Freedom-Fighters Forum

By William J. Dell – November 1992

How grateful I am that at this time of year we are reminded to take time out to be thankful. Each of us that live in this great land truly have much for which to be thankful. Yet, with all that we have been blessed with, we are unsatisfied.

Think with me a moment, if you will, on William Wordsworth’s lines from Ode on Intimations of Immortality:

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting;
The soul that rises with us, our life’s Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar:

Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home:
……………….
The homely nurse doth all she can
To make her Foster-child, her inmate Man,
Forget the glories he hath known,
And that imperial palace whence he came.

Are you ever guilty of forgetting that you are a child of God? Are you ever guilty of forgetting His great love for you? All that we have is a gift from our Father in Heaven. All nature speaks of the love of God. How can anyone honestly believe after seeing a sunrise or a sunset, the perfectness of a flower or vegetables growing from little seeds that this creation happened by accident. The Scriptures say that the body and the spirit are the soul of man. From whence cometh our spirit if not from our Father in Heaven? And wither doth the spirit go, when we complete this journey we call life, if not back to Him?

I am ever so grateful for the knowledge that I have that I am a child of God. That He knows me and hears and answers my prayers. I am grateful for the knowledge that He loved us so much that He sent His Only Begotten Son to die for us that we might have eternal life with Him.

As I sit here at the computer getting ready to go on a business trip, I am reminded of how thankful I am for my family. I am particularly grateful for my sweetheart and companion. She has faithfully stood by and supported me for over 26 years. Together as a team, we have strived wherever we have been in the world to be good examples for all those whom we have encountered. We have always strived to live according to the Family Values mentioned in last month’s issue. We are grateful to our Heavenly Father who has entrusted to us eight lovely daughters to nurture and we have labored diligently to impart our Family Values to them.

During this month of thanksgiving we need to reflect on our own family attitudes. Are we ever guilty of forgetting the importance of our spouses? Are we ever guilty of taking them for granted? Do we ever forget to express our love and appreciation to that one individual who should be our best friend? Tokens of affection are appreciated at birthdays and holidays, but they mean so much more when given just because it’s Tuesday.

Then there are those beautiful gifts from God — our children. Do we spend quality time with them — separately? Do we listen to them and their needs? Are we grateful that our Heavenly Father has provided them to us as teachers of unconditional love and patience? Are we grateful that they fill our lives with meaning and purpose? Do we recognize that they provide us an avenue of service not only in the family but in our community and nation? And do we understand that through this service to others we express our love to our Heavenly Father who has given us all things?

I am grateful for this great nation in which we live. I am grateful that God preserved this land and raised up good, righteous and wise men to establish it 215 years ago. I am grateful that it remains a land of freedom and opportunity. That we can from time to time choose our leaders through the ballot box rather than through conflict. I recognize that there is great diversity in this nation but this should and can be one of our greatest strengths. I recognize that there are social injustices and lack of tolerance by special interest groups on every side.
This writer however believes and agrees with Victor Hugo, “I don’t believe a word you say, but I will defend until my death your right to say it.” Each of us needs to be grateful for the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. Each of us needs to zealously labor to protect these rights for all Americans whether we share their espoused views or not. In the end, we must protect each American’s freedoms or lose them for all Americans.

I pray that we may ALL return to an attitude shared by our ancestors. An attitude that said I am an American. An attitude that made us a vast melting pot and a great nation. The greatest nation in the world. An attitude that brought us together rather than divided us as the hyphen has done. When I was a small boy growing up, we never heard of Afro-American, Spanish-American, or ________- American. We were just Americans. ‘One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all’. We need to return to this attitude that united us as a people. Ethnic pride can be good, but it should always take second place to the unifying principles that make us Americans.

I am grateful that I could serve my country for 25 years in the Navy. I am grateful for those who still serve to preserve our freedom both in the military and as true statesmen in the offices of government.

Do you pray for our nation and its leaders? Do you ask God to instill in them the wisdom to govern this great nation? Do you seek the confirmation of the Holy Ghost for those you would have elected before you vote? If you don’t you should. I am reminded of the remarks made by the visiting Philippine President in 1948 prior to his return home. He said, “I know that God will never forget America. I pray that America will never forget God”.

Each of us needs to be grateful for God, Family, Country. Each of us needs to reflect on the void that would be created in our lives by our neglect and loss of any of these great relationships in our lives. Finally, each of us as we travel this journey we call life needs to everyday express our gratitude to our Father in Heaven for the great blessings which are ours by reason of being His child, a member of a loving family, and a citizen of the greatest nation on earth.

May God bless you and your families, and may God bless the United States of America.