What the 4th of July Means to Me

Psalm 80:3 - Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

This picture was taken in 2004. It's one of my favorites. I keep it in a frame in my kitchen. We were at our family reunion (my mom's side of the family) in a tiny Texas town. The building we were in was an old schoolhouse that my grandmother went to school in from grade school (during the times of the Depression) until she graduated. It's a real one-room schoolhouse with a wood-burning chimney and old black boards that are still there. A photo of her class (with many of her brothers and sisters) is in the hallway. I miss her during the summer. Her birthday was in August; and we used to make home-made ice cream on her porch and catch slimy little frogs in her cow tank. She was a gracious Southern hostess and made the most mouth-watering iron-skillet cornbread... and pecan pie, and Spanish rice, and Goulash.

Seeing that photo reminds me of a time that is long-gone... the golden years for America. It reminds me of times when boys and girls could play outside without supervision until dark... when cars and houses weren't locked... when crime was what you read about in mystery novels (not heard about each night on the TV news)... when the drive-thru movies and burger joints were a fun hang-out... when MOST people had a little faith in the government and a LOT of faith in God... and when you could still hear the church bells ringing before services and at weddings. I miss the days when life wasn't so fast and uncertain.

I hope you have a wonderful day today (even if you aren't in America). It is easy to get into the festivities (fireworks, pool parties, food, patriotic decorations, etc.) and forget the bravery and sacrafice of our men and women overseas (and all our fallen soldiers from this war and all the ones before it)... forget the courage and loyalty to God that the colonists had when they braved the seas and diseases to come to this land before us... forget the determination and honor of our founding fathers as they signed their names to the Declaration of Independence... and forget the true reason for our prosperity: The Lord Jesus Christ.

The motto of the revolutionary war was: "No King but King Jesus."

As for me and my house, we still believe - that is still our motto. For me, this is what I celebrate on July 4th: Freedom in Christ. America may come and go, but my Lord's Word and promises for the future will remain. I am thankful to the Lord that today, we have a country to live in where we can worship Him freely.

Happy 4th of July!


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