God Bless America!

 by Macy Johnson

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

the people he chose for his inheritance.”

(Psalm 33:12 NIV)

 

I woke up early on the Fourth of July to watch the sun rise on America’s 245^th birthday. The United States flag unfolded in the sky before my eyes – red, white, and blue, with stripes of clouds across the air! It was a gift from God straight to my patriotic heart.

 

The sunrise triggered a memory from the time when I studied German and piano in Salzburg, Austria. As I walked along the Salzach River one afternoon in the summer of 1972, I met a family from South Carolina. They were there for the Olympics in Munich and invited me to attend some of the events with them.

 

My fondest memory of the Olympics occurred in a room filled with Germans. An American had won the gold medal in one of the competitions and the “Star Spangled Banner” played on TV. I’ll never forget the pride I felt for being born in the USA.

 

Many of us have traveled out of the country. Some have lived overseas for years at a time. There is something unique about being outside your home country and looking in, seeing it from a different perspective. I have acquired a pride for America that has grown over the years after returning home to the states. 

 

Planet Earth is not our home. We are overseas on a long journey. Jesus promised He will bring us back home to heaven someday soon. Until then I will honor my earthly home and its courageous people for making the United States of America the best place on earth. I pray that God will continue to bless America!

 

I thank my heavenly Father for all the freedoms enjoyed in this blessed country. I hope you will, too!