O! Say Can You See . . .

Do you know what these words are?

 O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation.
Blest with vict'ry 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!'
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

It's our national anthem.

Or at least the fourth stanza. Didn't know there were four stanzas? There are. Let's take a closer look at this little known last one.

The first two lines speak of the bravery of freemen standing in the gap between their beloved homes and the desolation of war. That is the brave men and women of our military yesterday, today, and tomorrow standing between us and destruction at the hands of our enemies. Never forget them.

The third and fourth lines speak of being blessed with victory and peace, and of being rescued by Heaven. Who are we blessed by? God, of course! Because, no matter what we are being told, we are a country founded, and preserved by that Power who is God Almighty. Never forget who was and is in control of our destiny.

The fifth and sixth lines speak of winning the battle in our just cause, and always gaining strength from our motto, 'In God is our trust.' One nation, under God. It's our pledge. It's our anthem. It's our motto.  Never forget. Never let go of that.

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave,
O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave!

Just thought I'd share that with you.

Something to consider as we celebrate our Independence Day. We once gave the credit to God for making and sustaining us as this great nation. Let's get back to that.

I am forever thankful for our veterans who have and do protect and preserve our rights and freedoms. I am eternally thankful to God for giving us a nation to protect, and praying that He continues to preserve it.