America The Beautifully Blessed

Its been a long time since we've seen so many people in America return to and depend on their faith to get them through tough times. With millions of people out of work and losing homes, I think America is finally getting the message that we don't win when we abandon God as a nation. It's a painful lesson to learn but we must learn it. Its important that we ask ourselves if we've aborted God's plans for America. There appears to be a shift in the nation right now and many Americans are once again depending on and thanking God for what they still have and, without hesitation, discarding things they don't really need. There appear to be many people returning to a commitment to prayer and depending on their faith to survive this economic downturn. We're learning what our parents and their parents always knew. To be able to practice your faith, love and care for family, and being financially responsible was and is indeed a blessing. And our parents, because of their experience and wisdom, weren't ashamed or afraid to call these things blessings.

Five years ago if all you strived for was the basic necessities in life, you were considered by many to be an under achiever. Today, that "many" is switching places with the under achievers and learning its not always a choice. I think what we're seeing now is the acknowledgement by many just how ungrateful we've been. Too many Americans have taken so much for granted and in the process developed an "entitlement" attitude. God didn't promise "entitlements". He promised us blessings.

The very thought that people who ranked in the mid-upper class financially would ever be homeless was something too many people thought was impossible. However, there are many more who knew all it really took for the able bodied, well paid American to be homeless in America is divorce, illness and/or job loss. We have all but tossed out the mentally ill, disabled and elderly. But this time, we must try to get it right. Because our seniors are living longer today, we have the unique opportunity to learn from the wisdom of our elderly.

In our search to be like the rich and famous, we lost our focus on what's really important and this current slump is making that crystal clear. Hopefully, we'll all learn from this time in history and pass the lesson on to future generations. Hopefully, we'll return to our God who has richly blessed us and this time acknowledge we never could have made it this far without Him. Hopefully, we'll fight for the right to maintain and practice our faith without guilt, shame or fear. As Americans, we owe ourselves no less than what we allow others coming into this country to do freely. We really don't have to abandon our God in our efforts to give others the right embrace theirs. I just happen to believe the survival and success of America depends on a serious return to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. There will be labor pains but if we take deep breaths and be grateful for the lessons learned, we'll experience a rebirth that only the Great Physician can deliver! America will be greater than ever. I do believe its possible.

It would do us all good to remember:

2 Chronicles 7:14 - If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.