This week has been nuts. Completely nuts. I feel like a whirling dervish, scurrying from one activity to another, and yet, despite the frenzy I am not totally worn out. Yet.
One of the things that has got me so wired is the upcoming Blue & Gold banquet for Cub Scouts. This is the annual awards dinner put on by the pack to honor the scouts’ achievements over the past year. Den leaders are responsible for decorating the tables, which is where my manic overdrive comes in. Our theme for this year’s B&G is “American ABC’s” and while I won’t spend a lot of time detailing my fantastic vision for our tables (that is the stuff of a future post), I will say that in creating these decorations I’ve been reminded of what an awesome country ours is, and how much I treasure the freedoms we enjoy.
With that in mind, I offer this week’s threads of gratitude, American style!
- I’m grateful for a country that allows me to worship God freely and without fear. That allows me to teach my children what I believe and encourage them to live out their faith in public.
- I’m grateful for a country founded on principles of personal responsibility, faith, equality, and patriotism. For those who fought to expand the concept of “equality” so that I have a voice and can be involved in the democratic process. For those who have sacrificed their lives and livelihood to ensure the freedoms of others both here and around the world.
- I’m grateful for the beauty of this land. For the diversity of our country’s landscape: from the glory of a New England fall to the wide open spaces of the midwestern prairies. From the peaceful sandy beaches of southern Florida to the pounding, rocky surf of northern California. From the larger-than-life pride of the great state of Texas to the could-almost-fit-inside-the-metroplex state of Rhode Island. America, the beautiful, indeed!
- I’m grateful for our leaders. Though I haven’t always agreed with their ideologies, and I haven’t always believed they have acted in the best interest of our country, I understand and appreciate their courage, their determination, and their sacrifice. They have taken on incredible challenges, and done so to the best of their abilities. They have, collectively, served to make our country one of the world’s strongest, and a land of progress and opportunity for all who live within its borders.
- I’m grateful for my heritage…a heritage of faith, of living well, and of leaving a legacy to generations that follow.
In the midst of all the political debate, it’s easy to lose sight of what is really important, and how much we have as a nation to be grateful for. God has blessed America. May He continue to do so.