Happy Birthday, United States of America

Dear United States of America:

I am one of your citizens — an imperfect one — and I call this country home. I was born and raised here, as were my parents, and theirs before them. The ones who came earlier crossed over from Germany and Canada, and who knows where before then. They worked on farms and roads, in restaurants, schools, and copper mines. They served in the military. They went to church and worshipped God here because of the freedoms on which you were founded, and that faith still lives in my family today.

That service did not end with them. My wife served in your military, as did a son and daughter-in-law. Other sons and family members served or serve now as first responders and in law enforcement. The rest of us work and pursue our passions and grow our families here. Ours is a family that has long believed this country is worth standing up for — worth protecting, worth serving.

My wife and I have raised our children in the same traditions we were raised in — and these are not empty traditions. Faith, above all, is no faith at all if it is only tradition. We were taught to respect you, and there is much to respect. For 250 years, you have stood for opportunity — a place where people could come, put down roots, freely worship, build a life, and chase dreams. We may not always understand where our people are headed, but even so, we would not choose to live anywhere else.

My prayer is that God would grant you, America, His favor, and that we as a nation would seek Him first of all — for the lasting good of this country and the generations still to come.

We thank God for you! Happy Birthday!