Some thoughts after Independence Day weekend.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the American Revolution and our fight for independence as a country lately – mostly because it was Independence Day over the weekend here in our great country. I say “mostly” because I was already thinking about it before the 4^th of July, during the aftermath of the recent election in Iran, where the dictator was supposedly re-elected in a landslide election and the Iranian people just couldn’t stand for that injustice, so they’ve been protesting the farce of an election.

So because of what’s been happening in Iran and because of the 4^th of July, I’ve been thinking a lot about our country, about our freedom, and about those who have sacrificed so much to give us freedom. My mind just cannot comprehend how some men from over two centuries ago would have the vision and sacrificial heart to declare independence from England and lead an amazing war which would secure freedom and liberty for themselves, for their children, and for posterity – which means you and me today.

Can you grasp that? An estimated 25,000 men paid the ultimate price for the cause of securing freedom and liberty for you and for me – people they would never even meet or know about. That’s simply mind blowing to me!

And because of that, and because of thousands and thousands more over the centuries who have been willing to pay the same price, we now live in a nation where even though things aren’t particularly great right now and even though we have leaders who some believe – myself included – are leading us towards socialism, it’s still a pretty great place to live. The United States of America is still the greatest nation on the face of the earth and is still the greatest nation in the history of history.

In light of thinking about the fight for independence and thinking about the uproar in Iran, I think it’s amazing how all things considered, every 4 years we have a fair, honest election and how on a day in January every 4 to 8 years, we see a peaceful handover of power. The outgoing President simply shakes hands with the incoming President and flies away from Washington to spend the rest of his days in his native state – there are no weapons, no bloodshed, no killing – just peace.

That’s amazing to me too!!! This year in Iran, people have died to enjoy the kind of freedom that we take for granted. We rarely even think about our freedom, let alone express gratitude for it – but I truly believe that the Iranian people would willingly sacrifice their lives for the sake of having honest elections and a peaceful, non-violent transfer of power after those elections.

So take a moment today to thank God for our freedom, to thank Him for being so gracious to us by letting us live in freedom for as long as we have in this democratic experiment we call America, and to pray for those around our world who don’t enjoy the same liberty we do – specifically for those in Iran.