The Lincoln Memorial. The Washington Monument. The Liberty Bell. Independence Hall. Monuments to freedom. All of them. I’ve seen these and many more symbols of American freedom. They made an impact on me and remind me of the cost of freedom. And the privilege and responsibility of freedom.
Which monuments to freedom have made the biggest impression on you? Why? Please share.
I’ve been to Washington D.C. multiple times, but it all began in the summer of 1979.
On July 5th, in the dark, in Dupont Circle, D.C.
Do you remember where you were on July 5, 1979?
I know, many of you weren’t born yet and others were too young to remember. After all, that was many years ago.
I was 19 years old. A summer missionary in Montgomery County, Maryland.
And it was my first time experiencing something spectacular like this.
My summer missions partner, Jennifer, and I decided we wanted to go see the fireworks from the vantage point of the National Mall. The display had been delayed from the 4th due to rain.
We had taken public transportation several times on our days off from our locations in Maryland into downtown D.C. Our days had been full of Vacation Bible School, door-to-door surveys, and a variety of other tasks our ministry leaders had for us to do. On our given day off, we ventured down to see the sights. Jennifer chose a location, like the FBI building, and I would choose a location like Ford’s Theatre the next time. And always, a Smithsonian Museum (Natural History, Air and Space, etc), the Capitol, or the White House. We had a great time. We were young and inexperienced and everything was fresh and new to us.
So why not go see the fireworks? Why not go into a mob of thousands and thousands of people on a national holiday? And the brand-new metro (subway) was being debuted with free rides that day. We decided to take the bus like we usually did and then take the free subway ride back to Rockville.
We got off the bus at Dupont Circle and walked to the Mall and found our place on the ground to enjoy the show. And it was dazzling. Spectacular.
Never had a country Arkansas girl ever experienced anything like it. OOhs and Awwws rippled all around us. Then, as the last blasts fizzled, it was over and all that humanity started to ooze toward the Mall metro entrance. We realized quickly we were in big trouble. Too many people and not enough opportunities to board a train.
We decided to walk back to Dupont Circle and find our bus. Easy breezy. Until it wasn’t. We waited an hour for our bus. It was very dark and I’m sure dangerous for two naïve midwestern girls. Jennifer had just finished her senior year and I was only a lowly freshman. She was much older and wiser than me. I remember saying, “Just get me out of here.” As we were contemplating what to do next, a drunk man staggered by us at the bus stop and said, “It’s not safe for you girls out here.” No kidding.
Jennifer found a pay phone (no cell phones available yet) and called our host family. He graciously drove the distance in the late July 5th hours to retrieve us. We were humbled and humiliated, but safe once again.
I learned other lessons that summer — it’s ok to work with children all summer even when that’s not your giftedness; it’s ok to be homesick… you eventually get over it; and it’s good to be dependent on others, but mostly it’s important to realize that our ultimate dependence is on God… on July 5th, in the dark, in Dupont Circle, D.C.
(This story and many more will be available in my soon to be published book— Unseen People: Sharing Light and Life with your neighbors and the nations. Stay tuned for more info soon!)
Wednesday in the Word
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32
Share Your Good Words
Question(s) of the Week: What do you enjoy most about your freedom? How do you celebrate your freedom?
The following excerpt is from a story that will be included in my upcoming book, Unseen People: Sharing Life and Light with Your Neighbors and the Nations. Click the link below to see the progress of the book.
Freedom. It’s a lofty word we normally take for granted. But I know those who don’t — such as
The Colored people group of the Northern Cape in South Africa that I met and served with mny years ago in that beautiful country.
The precious little girls in Indonesia who were brutally raped. They were graciously rescued by a loving and kind women that we worked with.
A young woman on a southeast Asian island who is HIV+ and was rescued from a life of prostitution.
It seems to me that people who name the name of Christ should be the first ones to speak up for freedom for all people, regardless of skin color, regardless of location and social position. Because we know the truth. “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32.
So today… Celebrate freedom. Share the truth. Demonstrate love.
A Good Podcast: It’s happening next Monday, the 10th — my first ever podcast guest appearance. It is on my son’s show, Faithfully Engaged. Catch it here: Faithfully Engaged Podcast. Please watch and share it with others.
NOTE: Please share with me some of your favorite blogs, songs and books. I’d love to know.
Some of the links above are associate links. That means, when you click and purchase, I receive a small percentage of that sale. Those funds, as well as funds from paid subscribers, supports my writing this piece each week. Thank you! I commit to forwarding a minimum of 10% to the amazing nonprofits: She Is Safe and The Red Cord. They help raise awareness of sex trafficking. They help prevent, rescue and restore victims to new life.
A Final Good Word
I love the American Sign Language sign for freedom. Place your arms across your chest like an “X” and then swing them open with your hands lifted up. Try it. Sign language FREE. It is a visual of breaking the chains of slavery.
Freedom. We cherish our freedom as Americans. We remember and celebrate this week as we should.
But as Christians, our freedom has such a deeper context and meaning. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. What does that really mean? I recommend that you discover this truth for yourself. But the short answer is, because Christ paid our sin debt for us on the cross, He set us free from the bondage of sin. Free at last. Free indeed.
Thank you for taking your time to read my words. And if you would, please share a good word with someone today. Invite others into our Good Word community.
As an American, I get to worship freely, talk about my faith freely and love all people freely. This is cause to celebrate daily.