I’m Proud to Be…?

by Kristi F | Faith, Holidays, Music, Soul Nourishment, Spiritual Growth

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Kristi F

I am an Oklahoman by birth, a Texan by current living situation, but claim the world as my playground.I love to travel and hope to someday soon take our family on adventures to far off lands, where we can share God with others and experience all the wonders He has created.

I am a mother of 5 crazy, homeschooling children ages 10 & under, wife to an amazing man, and daughter of the King of the Universe!I enjoy reading, making my kids laugh, cooking, all things natural, learning to play guitar and dusting off my piano skills.One day I hope to run again, but until then I’m learning patience.

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” I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free!” These words from the song God Bless the U.S.A give me chills.  Oh, how I love this song!  Do you?

I’m proud to be…

In elementary school there were two songs that were drilled into our hearts:

• Oklahoma by Rodgers and Hammerstien (I grew up in Oklahoma.)
• God Bless the U.S.A. by Lee Greenwood

God Bless the U.S.A was one of my favorite songs then and even now, every single time I hear it, it gives me chills.  So when I saw this post about the Acappella version of God Bless the U.S.A. by Home Free, of course, I had to listen to it.

Switching’ the Words up a Little

It is a fantastic version.  I’ve played it over and over.  As I’ve listened to it, some other words have come to mind.  I’m just going to warn you now that I am going to change the words and play with it a little, but maybe by the end of it you will forgive my changes. My changes are in bold.

If tomorrow all the things were gone I’d worked for all my life
And I had to start again with just my God and my wife
I thank my lucky stars to be living her today
where the cross still stands for freedom
and they can’t take that away

And I’m proud to be a Christian
Where at least I know I’m free
And I won’t forget the man who died who gave that right to me
And I’ll gladly stand up next to you
and defend Him still today
Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this Lord
God bless His Way.

From the lakes of Minnesota to the hills of Tennessee
Across the plains of Texas from sea to shining seas
From Detroit to Houston and New York to L.A.
Where there is joy in every Christian heart

And it’s time we stand and say

And I’m proud to be a Christian
Where at least I know I’m free
And I won’t forget the man who died who gave that right to me
And I’ll gladly stand up next to you
and defend Him still today
Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this Lord
God bless His Way.

Again, I still love the original words and will continue to get chills every time I sing it, but my heart over the years has finally started to realize where my true citizenship lies.

Our Citizenship

After traveling the world and seeing how others live, I am so thankful for the United States of America.  Much of my life, I took for granted what we have in this country. We have many freedoms here that do not exist in other places. So, yes, I am proud to be an American.  But I’m also proud to be something else!  

The founding fathers understood from where true freedom comes and wanted that freedom to exist in the United States as well.  That’s why they wrote in the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

No matter whether we are citizens of the US or of another country, this world is not our home.  Yes, we may have pride in where God placed us.  He did that for a great reason – to share His amazing love with others.  In the US, we have the right and privilege to share His love with everyone without threat of being thrown into prison or killed for our beliefs.  Praise God for a country like that!

But still this is not our home.  We are citizens of heaven and so as I sang God Bless the U.S.A earlier, the words changed to were my citizenship truly lies.  No matter where we live in this world or what happens in the countries we live in, we are ALL FREE in CHRIST JESUS!

Our joy and freedom were paid for on the cross and graciously gifted to us when we decided to shed this earthly life and live for our Lord and Savior.  That joy and freedom is something that no one can ever takeaway!

Celebrate Freedom

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
– Paul, 2 Corinthians 3:17

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
– Paul, Philipians 3:20

So, yes celebrate the 4th and the freedoms for which we praise God we have in the U.S.A. Be thankful for all those who have served and died for the freedoms we get to enjoy.

But as we celebrate this Fourth of July, let’s also celebrate the True Freedom we have in Christ!

I’m proud to be a Follower of Christ!  Aren’t you?