Freedom

 

Freedom

As Americans we have freedom.  Freedom to speak our thoughts.  Freedom to carry a gun.  Freedom to worship where we want and how we want.  Freedom to choose how we live our lives.  But with that freedom comes laws, rules, responsibilities, and boundaries. 

Right now we have the opportunity to be vaccinated against the COVID virus.  Some Americans choose not to.  It’s their right.  We have the freedom to choose. 

Just as we have the freedom to worship God as a Catholic, Baptist, or not at all.  Or we have the freedom to take our guns and shoot deer, turkey, or bunnies.  That is what America is all about.  That is why our ancestors left their homelands.  America is the land of the free! 

Everyday we get to choose.  Some choices are easy; fried or scrambled, coffee or tea, red shoes or pink, (depending on what I’m wearing that day or the color of my hair.)  But others are difficult and need more thought and information to make a good decision.

The Bible tells us to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1.)  If we are to be like God we need to learn to love better.  Remember, God is love.  And  God’s love gives us freedom.  So as we use our freedom of speech, be kind.  As we use our freedom to worship, be kind.  As we use our freedom to carry, be kind and please eat or donate your kill.   And as we use our freedom to live our lives as we choose within the boundaries of the law, (traffic, taxes, work, etc…) be kind. 

If you know somebody that is not planning to get the COVID vaccination, be kind. 

Yes, I have been vaccinated, but not without many prayers, discussions, and research.  I work in a building where I come in contact with many older citizens.  My decision was based on, "the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few or the one."  That is a quote from a Star Trek movie, but it is  very fitting for this story.  

We need to be tolerant. "Tolerance is giving people permission to be different", writes Dr. Cindy Trimm in her book The 40 Day Soul Fast.  Let's make a deal...you be kind to me and I'll be kind to you.  Maybe we can start a movement!  The "Be Kind"  movement.  We'll get T Shirts, and travel mugs and even fanny packs.  I can just see it...people all over the world wearing matching T shirts and fanny packs to National Parks and Six Flags!  People smiling and helping one another.  No homeless veterans because someone was kind enough to build them a place to live and give them a job to do.  

Ooooops sorry, I put on my rose-colored glasses for a second there.  Anyway, what I'm trying to convey is that we need to stop the hate (dislike intensely)  and learn to love, be kind, and be tolerant.  Who's with me?