Independence Day Thoughts

Today is the 4th of July, and a holiday. It's Independence Day here in the United States. It's a day that flags are flown, the words liberty and freedom get mentioned a lot, and there are bbqs and fireworks to celebrate the day. Red,white, and blue are the colors of the day.

There are some thoughts I've been having that I'm going to share today. They will not be popular with a lot of people who would rather not be informed of the state of our world today.

We who live in America or other well-developed nations are fortunate. If you have internet access and are reading this, you are wealthier than a majority of the people living in the world. We do have people in our own country who are homeless, can't afford medical care or proper nutrition, and struggle daily, and we do need to come up with some solutions to these problems starting on a local basis. Charity begins at home is a saying I heard growing up, and I do believe that we should help our own family members and neighbors.

The thing I need to share with you today is that there are children,women, and men in other countries who have far less.

With wars going on in multiple countries, there are those who have been injured and maimed , had their family members killed by the fighting, raped, and worse. They have had their homes destroyed, their employment taken away from them, and so many have become refugees.

Their are children in this world who are slaves, forced into labor as soon as they have learned to walk. Many are growing up as orphans. Their parents have died of diseases. They are now heads of the household to their younger brothers and sisters, and have no clue on how to take care of them. Others are forced into duty as child soldiers-learning to kill and see atrocities that know one should have to experience.

Unclean water is what many people are forced to drink. It causes disease and death. So do mosquitoes. Hunger and illness is all that billions of this world's citizens know! Statistics, should you choose to read them and absorb what they mean, is absolutely sickening. We are living in the year 2010 and women own only 1% of the property in the world and earn 10% of all the money.

Instead of going on and on about all this, I want to suggest that you start becoming more aware of the things in this world that need to be changed and then start taking action. My heart is heavy when I think about all these types of things. I am feeling called to do my part and to encourage others to do theirs as well.

I've been reading a book that I'll be reviewing on this blog soon that shares a lot more of the truth about the world today, and one person's story who is making a difference. Until then though, I encourage you to think about your liberty and freedoms in a deeper way today.

Truly celebrate your independence, because it is a blessed thing.