A close friend shared a story with me recently and felt it important enough in subject to actually hand write a copy for me. This in itself was a treasure had I never read one word. It made me think of ancient days when the written word was not available and then it reminded me we live in a world where some written words are still not available in other countries.
There are martyrs in today’s world that our nightly news channels passes on talking about. This is a curious syndrome since these same news sources are more than willing to share all sorts of careless gossip about some Hollywood type who stepped out for an evening of entertainment. Could we be any less interested in the rich and famous? Let’s open the door of the world’s closet and see into the darkness of oppression.
What would the comfortable person who sits in their warm house, wondering what to order in for dinner, think about the people who go for days without food on a regular basis? Can we actually fathom the thought that we can walk into any building in America to find our Savior and yet others are literally beaten and tortured for this same freedom? We are free to open a book that gives us hope and still others are imprisoned for even looking at pages from a bible.
Even if you had no belief in Christ, would your sense of justice not be moved even a little? Should we carry on looking to the inane for nightly news stories or can we challenge those who hold these jobs to seek out truth and report it? Truth in the fact much of the world’s population has no freedom to surf the internet. Truth in the fact there are populations in huge countries that have no freedom to open the book of their choice. I know I am only scratching the surface of a lingering sore.
I get incensed about such things and then I come to a place of gratitude. My gratitude stems from the fact my freedom was bought for me by my ancestors. This is something so many in America have forgotten. Our hard won freedom came at a price, it was fought for! The truth in history that gets lost in the current education system is that our founding fathers were great men and women of vision but that vision came from having a heart for God. “One Nation Under God” was not a slogan, rather it was a declaration.
I am free to be incensed, but I am also free to be a woman called to act upon my senses. I can vote for my leadership or I can do nothing. I can send help to other nations and organizations where there is need or I can order another pizza. I can read a book of worth or I can read a magazine about Stars. I can watch something of substance or I can change the channel. The point is, I have the freedom to do any of these and I thank others today who are serving our country to spread this same freedom.
Today I think I will send out a care package to “thank” one of the men or women who are making sure I keep this freedom. I will also thank them for giving someone, somewhere, a book of hope.
