Free? Free, Indeed.

<opinion><soapbox><rant>

This morning, our church had a short musical called, “Homeland.”  As I watched the various scenes, so many things came to mind… our brave men and women who are fighting or have fought to keep us a free nation; those who have lost their lives defending our country; our National Leaders…

… And how we have become a nation of selfish, ungrateful, complaining, whining, self-righteous, indignant know-it-alls who feel that we deserve absolutely everything.

I mean, the last time I checked everyone knew exactly what our President should and should not be doing. Everyone knows exactly how to get our country back on track.

Seems to me that “everyone” needs to get a clue and realize that we have absolutely NO idea how to run a country. Instead of running our mouths, we might try to become more educated and get involved in our local communities. That is how to make things get better; it is by starting with the small stuff.

Now, mind you, I am not President Obama’s biggest fan, but we might want to walk a mile (or run a marathon) in his shoes before ANY of us step up and say something about a job none of us have ever had (and never will have). Very few of us actually have any inkling about the true job of a President, but everyone has an opinion as to how he can better perform his job.

Truly I believe we, as a Nation, have too much {bad} freedom.

Freedom to buy what we want, when we want; even if we do not have the means to purchase it.

Freedom to say what we want about whomever we want {yes, I’m still sore about the attacks made on Former President George W. Bush}.

Ahem.

Freedom to speak words that fifty years ago would have been worthy of a nice, soapy mouth-washing {and quite possibly a slap on the face}.

Freedom to look at whatever we choose, whether on the Internet or in person. I’m talking porn, people.

Freedom to take what we want, no matter the cost. We will get to the top, even if we have to sacrifice our family, our homes, our integrity, and everything for which we stand.

Freedom to act like we are the best, when in reality, we are simply humans. {Hello, Hollywood! I’m talkin’ to you!}

I know people who have lived in other countries, and the way our Nation is viewed by them should make us sick to our stomachs. The way so many of us act, and to the height we hold ourselves, it is no wonder many countries hate us.

Freedom to eat what we want and as much as we want… while most of the world starves.

The freedoms our Founding Fathers fought so hard for are now paralyzing our Nation. George Washington would roll over in his grave with shame at the current state in which we find ourselves.

We are on a downhill slide, and if we are not careful, we will find ourselves under the rule of someone else… and speaking a different language {and I’m not talking South-of-the-Border}.

A free nation? Oh, yes we are indeed.

We are a freely ungrateful, mouthy nation who is unworthy of the freedoms with which we have been blessed.

The Bible says in Mark 9:35 (NLT),

“Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”

Change must come. Change must come now.

Those of us who desire to be first, must put others first.

Today is the celebration of our Independence, yet we are more dependent than ever. We no longer work together for a solution, but drudge about life seeking our own desires.

Until we work together, and put others’ needs first, things will not get better.

</opinion></soapbox></rant>