By Myrtle Virginia Thompson

Cup of coffee, anyone? In fact, you can make it a large size for a few cents more. It’s cheaper at McDonald’s than at Starbucks, but in this country you have the freedom to take your pick. You can have a sausage or sausage and egg biscuit or a muffin if you prefer a different diet. Food is plentiful. Been in a grocery store lately? Found empty shelves? Of course not. There is a product for any special needs diet and more coming every day. That is American ingenuity. Did you notice who waited on you? Did you decide not to buy because the person was not your color? Foolish question. I am so happy someone was hired to help me.

America is a precious country, blessed by God, as precious as gold, as blessed as were the children of Israel before they put God out of their lives and chose false gods for their worship. We have people of color, people of mixed heritage, “white” people, people of ethnic backgrounds different from our own, people whose culture, religion or lifestyle is different, but our country was founded on one special set of principles: freedom.

In our country we have so many advantages. Call them blessings. We have a means of transportation for travel, we can call the fire department in case of fire, call EMS in a medical emergency, call the police if there is a need. In short, we can be in charge of our lives, all this predicated on our being responsible people, honest and willing to get along with others. We are by no means perfect; we live in an imperfect world, but we are blessed with enormous unacknowledged blessings.

That is America. That is our country, endowed by God, based on principles with laws, a constitution and a bill of rights to remind us when we forget or use a wrong judgment. Sadly, all that in the past is being challenged today even while we enjoy blessings.

We live in a country needing our respect because of all we have. Our flag proudly flies to honor those who gave their lives for our freedom, where we can elect leaders who help safeguard us, where armed guards are not checking our every move. All this and so much more.

America. A place I call home. A place I left four times with my husband and children to serve as a missionary in Third World countries. For about 27 years I found no place as blessed as my country — a country where I was always happy to be back, even for a short period.

So how did America become an object of blessing when many other countries are not so blessed? It is because of the God in Whom our founding fathers put their faith and trust, determined to do the right thing for all. America has been a generous country, sharing people and wealth for the betterment of others. Will we accept or reject those who think there is nothing of value here, that everything needs to be changed? Are we really willing to give it up to let those rule who feel there is nothing right about our American way of life?

I may never have understood how much we have in this country had I not spent about 27 years of my life in three different Third World countries. What bothers me today is a lack of thanksgiving for all we have. In reading through passages of the Old Testament, I find a lot of lessons why God judged Israel. We cannot escape if we fail to understand history so often repeated for our learning. I see it best revealed in the Bible. Get your cup of coffee and read it.

We live in a country where we have freedom with the exception of one area that is being challenged, our freedom as Christians, something also happening in other countries. Christians and churches can begin prayer groups for our leaders and for our country. There is nothing threatening about asking God to give us discernment, to keep us free and worshiping Him.

 

Myrtle V. Thompson, 91, is a retired missionary, educator, Bible teacher and writer. Email her at mvtgrt@gmail.com.