Get Out of America for a Minute

Several decades ago I was driving alone on a two-lane highway, going from one small town to another. I was somewhere in Southern Illinois, it was spring or early summer, the day was beautiful, and the weather was great. With little traffic and the windows down, I was enjoying the greenery, the fields of young corn, and the blue skies. Then I went and spoiled it.

Along the road there were a number of farm houses to go with the growing crops. Many of them sat back off the highway, but some were close. As I drove past one of those, I could see that the house was in disrepair, with the steps to the porch more than iffy and the roof not really ready for rain. A few cars lived on the lawn, with at least one of them claiming a space on some concrete blocks. No people appeared in that picture, and no animals that I recall.

Taking in the entire scene had to happen in a span of time that measured less than 10 seconds. I didn’t stop to ponder it, and I didn’t even slow down. One other thing happened, though, and that took nano-seconds. I judged that place as if I were the town council and the neighborhood beautification committee rolled together. Whether or not I actually scoffed was not recorded, but given the speed of the criticism, I wouldn’t be surprised if I did.

And almost as quickly, heaven — was it a guardian angel from that house or God himself? — smacked me upside the head and I knew I was guilty. My own judgment was overwhelmed by the judgment I received.

What a blessing!

Immediately I asked for forgiveness, and then I repented. To repent means much more than saying “I’m really sorry.” It means to turn 180 degrees. I did that when I made this statement: “God, if I ever judge a house that way again, make me live there.” And I meant it.

The other side

Astute readers will understand that my judgment of that property was motivated by pride. It took me a minute to figure that out back then, but pride, “the mother of all sins,” was then and is still the enemy. Or, if you will, the great weapon of The Enemy.

There can also be an insidious aspect of pride, and that is when it tells you this lie: “Sure, you have a pretty good place to live, but you deserve someplace even nicer. If it isn’t perfect in every way for you, it’s not enough.”

Today, by the grace of God (and I mean that literally), we live in a nice house in a nice neighborhood in a nice town with nice neighbors. But within a drive and a five-iron of our house there are houses that are much nicer and bigger and fancier, and houses that are not. Only pride will make you care, and believe me, it will try.

Of course pride is not limited to your house. It can even extend to your country. But since I began with the house thing, let me finish that before I get to America.

As mentioned, our house is nice. It’s only 20 years old, but then again, it’s 20 years old. For a few years now, parts of it have been wearing out. (If my house heard me say that, it would probably reply, “Hey, I could say the same thing about you!”)

Recently I thought that if we stuck a post-it note on everything in the house that we have personally fixed or replaced, the house would be mostly yellow. But that is what you do when you live in a house — and if you can’t fix it yourself, you save up the money and pay someone to fix it. Another option is to move out.

Around America, it seems to me that more than a few people think they are living in a country that is breaking down. They don’t know how to fix it, but they do know how to complain about it. They seem to think this must be about the worst country in the world.

In a fun way, the World Cup is changing some of that narrative. A lot of people from a lot of other countries have come here for the Cup and are experiencing America for the first time, and many of them love it.

One fan from Europe said he went out to eat, and he was shocked that they gave him refills on his coffee. He was further shocked that they offered ice for iced tea, and refilled that, too! A 24-year-old woman from Sweden landed in Indiana, and is using the World Cup to explore America. She is now hooked on ranch dressing, has discovered that “Amish people are real,” and can’t believe how friendly people are in “every part of the country” she’s visited so far. She’s staying, by the way, for America’s 250th birthday.

Take a trip

My suggestion for those who may not appreciate America is to get out of the country for a minute. Live in England or France for a few weeks. Live in Mexico. Live in Japan or South Korea or Venezuela. Travel will open your eyes to the beauty of other places, and you are likely to meet beautiful people. But there are reasons why so many people (3,225 net per day) immigrate to America.

For the freedoms, the economy, the schools, the diversity, the safety, and the future, I believe America is the best.

Others seem to agree. In 2023, America received 81,600 legal immigrants from Cuba, 78,070 from India, 49,200 from the Philippines, 59,200 from China, and 9,720 from the UK. And that’s a good thing.

America is not without problems, of course, so if you live in America, do your part to help fix those. And be thankful that you — one solitary citizen — can be heard and make a difference.

Do good. It’s in you!