Freedom…that’s why we, as Americans celebrate today. It is not that I don’t know what Independence Day means, or that I have never celebrated it before, but this year is different. In the past I have celebrated being off work, family time, picnic at the river and ending the day with fireworks. I know the history and all the facts from the books in school, and I am proud and humbled by our military men and women who have protected our freedom down through the years.
It wasn’t until July 2011 that I really understood what it meant to be free, to live in a free country and really begin to appreciate it. July 11, 2011 God busted my “bubble” when He sent me to India. My first time out of the country, first time to be the minority, to be stared at, touched, and talked about in a different language. We were told for our own safety not to tell people where we were from if anyone asked. Ok, seriously?!? A group of pale white people with blonde and red hair…pretty obvious we aren’t from India ï�Š But in India it was just assumed all white people are Americans and all Americans are Christians. Before I was even out of customs in the airport I had lost count of the number of people who told me I was lucky to be an American and asked why I would come to India.
Now I had done my research about the political system, the caste system (technically practice of the caste system is illegal but it is still prevalent and practiced), and about the country, religion and people in general, and I remember studying in 7th grade about “Holy Cows”. But the books don’t prepare you for first hand experiences. Seeing the poverty, the injustice, the lack of religious freedom, the discrimination towards women, the lack of concern for human life in general, and the caste system played out first hand.
I found myself thanking God daily more than ever for allowing me to be an American where I can worship freely, and as a woman where I am allowed to vote, have a job, not be tied to an arranged marriage (shocked everyone I talked to that not only was I not married, nor did my parents have an arranged marriage prepared and they were ok with this).
Not only do we celebrate our nation’s freedom and independence but as Christians, today is a reminder that we are free in Christ as well. I am thankful and proud to be an American not just today, but every day. No matter what country I am serving in, I will always be proud to be an American. Thankful for the soldiers and their families, and for the being raised in a free country where it was never a threat to go to church, or persecuted for my religion or for being a woman.
