I started a series on American history more months ago than I want to admit. Perhaps the timing is even better now. The election is imminent. Groans for our country roll beneath the surface of communication.

Carrying my bucket of rags through the formal dining room, I stopped to talk to the home owner. Our discussion turned to politics. Fear expressed. Hope beaten. My voice cracked, “God is merciful.” I felt foolish crying when I came to clean. Thinking of God’s dream for America overwhelmed my emotions.

I keep hearing hard times are coming to this country. I don’t pretend to know the future, but no matter what happens, I want to be ready. Is that possible? How can I prepare for the unknown?

• Should I stock my pantry like I did at the end of 2000? We had enough beans to last seven years.
• Should I research how to thrive in economic turmoil? My grandmother used to stash cash in her sock drawer.

Gathering provisions isn’t wasteful, unless buckets of wheat become home to weevils. But food and money cannot sustain the hope we need to survive.

Can we live abundantly in the midst of hardships? My friend in Tanzania attempts to. In spite of dry, dusty, and devastating conditions, she continues to love the neighbors God asked her to serve.

As she refreshes her little garden with water, her heart cries for a nation scratching its existence in a harsh climate where corruption and poverty consume. She gazes at majestic Kilimanjaro and wonders if she can make a difference. Can she teach souls whose hopes are buried in the sand? By her life, she reveals her faith in Providence who is active in Africa as well as America.

When I pray it is not just for my country. God has dreams for every individual and every nation. Paul explains in his sermon on Mars Hill while preaching to the Romans:

And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. (Acts 17: 26-27)

Nations are God’s idea. He uses the successes and failures of men’s attempts to govern to point mankind back to him, the only one worthy of worship.

Government is not big enough or good enough to be my god and my hope. In perilous times, my peace is found by gazing upward and putting my trust in the author of history. He sees my tears, wipes them away with his mercy, and promises to sustain me with joy for eternity.

In The Roots of Liberty, I shared sweet memories of traveling with my family. Tasting the dust of country roads and gazing at magnificent sites are favorite childhood memories. They only reveal part of the story. Much of my youth was spent in bitter resentment, so why do the pleasant memories overshadow the pain?

Forgiveness is powerful. When I determined to think about the good, love, grace, and even joy fell out of tangled webs of distraction and guilt. My parents desired the best for me. They sacrificed new cars, clothes, wishes, and untold amounts of sleep on my behalf.

My heritage is not all good or all bad. It is as life, a mixture of both.

Storm in the Rocky Mountains

When I introduced my son to history, I described it as the story of God working in the lives of men and nations. We read Psalm 77:15, “You are the God who works wonders…” He was enthralled and composed a heartfelt song,

God, you are so good to me. God you set me free, so I worship you.

That was not my response as a child in school. I often heard of the terrible acts of men, war and hate. Historic heroes disrobed grade by grade. Was there another story?

My quest to find the answer led me to the Principle Approach. I rejoiced in the large, red volume containing facsimiles of the writings that influenced the thoughts of colonial Americans. Another side of my national heritage emerged from the dark. The heritage of hard work, diligent study, enduring faith, and love of liberty squeezed through clouds of disdain for selfish slaveholders only caring about money.

Principle Approach is often criticized for only focusing on American history. I see how that perception emerges. The excitement of reading what William Bradford or George Washington actually said is such a contrast to reconstructed history it is tempting to focus solely on the glory of America’s founding. That glory is not because the men and women involved were perfect, but because the value of the individual gained a fuller expression. A government created to protect the innocent with liberty and justice for all.

Our heritage is passed down to us. Our challenge is to decide what to do with it. Will we focus of the selfishness of men, worship imperfect patriots, or try to recreate the past? Instead, let’s hate what is evil and cling to what is good. In doing so, we may discover our heritage is indeed beautiful. (Psalm 16:6)