A little girl took a trip to New York
City with her father. They took a boat trip and saw the Statue of Liberty
guarding the entrance to the harbor. The girl was fascinated with the history
of the grand lady of liberty. As they returned across the bay that evening, the
daughter stood by the boat’s railing and watched the lady, who held the lighted
torch, recede in the distance. That night the little girl tossed on her pillow.
She sat up and her father asked her what was wrong. She said, “Daddy, I was thinking
about that lady out there in the dark with nobody to help her hold up her lamp.
Shouldn’t we help her?”
Some people look at a country
with the eyes of a critic and wonder what is worth saving. Others ride like barnacles
on the ship, looking for a free ride, without ever helping to hoist the sails
that enable progress. But we give thanks to those who feel indebted to their
county for the freedom which, though fragile, still lives on. They still desire
to help Miss Liberty hold aloft her lamp to the world.
Have you ever looked at your
house with a scrutinizing eye? If you do, you will find errors made by the
carpenters. There may be a slight leak in the faucet. The room arrangement
might be unhandy. However, let your house catch fire, and as you see it being
consumed by the flames, you see much more than faults. You see your home, and
you realize that even though there are some negative things about it, the good
things far outweigh them.
How do you say thanks to God for
your country? It is not just saying the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag, involvement
is the answer. We must prune the diseased branches of injustice and deceit and ask
that God govern the affairs of its people. We must work to preserve the
government of the people, by the people, and for the people. So we give thanks for our nation.
Gratitude dose not just watch history march by, it makes history.
Pastor Qualley
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