Who doesn’t love a birthday party? A time to get together with family and friends to celebrate. A time to have great food and desserts. A time for fun and games. A time to give and receive gifts. When you go to a birthday party, you know why you are there – to celebrate that special person’s life, their birth, a gift from God.
Monday is the 4th of July. You get the day off of work. You will probably have some type of get together with family and friends. Maybe you will have a BBQ or picnic, maybe you will go to some type of fest. You will probably be enjoying some great food and some great desserts; some desserts may even be red, white, and blue. You will probably be outdoors enjoying fun activities; maybe bean bags, maybe a bike parade, most probably watching some type of fantastic fireworks display.
But do you know why you are celebrating? Do your kids know why? It’s important that they do. It’s important that they know this day is a celebration of America’s birthday – the day we declared our independence from Britain back in 1776. It’s important that they know that the reason we are even here to celebrate and enjoy all the freedom we have is because of the men before us who had the courage and bravery to stand up for what is right. It’s important that they know that the fireworks they are enjoying aren’t just cool to look at; that those fireworks are set off in memory of the “bombs bursting in air” while courageous men fought for that independence and won our freedom.
I do hope you and your family enjoy your holiday on Monday. I hope you will get together with your family and friends and eat and play and relax. But I also hope that you spend some time with your kids and tell them about America’s Birthday. Why we celebrate, who were the key players in getting us this freedom we enjoy, why we have fireworks, why we have 13 stripes on our flag, why America is Land of the Free and Home of the Brave. You receive the gift at this birthday party. Remember to say thanks – A prayer of thanksgiving, thanking God for your freedom and for those who have made it possible for you to celebrate this day.
