This
past week we were privileged to once again celebrate the birthday of our great
nation. This day, amid the fireworks and cookouts, gave us an opportunity also to
reminisce over our life and see the results of the freedom that we enjoy.
Although the freedom was not obtained without a price, it was given to us to enjoy
and protect so that future generations may also reap the benefits.
We
know that nothing is really free. Many sacrificed their lives, the lives of
loved ones, their family relationships and others, their health to provide for
us this freedom. Some sacrificed voluntarily and others by request. I’ve met
very few that served and regretted having served but the majority was very
proud of having served, in any capacity to preserve our freedom. It’s now our
responsibility to not allow their sacrifice to have been in vain.
This
freedom allows each of us to be the best that one is capability of becoming and
achieve the impossible dreams. Most of us did not achieve the great things just
because of who we were or because of a biological inheritance. It took a lot of
attitude, plus work, plus dependability, commitment and other qualities and a
whole lot of God-given creative ability. Take a close look back and remember
the journey of your ancestors, the commitments of your
parents, the route your life has taken and mostly likely, it will look like a
Divine plan that was in place to bring you to the place you are today.
When
God made man, He made us in his image and part of His image was His creative
ability. Although we cannot create worlds, we can create things that change the
world. We have great creative abilities and should constantly be looking at
ways to use that gift from God. The freedom that we enjoy here in these United
States gives us the power to change ourselves, and those things around us. We
have the ability to change for either good or bad. We need to follow God’s
creativity example and realize after He finished each day of creation, He
looked and “saw that it was good!” Are we able to say the same?
One
may say, “I don’t know where to start using my creative ability.” We must
remember that with every frustration in life, an opportunity exists to create.
For every disappointment, an opportunity exists. For every “I wish,” there is an
opportunity to achieve. We often wish that someone would create something to
make one’s life better, but have you ever thought that you just might be that
“someone?” Our freedom allows us to think and dream beyond our wildest imaginations.
I remember statements that a drafting teacher would say to us many years ago,
“If you can draw it, you can build it.” “If you can dream it, it’s achievable.”
Many
complain about our country and perhaps there is much to complain about, but
today I challenge each of us to play a little game. Take a sheet of paper and
fold it down the middle and write on the top of one side, negatives and on the
other side positives. Start writing everything that you can think about our
country. I guarantee that when finished,
if ever, the positives will outweigh the negatives by a large number. Then look
at the negatives and ask, “How can I use my creative abilities to turn the
negatives into positives?” There will be some that one cannot change; that’s
when we turn them over to God in prayer.” An unknown author stated, “The things
beyond ourselves we leave to God.”
Happy Birthday America!
“Now
all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish
infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in
Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”[1]
No comments:
Post a Comment