So, we celebrate a birthday…

This is the story of a lady who is still comparatively young but is showing the scars from living a life of abuse. She was born in the innocence of all newborns and dedicated to God as a group of people held her high and gave thanks for her birth and asked blessings on her and on all the children who would be born to her and whom she might adopt.  As is the custom of some families a great feast was prepared and eaten as part of the celebration. She grew and was so beautiful and everyone that knew of her talked of her great kindness and compassion. Her willingness to work and give to those who had a need was something that people recognized and some may have wanted to emulate, but there was none so grand as was she. Because she as willing to give help to her neighbors and those less fortunate there were people who were willing to fight and were even willing to die for her honor.  Her clothing was bright and clean until a few people started to make fun of her, it was even ripped off of her and stomped on and even set ablaze. Her honor has been besmirched and she has been passed from hand to hand as first one boss and then another took the reigns of her life and tried to make her do things she had never done. The worst thing they did to her was to try to make her give up her loyalty and love to the God that had brought her through so many storms and trial. The God whose emblem she proudly wore on her vestments was ignored and she was told that she would have to give up any loyalty to God, she could no longer mention His name in public and to pray to Him had become a crime.

She is about to celebrate another birthday and a few of us will sing Happy Birthday to her and will remember her former glory and pray for her to find someone who will help her remember her humble but bright beginnings. Her name is America; her colors are the Red, White and Blue of the America flag and the love song we proudly sing is,

“Oh, 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 thru the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?”

2 Chronicles 7:14 “ if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

So this 4th of July when you wish America the Beautiful Happy Birthday say a prayer that her shores are kept safe, and she is able to keep her honor by remembering God as the builder of her foundation!