American Revolution Two

“May we all unite in rendering unto God our sincere and humble thanks…”
- George Washington, Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789

America is great because her people are grateful. And we are grateful because of God’s goodness, mercy and providence – not only in the founding and shaping of our nation, but in the bounty and blessing available to us all. Out of this gratitude flows a generosity unmatched by previous nations of the world. Our people give more, per capita, than any other country in the world. Why? Because we give thanks to God, even in the darkest of times, and have since the very beginning.

Our first national day of Thanksgiving came in 1777 in the midst of our struggle for independence. The Continental Congress designated December 18 of that year “for solemn Thanksgiving and praise” for the Patriot army’s victory at Saratoga. It was a dark and uncertain time for our founding generation – yet they gave thanks.

America began a regular national thanksgiving day in 1863, in the midst of a terrible Civil War. President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November “a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father.” And he did this just a few months after the dreadful loss of life at Gettysburg.

Succeeding presidents upheld Lincoln’s example, but it wasn’t until the dark days of WWII and the expanding evil of Nazism that Congress passed a law in 1941 officially declaring the fourth Thursday in November as America’s Thanksgiving Day.

These milestones of thanks came to light in some of our darkest and most trying days. 
It is fitting then, that we as a people, despite our current struggle against tyranny here and abroad, return to a posture of humble thanks and gratitude to God. Make no mistake about it: America is on the brink of total disaster, and if we have any hope of restoring the light of America’s freedom and its legacy of liberty, then we must unite in prayer to the God of our fathers. Do any of us really believe that America can be restored without a complete surrender to the heavens above? As Ronald Reagan said, “If we ever forget that we’re one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.”

I submit to you the following “Prayer for Meeting the Obligations of Freedom” as published in William J. Bennett’s  The American Patriot’s Almanac and written by The Reverend Peter Marshall, Chaplain of the U.S. Senate, 1947-49. We would do well to embrace and make this our own across the land. Liberty and free will is a gift from God. But the responsibility to keep it and preserve it for succeeding generations is ours, and ours alone…

“Our Father which art in heaven, we pray for all the people of our country, that we may learn to appreciate more the goodly heritage that is ours. We need to learn, in these challenging days, that to every right there is attached a duty and to every privilege an obligation. We believe that, in the eternal order of things, Thou has so ordained it, and what Thou has joined together let us not try to put asunder. Teach us what freedom is. May we all learn the lesson that it is not the right to do as we please, but the opportunity to please to do what is right. Above all, may we discover that wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. May we have that freedom now, in His presence here, to lead us and to help us keep this nation free.”
Amen

To the 23 million veterans in our nation today, we owe our utmost gratitude and our highest praise. They are America’s first heroes, for without their service in the cause of freedom, our land of liberty simply would not be. Our veterans of today carry on a proud legacy dating back to our nation’s birth. They were there, in places like Lexington and Concord, and Trenton, long before the silver screen, sports arena or concert stage “heroes” of today. Like George Washington, they are first in the hearts of their countrymen.

To each and every veteran, I salute you with these solemn words: You have my utmost admiration, respect and gratitude and you always will. I give thanks for you when talking with the Man upstairs – may He bless you abundantly. You chose the noblest service there is and for that I have not the words sufficient to express the depth of my thanks and appreciation. What shall we do then, in response to this incredible gift you have given?

Recognizing the power of words as one way to respond, I submit to you a moving tribute to our veterans across the land. It is a stirring poem written by Dan Zimmerle – the “Z-man” – of One Nation Under God Radio. This is an incredible work that does honor to all those who have served in the great contest of defending our nation and preserving our freedom…

THE SOLDIER

In my dream I heard the guns
Of a distant battlefield.
Faint bugles blew, far drum beats rolled,
From America’s bravest guild.
It was the roll call of the soldier
Called forth to freedom’s war.
Self, the willing sacrifice.
Courage, the cloak he wore.
He is the guardian of our Nation.
The lifeguard of our life.
He is the gladiator of our battles.
He is liberty’s truest light.
From battlefield to battlefield
He has drunk of courage’s cup.
On land, in air, on sea he’s bled.
He’s always looking up.
To duty, honor, and country,
Forever faithful he.
He carries our flag and never looks back.
He is why there’s liberty.
Through rain and wind and smoke and hell
Uncomplaining in his strife.
He’s the unseen face of the American dream,
To him we owe our life.
He is yesterday’s truest hero:
He is tomorrow’s reason why:
He is today’s guardian angel:
He’s the defender of our rights.
He comes from farms and ghettos,
From poverty and from wealth.
He is white, black, red and yellow,
He is a hero storming hell.
He is resolute and determined.
His attack, it’s swift and sure.
His purpose, it’s always homeland.
His courage it’s always pure.

Let the politicians fight and squabble.
Let the rich man claim his fame.
But in my dream a soldier fell
And I didn’t even know his name.
I made my way beside him
As his life poured from his wound.
He smiled at me, said “It’s OK
This is what we do.
I knew the cost of freedom
When I made my choice to serve.
But the cost pales when placed beside
The country that I love.”
He said, “Don’t weep for me my brother.”
As he was dying the noblest death,
And with country on his lips,
He drew his final breath.
Then a million ghosts in olive drab,
In khaki, blue, and gray;
They came down from heavens portals
To take him home that day.
As they were flying skyward
I could barely hear them sing,
America the Beautiful.
Let her freedom ring.

Now, let the power of imagery, music and the spoken word,
bring these words to life in this moving video: