Celebrating the birthday of the nation of your birth is exciting; it's even more exciting when that nation is, in many ways, the greatest on earth. As a young boy, the 4th of July was more about sparklers, a swimming pool, all of about 3 feet deep and picnics in my family's back yard which was shaded by three incredible pecan trees. I really don't remember ever leaving the family property on the 4th of July until my family grew older. By then, I was already traveling back to that same property with wife and 1st child in tow. 4th of July events took on a new look for me during my years as an active officer with the Louisiana Jaycees. Wendy and I, and sometimes Jimmy, would travel to different festivals and events sponsored by local Jaycee affiliates. I witness a flag ceremony in Ponchatoula, a baseball tournament in Morgan City and Cottonport, a festival named for some kind of jelly in northeast Louisiana and a giant seafood festival in Mandeville. The Metairie Jaycees used to be involved in a huge fireworks event in the big park in that town and the Waggaman Jaycees had a picnic highlighted with competitive horseshoes.
When our Jaycees days were over and Wendy and I ventured north, moving from Terrytown to Abita Springs, our earliest 4th's were spent content on our new 10 acre existence, cutting grass and firing up the barbeque pit. Then came those amazing vacations where we witnessed the celebration of the nations birth through the eyes of folks in other states and places. In 2002 we were on our way to New England on the 4th of July driving through the heart of Virginia and skirting our nations capital. We spent the night in a town called Dover Delaware and they had a spectacular fireworks display we watched from our hotel room. A few years later we spent the 4th in Minnesota and wound up in a small town with a full fledged parade and celebration. Then there would be the first 4th of July for our grandson Calvin in North Carolina just a year ago.
Today, it's back to the Kubota and a day on the 10 acres, me cutting grass, Wendy and our friends working in the garden. It's been a productive and peaceful day and there was plenty of incredible good food!
Through all these memories I know that I live in a great country, a country that is free despite an out of control government hell bent on restricting my freedoms; and those of the most vulnerable among us. Yet she remains a great nation. Until recent history, no one, including the founders of America, would deny the roll of God in blessing a great nation. Of course the same government of which I speak tries unsuccessfully to take God out of the equation but the vast majority of Americans will not tolerate this; and I hope it will be so far into the future.
Long before there was an America, long before there was Christianity, God made a covenant with the patriarch Abraham. He told Abraham something like this: I will make a great nation of you, I will bless you and make your name great, so that you may be a blessing.
America was born a great nation, her name too is great among the families of nations and yes, America has been a blessing, for all who have risked everything to be here and to others whom she rushed to save in two World Wars and beyond.
May America remain a great nation, a name great and may she be a blessing. May America always trust in God, thank God for all her blessings and allow her citizens and visitors to worship God with an abundance of religious freedom and liberty!
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