“The Flag Still Waves”
It is only cloth.
Threads stitched together.
Red.
White.
Blue.
Yet somehow,
when it rises into the summer sky,
something inside of us rises too.
Maybe it’s because we remember.
We remember backyard cookouts,
sticky popsicle hands,
children chasing fireflies,
the smell of charcoal,
and grandparents sitting quietly on the porch,
watching another generation laugh.
We remember freedom.
Not because America has always been perfect.
It hasn’t.
But because freedom has always been worth protecting.
This flag reminds me that I can kneel beside my children’s beds
and whisper the name of Jesus without fear.
I can carry my Bible in public.
I can sing hymns out loud.
I can speak my mind,
vote,
dream,
build,
fail,
begin again,
and raise my children with hope instead of fear.
I think about mothers around the world
who don’t have those same freedoms.
Women who cannot choose.
Women who cannot speak.
Women who cannot walk outside
without covering every part of themselves.
Women who cannot worship openly.
Women who cannot imagine
the ordinary freedoms
we so easily overlook.
And suddenly…
This flag means more than fireworks.
More than parades.
More than a day off work.
It reminds me that liberty is precious.
That countless families received folded flags
instead of welcome-home hugs.
That empty chairs around dinner tables
became the price of someone else’s tomorrow.
Freedom has never been free.
It has always carried someone’s sacrifice.
So today,
when I watch my children run barefoot through the grass,
holding tiny American flags,
I don’t just see a holiday.
I see gratitude.
Gratitude that my daughter can grow up believing
her voice matters.
That my sons can dream without fear.
That our family can gather around a table,
pray before a meal,
and live out our faith openly.
America isn’t perfect.
No nation is.
But loving your country
and hoping it becomes even better
can exist together.
Patriotism isn’t pretending.
It’s appreciating.
It’s recognizing blessings
while still believing tomorrow can be brighter.
So today,
I’ll stand when the flag passes by.
I’ll place my hand over my heart.
I’ll thank God for the freedoms I often forget.
And I’ll pray that we never become so comfortable
that we stop noticing
what so many people around the world
are still praying for.
Happy Birthday, America.
May we never worship the flag.
But may we always be grateful
for the freedom it represents.
And may we use that freedom
to love God,
love our neighbors,
and leave this country
better than we found it.
-author unknown
HAPPY 250 BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!
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