I Am An American

Upon pondering this holiday, I realized that I have never been more aware of my American citizen status than while living in New York City. In a city full of millions, I hear various languages being spoken on a daily basis, I see various cultures represented on a daily basis, I eat food of different nations any time I want to. All the while, my identity as a native of this country is ever present. I can't help but wonder about all these people, from all over the world, living here. Perhaps most of them were in search of some freedom, or at least their ancestors were. Maybe many have fled persecution. Some have probably come in search of family members and friends or jobs. Whatever it is, they are here for a reason, and there are lots of them! They come and they stay because this country IS, indeed, great and strong and was built on a God-given foundation. We sang The Star Spangled Banner in church today, while standing, and the last stanza hit me most:

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand,
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."

A lot of this country's people, as a whole, have moved further away from the God-trusting principles that the Founding Fathers had in their hearts. But I'm grateful to be reminded and know that these principles will be preserved, no matter how far off the path anyone tries to take it.