA!

Happy Independence Day, everyone! God bless you all…Lynn

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