04 July 2011

I'm proud to be an American

In the distance I see her
Ronald Crites

In the distance I see her, as she stands and waves,
As I sit and watch her, at the dawn of day.
As the sun arises, from our eastern shores,
I see Old Glory, she is battered and worn.
Her colors are faded, and her edges are frayed,
A symbol of our Nation, in its current stage.
I shed a tear, for my dear old friend,
As I remember what she's seen, and the places she's been.

She was there in the beginning, as she led in the fight,
As brave men and women fought, to defend what was right.
Washington, Sherman, and for Lincoln she flew,
Over blood soaked grounds, as our freedoms grew.
She made the journey, unto foreign lands,
Through both World Wars, Korea and Nam.
Against oppression, tyranny, and terror by night,
She stood for freedom, as a beacon of light.

But now she's here, in our present age,
As I look at her there, all tattered and frayed.
I can't understand it, where we are,
From where we've been, it seems so far.
She's been spit upon, trampled, burned and torn,
Dishonored, discarded, right here at home.
A House of cards, is where our liberties lie,
While a nation stands silent, as our freedoms slip by.
Where integrity, honesty and values are lost,
Where marriage is forsaken, the unborn pay the cost.

The word of God is silent, on Congress hill,
Even from our schools, it is silent still.
The Lord of heaven, of earth, and of man,
Says "return to Me, and I'll heal your land."
We must go to Him, on bended knee,
Give all unto Him, and He'll give unto thee.

As I watch my dear friend, as she starts to fly,
I hear her plea, I hear her cry.
As she sends out a call, across the land,
"To do what's right, make a stand!"
"Liberty, Justice and Freedom" she sounds,
"Do not compromise, or cross the bounds."
"We must stand together, though some may fall,
For freedom we'll lose, if we don't stand at all."
"To laugh, to play, to worship and live,
How much is freedom worth, how much will you give?"
"Like those before us, in wars fought and won,
Our fathers, brothers, daughters and sons."
"Who fought for freedom, they gave it all,
That our country may stand, and never, fall."

As the sun descends, beyond the western view,
And taps is played, in a lonesome tune.
Old Glory is lowered, in the last bit of light,
For on this day, was her last flight.
She gave all she could, she gave all her might,
She fought to the last, she fought the good fight.
For in the breaking, of tomorrows new dawn,
New hope shall arise, as Glory lives on.
She shall arise again, bright shining and new,
As she continues the call, to me, and to you.
From sea to sea, and mountains of white,
Our land, our home, we must defend and fight.

How much will you give, as Gods own Son,
To bring us back to Him, so we can live on.
Will you join with us, hand in hand,
In prayer and fasting, to heal our land?
Though our country's not perfect, this much is sure,
But it's still our county, and it's worth fighting for.

I truly love this Country, and I am so grateful to all those who have fought and gave their lives defending it. I would not be the same person I am without this pride and love I feel for this beautiful land. I know God gave us these freedoms and this nation so we would have the ability to receive his gospel. I am so grateful for all those who face trials to give us a better tomorrow and for those who stood up for what they knew to be right and all those who continue to stand. I thank you with my whole heart! I am proud to be an American and to be a part of this great nation, and to have the opportunity to do my part to help make it better. I know it isn't a perfect country, but I also know it has the potential to become so if people were honest, humble, and full of love and compassion for others. I hope we all have the courage to stand up and help make it a better place for tomorrow!

If our country is worth dying for in time of war let us resolve that it is truly worth living for in time of peace. ~Hamilton Fish


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