A Proud American

Sorry for the gap between blogs.  The family and I just returned this past Saturday from vacation.  We spent two days in Myrtle Beach, and five in Washington D.C.

DC is a place I’ve always wanted to visit.  I remember as a kid my parents took my brother and I out west and we went to places where a lot of cool American history took place.  We saw all the places Billy the Kid left his mark.  We went to the Grand Canyon and learned a lot about Theodore Roosevelt.  We saw where “Young Guns” was filmed.  I remember the feelings I had when I thought about historic moments taking place a hundred years before me.  It was humbling.

DC invoked those emotions but this time at a much higher intensity.  The first glimpse I got of DC was when we exited the Metro (subway) and turned around to visually bump into the Washington Monument for the first time.  Something that only existed on television, yet stood as a national expression, was now right in front of me.  I snapped a picture with my phone to capture the moment.  That first night we just strolled through the Mall taking it all in.  It was mesmerizing.  I was slightly shocked too as this heralded ground we knew as the Mall was being used as several softball fields.  I’m not kidding.  With hundreds of people walking on the surrounding sidewalks people were in the middle of softball games.  Right fielders were standing on the sidewalks where joggers were running.  It was very American.

We saw all the sights – Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, World War II Memorial, Ford Theatre, Arlington National Cemetery, National Archives, Museum of American History, Museum of Natural History, Air and Space Museum, tour of the White House, the Capitol, Botanical Gardens, FBI, IRS, Museum of Photography…. We saw it all.

While we were at the Archives looking at the Declaration of Independence face to face I received a text from Dave Beam about what was going on at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.  We were literally two blocks from where that was all taking place.  It saddens me that people are still convinced that hatred is the way of God.

My feet are exhausted.  We walked as much as Forrest Gump ran.  My soul is inspired by all the depth our country has.

I shared this Sunday – DC is set up really as a memorial for all those that sacrificed so that those that live in American may live a free and expressive life.  I thank God for all the men and women who did that.  They deserve our gratitude and the memorials set up in their honor.  Thousands of men and women did that for us.  I am inspired by that…deeply!  But Jesus – One man died so that the dead may live.  Our soldiers died so the living may live.  Jesus died so the dead may live.  Now that’s something to remember.

I was reminded this past week that God really cares deeply for us.  As individuals and as Americans.  Our roots are deep in Him.  Yes, we’ve had incredibly horrid chapters in our short book, but at the backbone of the story we find Him.

Governmental leaders have a tough job.  I do not agree with a lot of the decisions coming out of Washington, but I do respect the level of difficulty found in the decisions our leaders must make on a daily basis.  I refuse to get angry when I believe they are making their decisions the best they know how.  That doesn’t mean they are Godly decisions or decisions I agree with.  I’m just saying they have a tough job that we are quick to criticize.  May we voice our opinions in love.  May we not come across as those pointing at the splinter while being jabbed by the log in our own eye.  May we pray for our president and our country.  May we fight for her with the passion of Lincoln, Jefferson, and the soldiers buried under plain white tombstones in Arlington, Virginia.

Is it just me or can you hear Lee Greenwood singing in the background?….

RD