This is a little something I wrote back in 2008 when my husband was on summer break in between semesters as Bible College. He had just begun a new job building valves for the oil and gas industry.

We went to the 60th Anniversary Celebration for my husband’s new job on Friday afternoon. They had just gone all out and had hired a company to bring in huge blow up obstacle courses, slides, a little toddler town with balls and mini slides, a coconut tree to climb, bungee jumping things, a laser tag and huge swing, and last ponies and goats, sheep, and a llama to pet! Oh, and we can’t forget the free barbeque which was some good eatin’.

All that was fun and I was so bummed that I had forgotten the memory card for our camera. The biggest blessing to me was meeting the volunteers that were supervising all the rides and moon bounces all afternoon. When we were at the “Toddler Town” bounce we got to talk to a guy named Vladic and he was asking us what the company manufactured. After hearing his accent I asked him where he was from and he said “Poland.” And I asked him what he was doing here in the states and he told us that he was stationed at the local Air Force Base. So I asked “Are you from Poland over here flying with us?” And he replied “No” and explained that he had joined our Air Force. He also acted like he planned to re-enlist. We thanked him over and over for his service because we know from talking to and hearing stories from other soldiers they aren’t thanked enough. We went onto the other areas and thanked other Air Force men, they were all from the same squadron working the booths so that they could have a Christmas party in December.

Jeff was the second young man that we spoke to, he had been in the Air Force for a little over a year. His father was born in Cuba and had joined the Navy and he had grown up moving here and there and decided he would serve also. He said “Thank you for saying that to me, it really means a lot.” He had unsurety in his eyes. When I asked when they would be sent out he told me it was “classified.” The look in his face makes me wonder if it will be soon.

So all in all I was thinking, Vladic and Jeff’s father were not Americans but they made a choice to join our military and fight for our freedom. Some may say “They just did it for the benefits” and have a sarcastic attitude about it but if you just put that out of your mind for a minute you can consider some other things…

Not only are they like other soldiers that give their life in a noble way so that we might carry on life here in peaceful living, they have no roots or patriotism in their blood like we do. And I just wonder why? And I have respect for their decision. It puts me in awe though.

It reminds me of Christ, THE Foreigner to our sinful world coming to fight for our freedom so that we might have salvation.

His fight was to conquer sin on the cross and defeat death in His resurrection so that when we accept His payment for us we might have life, and life more abundantly. The freedom that a believer carries is the freedom to live in Christ and grow in the love of God. And that should warrant even more respect and honor and thanks than what I owe every soldier that has given his life for my freedom.

The simple things in life can be a great reminder of our Lord and liberty in Him because after salvation we have been given not only the freedom from sin but freedom to live for Him in His purposes, not enslaved by the world any longer. 

I have loved this verse about liberty for many years and wish to share it with you on this special occasion.

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1

I wish you all a Happy Fourth of July and hope you all have a wonderful time with your family and friends!