Truth and honesty, two of the most important virtues we should all learn and pass down to our children, were taught by U.S. Presidents. George Washington is known for telling the truth…even knowing that he might be punished by his father. When asked if he had cut down a cherry tree, George replied: “Father, I cannot tell a lie; I did it.”
Abraham Lincoln was known as ‘Honest Abe’ by all who knew him. As a youngster, I loved reading stories about our 16th President and his honesty. One of my favorite books as an adult is: ‘The Humorous Mr. Lincoln.’ Aside from his honesty, his humor is well known and the author of this book gives a deeper insight into Mr. Lincoln’s personality.
The story I remember best is about Abe as a father of two young boys. A neighbor smiled and watched the boys rush to meet their father as he walked home from work. Soon the three of them walked past her. Lincoln was holding one boy under each of his arms and both were screaming and kicking. “What’s wrong?” the neighbor asked…they’d been so happy just moments ago.
“The same thing that’s wrong with the whole world,” he replied. “I have three walnuts in my pocket…and they both want two!”
What a great story for this President’s Day as we honor all the men who have served as Commander and Chief of our United States of America. From great warriors and patriots to Hollywood actors and simple businessmen, those who have filled the oval office had a part in making our country what it once was and what it is today. Each one deserves honor and our respect for their years of service… whether or not we agreed with all their policies or political parties.
Names like Washington, Lincoln, Jackson, Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, Bush, Obama and Trump will forever be remembered and associated with the history of our country, whether it be good or bad. Thankfully most accomplished good things and our nation was better for them having served. Politics got ugly at times, but our country prevailed in spite of it.
America has suffered much since being established in 1776, but the foundation she was built on has always remained strong. The men who wrote our constitution were men of faith in one God: Jesus Christ… and His teachings. There are those today who want to deny this fact, but history tells the story and those Presidents who gave God the glory are the ones who made America a great place to live and raise our families. Freedom comes at a great cost and the lives of those who fought for it were too often the payment required.
Today we can best honor our Presidents and our country by passing on the lessons we’ve learned from them and teaching our children the importance of duty, responsibility and accountability. Sadly, the explanation Lincoln gave for his boys’ behavior is too true still today. Greed has become a standard for many while others fight to have enough. Our current President and his Vice President have worked hard to defend our rights to worship and protect our religious freedoms. Many times lately we have been reminded of the verses from God’s Holy Word.
2 Chronicles 7: 14 If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin, and heal their land.
God has kept His promise, but still there is much healing to be done in America and around the world. As we celebrate our Presidents today, let’s take time to humbly seek His face and pray that as long as America stands His will continues to be done as it is in heaven. God bless America and Happy President’s Day!
