the american revolution

In a letter John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, on July 3^rd 1776:

“The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.

You will think me transported with enthusiasm, but I am not. I am well aware of the toil and blood and treasure that it will cost to maintain this Declaration and support and defend these States. Yet through all the gloom I can see the rays of ravishing light and glory. I can see that the end is worth more than all means: that posterity will triumph in that day's transaction, even though we {may regret} it, which I trust in God we shall not. ”

Let’s remember our independence came at a great cost and that we are free  to celebrate it enthusiastically and without guilt by permission and fore thought of the founding fathers, or  at least one, John Adams. Let’s remember while we’re celebrating with pomp and parade, to include solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. After all, God is, or was?, no, is the Father of humanity on both sides of the pond known as the Atlantic ocean and he lost, or received, children from England and the thirteen colonies and their Allies during the American Revolution. He is not a God that shows partiality. I wonder how he felt when both sides prayed for victory over the enemy as the enemy on both sides were His children. God puts a great price on human lives; in the Old Testament the law required a life for a life. Abel’s blood was the first to cry out to God from the grave. Those years of bloodshed, and all other years before and after, must be horrific to our Loving Father, as he watches sons and daughters die at each other’s hands, each trying to prove a point, to win an argument, to illicit his favor, praying for him to take sides, to back them up with victory.

Well we definitely follow John Adams’ wish to celebrate with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, but I’m sad to say I feel it’s questionable about the inclusion of solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. Let’s not forget the cemeteries, on both sides of the Atlantic, filled with the dead who didn’t get a chance to memorialize our freedom or their widows, orphans, and parents left childless.

It was too long ago for us to feel their grief, 237 years ago. None of us have the honor of reminiscing with survivors of that war, hearing about 13 year old boys running off with muskets, and never coming back , fathers of large households taken on to glory or left so maimed they were, at that time, considered useless, women sacrificing and dying beside their menfolk. The stories of individual everyday families were passed down to a few generations and then forgotten, after all they didn’t have Blogs or Facebook to record their agony, but, regrettably, we have had no shortage of wars to woefully arouse empathy with the long forgotten misery of the American Revolution survivors, so we can partially emphasize with the ordinary colonist’s pain, though in God’s perspective ordinary doesn’t exit, thank you God.

So let’s remember as we celebrate to solemnly include God in our thoughts, this July 4^th, and pray for the Lords return and the eternal peace that will bring to end all blood shed from one end of this global continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.

I wonder, when we do get to heaven will we have an annual day of remembrance, a day celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival? Naw, I suspect every day will be July 4^th!

Bring on the barbeque and fireworks, but first, second and last, let us pray.

 

 

the dragonflies

 

 

 

 

Right before my dad's funeral at the Dallas/Fort Worth National Cemetery a few years ago a friend of mine saw a dragon fly land on her windshield and stare her down. She excitedly told me it was a sign from dad as my dad liked dragonflies. I don’t always give credence to omens so I didn’t over think her observation. Well, over two years later, I was walking my dogs over a bridge at park near my house and saw a dragon fly skim over the water below. I thought about the phenomenon at the funeral and said, "Hmm." Then the dragon fly came back, and I said, "Thank you God for reminding me of my dad." Then I thought, it could have just been a coincidence so I prayed, feeling foolish to be testing God, "God, if that dragon fly was a message from my dad let me see it again."

 I waited and waited, (about two minutes, but they were long minutes!) No dragon fly. I was supremely disappointed since I had really expected to spot some more but I decided if I waited too long eventually a dragon fly would show up and that wouldn't prove anything except that I had tremendous perseverance, because of course if I waited 4 hours I probably would see another one. After about three exceptionally long and torturous minutes I gave up and turned around to finish my walk with my eager-to-be-on-their-way doggies who were earnestly straining on their leashes because there was more ground just waiting to be sniffed and so little time to do it .

 On the other side of the bridge two feisty low flying dragon flies immediately caught my eye, whizzed by, crisscrossed each other, did somersaults and vanished under the bridge. If I hadn’t resumed my stroll when I did I would have missed them entirely. Timing is everything after all.

I looked heaven ward and humbly exclaimed, “Dear God, one would have been enough.” Thinking now he was just showing off!

 The name of the park is VETERAN'S PARK. And of course you should know that today is Father's day.

I’m not suggesting it’s wise to test God, but he does like to answer prayers and requests, sometimes in a playful and unexpected manner. It certainly was awesome of him to let me experience his presence, quietly and gently, on a bridge early in the morning while I walked my dogs at a park built to honor Veterans on a day when most of the country was paying tribute to all their dad’s; those alive and those in the company of God, our supreme Father.

 

 

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