“At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” ~ Albert Schweitzer
I met a young man named Niko from Georgia last night in the Catskills Mountains in Big Indian, New York. He came to America to find a better life for himself and his family. Niko has a college degree from his country and is currently completing his bachelor’s and then pursuing his master’s in international business. He is in the jewelry business with Macy’s and loves his career and living in America.
Niko reminded us all last night what it means to grateful for the many blessings we have living in America compared to his home country and other parts of the world. He shared how living in a hostile environment robs you of your peace of mind and serenity. Niko encountered many hurts, habits, and hang-ups upon arrival. Still, due to the love and compassion experienced by others, he was able to turn his will and life over to God and experience a new way of life he never knew existed. His American spiritual revelation changed his life, and he is forever grateful, and it shows in both his walk and his talk.
The gratitude Niko has for the liberty and freedom he enjoys in America is what most Americans take for granted daily. There is not a day that goes by that Niko doesn’t recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Every day Niko expresses an attitude of gratitude to God and his fellow Americans for the opportunity not only to live here but thrive in the good ole USA.
When is the last time you recited the Pledge of Allegiance?
Americans would serve themselves and others well by stopping and looking at America through the lens of Niko. With all the political divide, social unrest, systemic racism, toxic media, radical social media, and bloodshed on our streets, we lose focus on how blessed we are to live in America. It doesn’t make us better than the rest of the world, nor should it make us self-righteous, but it should make us stop and count our blessings, express an attitude of gratitude, and make it easy for us to love God and others.
Compared to Niko, how grateful are you to know God and to call yourself an American?
The beauty of traveling, especially to the east and west coasts, is that we experience the diversity in America. When we visit tourist sites across the land, we share the unity possible throughout our great country and the rest of the world if we all practice loving God and others. One day hopefully soon, we truly realize we are all God’s children and aspire to treat each other that way.
Loving God, thank You for Niko and the gratitude and joy he illuminates in America. There are many blessings and lessons to be learned from people coming to America for the chance of a better life not only for themselves but their families. Please help us welcome strangers, and turn these encounters with foreigners from threats to lifelong relationships. Grant us the ability to see others as they indeed are, Your priceless children and our spiritual siblings. God, help Americans have a Niko spiritual revelation, so we can wake up as a nation and become a bright light to other countries and learn to love and serve our neighbors. In Your Spirit and Name, we pray these things. May Your will not ours always materialize, now and forever. Amen.
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