A Time To Say Thank You!
July 4, 2024
A Time To Say Thank You!
There was a time when for me July 4th was no more than shooting off Black Cats and launching up Bottle Rockets. When I was a young boy, the entire meaning of Independence Day was lost on me.
I don’t know if my parents forgot to teach my brothers and me or if my teachers at school did not get the message through to me but I was convinced July 4th was only about shooting off fireworks. Well, maybe there was my dad grilling burgers, enjoying my mom’s mustard potato salad, and making home-make ice cream, too!
The celebration of Independence Day really changed for me when I stood in front of “the faces” at Mount Rushmore with some friends one July 4th. I was out of graduate school, I was serving as a pastor, and I still did not have a deep appreciation for the meaning of Independence Day.
That all changed as I listened to a military band play our national anthem while our small group of friends looked up at Mount Rushmore. It was awe-inspiring to say the least! Here are the words I remembered that morning.
“O say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?”
(“The Star Spangled Banner” by Francis Scott Key, 1814)
When my gaze turned to my friend, I was surprised by what I saw. He was so deeply moved by what Independence Day meant, what our country stood for, and for the blessings God had poured out upon our country that there were tears in his eyes.
His emotion stirred my heart and began a long journey of growing appreciation for what we celebrate on July 4th. I was surprised by what was happening in me. I was also thankful that Independence Day was about much more than shooting off Black Cats and launching up Bottle Rockets!
Following that day at Mount Rushmore, I put myself into conversations with those who had served our country in the military. I remember several conversations with a World War I veteran who fought in the trenches in Europe.
Those conversations revealed a man that had seen and experienced far more than our hearts, minds, and souls can handle. There was not even a name for what he was still experiencing as an old man. Today we call it Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The tragedy was that instead of understanding and patience, most of his friends thought he had just gone crazy.
The sacrifices that man made because he loved our country were beyond my comprehension. The sacrifices that man made because be wanted to serve and protect the American way of life were something I could see in him but struggled to fully understand. The sacrifices that man’s wife made in caring for him was more than many would endure.
Those conversations were the beginning of a journey towards being more grateful for our country and the people who have made great sacrifices to protect our independence as well as freedom for people in other countries.
Through the years, I have visited with many World War II veterans, Korean War veterans, and Vietnam War veterans. I have also been friends with those who have served in a variety of wars in the Middle East during the last several decades.
Most of those who were engaged in fighting on the front lines avoided speaking about what they experienced in those wars; it was too painful, too frightening, and too gruesome to re-call.
Many of them lost friends, lost limbs, and lost a kind of innocence as they watched people die. Those veterans made great sacrifices as they fought for independence and freedom, for justice and peace, for a better life and deeper love. I respect and admire those who serve to preserve our freedom.
Each of those soldiers made incredible sacrifices. They served for more than their own personal freedom; they served to ensure the freedom of our nation. I am reminded that the Lord God is about saving individuals and the Lord God is about saving entire nations.
Sometimes we become so focused on the Lord’s deliverance of me, the Lord’s salvation of me, the Lord’s forgiveness of me that we forget the Lord God can deliver and save and forgive an entire nation just as easily as the Lord can do those things for you and me.
In Jeremiah 31:7 we hear; “The Lord says: Celebrate and sing for Israel, the greatest of nations. Offer praises and shout, ‘Come and rescue your people, Lord! Save what’s left of Israel.’”
The Lord God gave His only Son to save individuals and families, to save neighborhoods and communities, and to save entire nations! There is hope for our nation as we continue to pray the Lord will deliver our nation from ungodliness so we may be more God-honoring and God-loving.
On July 4th, I intend to say thank you to those who have and are serving in the military to protect and preserve our freedom. Although I don’t understand all of the sacrifices they are making, I am grateful for those sacrifices.
On July 4th, I intend to say thank you to those who take the time to celebrate the freedom we have in our country even when our country has its struggles. Even when the ideals upon which our country was founded are not yet fully realized, those ideals offer the hope of a country where every person can experience justice, peace, and joy.
On July 4th, I intend to say thank you to Jesus for showing us the meaning of true freedom, real sacrifice, and how far love will take us. Jesus is our example of making a great sacrifice so others will know real life and real love. In Ephesians 5:2 we hear; “…and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
On July 4th, I intend to say thank you for a friend who stood by my side with tears in his eyes as we listened to our national anthem while standing in front of “the faces” at Mount Rushmore. Although he did not know it at the time, Doug S. started me on a life-long journey of growing my appreciation for the meaning of Independence Day and a deeper love of our country.
I pray I never take for granted the freedoms and opportunities we have been provided in our country. I recall the words of the Apostle Paul to the churches in Galatia. In Galatians 5:13 NRSV he writes; “For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become enslaved to one another.”
Paul is clear that the freedoms we know in life should not be taken for granted. Our freedoms are not an opportunity for me to do whatever I want. Freedom is about how we live together and how we love one another more deeply. Our freedom becomes an opportunity to say, “Thank You!”
When we are grateful for the freedom we celebrate on July 4th, our hearts will fill with gratitude for the sacrifices of others and with delight in the Lord God for giving us this blessing of freedom.
I invite you to say, “Thank You!” on July 4th; our Independence Day!
Take Delight In The Lord!
Doug
Take Delight 