Being in America on July 4
As everyone reading this blog probably knows, we celebrated Independence Day this past Wednesday here in America. I would venture to say that a large portion of those reading this either watched fireworks, attended a cookout, and/or spent some time at a pool or beach in celebration of our Independence. We probably heard phrases like “God Bless America,” “Home of the Free Because of the Brave,” and “Let Freedom Ring.” Maybe other people took advantage of the retail sales events that occur on and around every major holiday in America. For me, this was the first 4th of July that I have celebrated in America since 2013 because I have been in Haiti every other year. A fun fact, we actually received our Permanent Residencies in Haiti on July 4, 2014 which was a strange way to celebrate our freedom as Americans.
The truth is, I cannot even come close to conveying how blessed we are to have been born here in America. The freedom that we celebrate and the sacrifice that others made so that we could have this freedom is an amazing thing to think about, but it is even more amazing when you think about it from the perspective of living in another country. In fact, if you are reading this now as someone who has left another country to live in America I would love to hear your perspective as well because I am sure it is far different than mine. Here are some things that we probably did not celebrate this past Wednesday but we definitely could have:
- Almost all of us can find food every day.
- We have access to healthcare when needed.
- We can receive a top notch education.
- Almost all of us can find a job.
There are so many other things that I could continue to list, but you get the point. Many other countries are under the rule of an oppressive government or dictator, are stuck in the 3rd world with little to no hope of improving, are torn apart by wars civil or otherwise, or are ruled by a religion or tradition that leaves little hope for freedom. Just by virtue of where we are born we have the hope of doing almost anything we can dream of based on our own work ethic, skills, intelligence, etc. That is a very rare thing in this world. Being born in America was one of the greatest blessings of my life and it is one of the reasons that we are able to do what we do right now through the ministry of All Things New. GOD has blessed all of us in so many ways, and because Independence Day just passed, if you are reading this on American soil, let’s thank GOD that He chose this nation as our birthplace.
As Christians, however, let’s not stop there!
GOD has blessed us greatly by allowing us to be born in this wonderful nation, but to whom much is given much is required. Let us never forget that there are millions, even billions of people across the world who are perishing without knowing the saving Grace of Jesus Christ. Let us never forget that part of the freedom that we have in America is the freedom to share with others the love that Christ has given us. Let us not forget that there are billions of people in the world living on less than $2/day. Let us not forget that we have the resources to make a difference and because of that let us not forget to make the biggest difference we can!