Proclaim liberty throughout the land and to all the inhabitants thereof...
--Leviticus 25:10
A newspaper asked high school students from across a small town to participate in an essay contest called “Why does the 4th of July matter?”
Since the winner of the essay would receive a $1,000 scholarship for college, there were many entries and many were well written, but only one stood out as the clear winner.
The essay went something like this:
July 4th is an exciting and festive day for us Americans. We gather as families, friends, and communities to celebrate our independence. And it’s a perfect day to remember why this day really matters to us as Americans.
We should remember the enormous sacrifices made by our founding fathers—those extraordinary leaders and average citizens who signed their names to that Declaration of Independence.
To the British, the signatures on that declaration were an act of treason punishable by death. But our forefathers laid aside their personal fears and concerns for a higher purpose, to give birth to a nation that was unlike any nation in history: conceived in and committed to liberty.
I like to think about the bravery of those men and the courage it took to sign that declaration. And I like to think that my dad was like them.
You see, he believed in America with his whole heart, too. He believed in a country that stood for freedom, where people were given the opportunity to fulfill their dreams, and where they could follow their hearts to worship as they saw fit. And my dad gave his life for his beliefs on a battlefield in Iraq.
I know that for many people the 4th of July is just another holiday, a day to relax, to grill some steaks, and to watch a baseball game. And I think those things are great, too.
So, “why does the 4th of July matter?”
The founding fathers knew why it mattered. My dad knew why it mattered and the families and friends of countless other men and women of the military know why it matters. The 4th of July matters because it cost something and it’s worth everything.
PRAYER CHALLENGE: Thank God for the many freedoms you enjoy and for those who have paid the price for America’s freedom. And thank God, too, for the ultimate freedom you have found through the gift of life in Christ Jesus
Senior Living Ministries
Big Teddy
Why does the 4th of July matter.............
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