They didn't have fireworks to celebrate the 4th of July, they had gunfire that would soon leads to bombs going off. They weren't gathering for fun, they were gathering to fight. Instead of people raising the flag and talking during the national anthem, they understood the significance of that flag and they were writing the anthem. Instead of parades with lines of people marching down the streets, they had lines of soldiers marching off to war.
And let's talk about those soldiers for a moment. These weren't battle tested military men but farmers and ranchers and boys not old enough to be called men. These were civilians who didn't have uniforms or proper weapons. What they did have was a belief. The belief that what they were fighting for was worth laying down their lives. A belief that this was for a better future.
Their hope wasn't resting in one man or even a group of men. They may have been trusting our founding fathers and following George Washington into battle but he wasn't why they were fighting. They were fighting because they believed in the Declaration of Independence. They believed that "all men are created equal" and that "we hold these truths to be self-evident". They believed in the rights of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". They believed that everyone should have the right to worship or not worship as they chose. They believed in the right to speak freely and in the right to keep and bear arms so that if any enemy, foreign or domestic, tried to infringe on these rights that we could stand up for them and defend our God-given rights.
These men were ready and willing to lay down their lives to fight for a better future for their loved ones. So often we forget the real reason of 4th of July. We focus on the parties and the barbecues, the baseball games and time spent with family and friends. We love to gather for the fireworks and watch the dirt track or NASCAR races. Yet the only reason we have the right to gather for these things is because of those founding fathers and the soldiers who laid down their lives and the brave men and women who have continued to lay down their lives every day and every 4th of July for the last two hundred and forty-four years.
I don't know what this Independence Day looks like for you. I hope you are still able to gather with loved ones and watch the beautiful fireworks and enjoy some good ole fashioned BBQ and baseball or races. I also hope that when you see the flag waving or the national anthem is sung that you take a moment to stop and thank the Lord for those brave souls who have fought and continue to fight so we can be free. Say a prayer for those who are fighting today and thank the Lord for the sacrifice that allows us to continue flying that symbol of hope and sing that song of freedom.
God bless you and God bless America.
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