It’s the fourth of July, a time to celebrate our Nation’s freedom. As I was sitting in my tub reading a book after a long day at the lake, I began to hear the firecrackers starting. I looked up out of the skylight and noticed it was now just after dusk. I got out of the tub and put on my robe and walked out onto the porch. I could see fireworks all around me. I could hear them all around me. I wondered, was this what it sounded like to be at war for our nation’s freedom? Was it constant noise and flashes of lights. I thought of our Nation’s bravest overseas fighting a war right now for another country’s freedom. I wondered, are they scared? I thought of all the past soldiers in all of the previous wars our country has fought. Where are they now? With God? With their families? Were they watching the fireworks somewhere? Were they watching the same fireworks I’m watching? Were they feeling the same thing I was? I was overcome with emotion and had to stop and pray to thank God for all these men and women, and for all the things he’s given me and given us as a country.
After my prayer a sudden peace flowed around me. I felt calm, happy, humbled, peaceful, euphoric if you will. I walked to my driveway and sat down on the hard rocks. I suddenly noticed the temperature. It was perfect, a little on the warm side with a slight breeze in the air. I noticed the crickets singing, so loud I almost couldn’t hear cars driving by on the highway in front of my house. I could hear the loud cracks of the fireworks from the park in town across the river. I could just see them over the tree tops. The sky was overcast and would turn the whole north sky the color of the firework. Blue.Red.Green.Orange.Yellow.White. Boom. Boom. Boom. Their sounds came a few seconds later than their light. To the west a thunderhead was rolling by in the distance. It was almost as if he were fighting for attention with the fireworks. Though it was too far away to hear the thunder, the lightning would light up the western sky every few minutes. The lightning was so bright I had to turn away from the fireworks in front of me to see if there were more to my left.
As I sat and gazed above the river at the fireworks, the dogs came to sit with me. Banjo laid at my feet and Birdie behind my back. It was almost as if they were protecting me from the loud noises that were confusing them. Boom. Boom. As I watched the fireworks I couldn’t help but keep glancing out into the pasture at the lightning bugs. They too were competing for attention in the summer sky. I felt so wonderful. If only everyone felt this way at all times, all would be right in this world. Everyone would be humble, caring, knocked to their knees at the thought of something greater than they. There would be no pain, no fear, no hurt. Isn’t this what our men and women overseas are fighting for? Isn’t this what God is fighting for? He wants us to feel this way at all times. He wants us to let him put his arms around us and give us peace. This must be what heaven feels like. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.
Banjo and Birdie suddenly jumped up at the sound of the firework finale. I could see the finale seconds before I heard it, I waited on it to come. Birdie got scared and barked. It knocked me out of the trance I was in. I knew my magical moment was gone. Since I can’t bottle up this feeling, I’ll wait for it to come again. I know it will come again one day; If not on Earth, then definitely in Heaven.
Happy 4th of July All!
