Patriotic  Moms
  • HOME
  • PURPOSE
  • TEACHING OUR CHILDREN
  • HOLIDAYS
  • SONGS
  • ARCHIVES
  • CONTACT

Leaders Raised Up for America

7/4/2011

0 Comments

 
Picture

Over the years many have asked, “How is it that such an amazing array of extraordinary leaders was brought together at just the right time and place to lay the foundation of America?”  It was indeed a miracle!  Our founders were men of great character, courage, intellect, and talent.  

In the words of Edmund S. Morgan:

“What was extraordinary about the Revolution was the talent it generated, the number of men of genius who stepped out of farmyards and plantations, out of countinghouses and courtrooms, to play a leading role in winning the war and then in building a national government.

"People noticed this from the beginning.  Already in the summer of 1775 members of the Continental Congress were observing that ‘Times like these call up Genius, which slept before and stimulate it in action to a degree, that eclipses what might before have been fixed as a Standard.’  

"Fourteen years later, looking back on the crowded events that had followed, David Ramsay of South Carolina reflected that the Revolution had ‘not only required, but created talents.’...And indeed if one were to make a list of the great men of American history, by whatever standards one chooses to measure greatness, an astonishingly large proportion would be found whose careers began or culminated in the Revolution.  It would be hard to find in all the rest of American history more than two or three men to rank with Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, or John Adams.

"To say this does not bring us any closer to an explanation of why the Revolution created such an array of talent.  If we knew what the conditions were for generating talent of this kind, we ought all to be busy trying to reproduce them, for we certainly need it now.  Unfortunately I do not know how the Revolution generated talent.”  (Morgan, Genius of George Washington, 3-4.)

Perhaps George Washington suggests one explanation in a letter he wrote to his wife, Martha (whom he affectionately refers to as “Patsy.”)  Dated June 19, 1775, the letter tells Patsy his feelings about being appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army:

Picture
“You may believe me, my dear Patsy, when I assure you, in the most solemn manner that, so far from seeking this appointment, I have used every endeavor in my power to avoid it, not only from my unwillingness to part with you and the family, but from a consciousness of its being a trust too great for my capacity....

"But as it has been a kind of destiny, that has thrown me upon this service, I shall hope that my undertaking is designed to answer some good purpose....I shall rely, therefore confidently on the Providence, which has heretofore preserved and been bountiful to me, not doubting but that I shall return safe to you.”

The example of the Father of Our Country offers a powerful prescription for our time:  
  • George Washington prepared well.  
  • Then, even though he felt inadequate, he went forward in faith and relied confidently on the providence of God to make him equal to his challenges and opportunities.  
  • He sacrificed his own comfort and desires for a cause greater than himself.  
  • When his abilities were not enough, he exercised faith in God, and relied on Him to make up the difference.
  • And he always humbly attributed his success to God:  “To that superintending Power alone is our retraction from the brink of ruin to be attributed.”  (Gaustad, Faith of Our Fathers, 77.)

Great leaders were not an accident of history.  Children were born into ordinary homes.  Mothers and fathers sacrificed to give their children the best education they could.  As these children grew, they recognized and rose up to meet the extraordinary challenges of their day.  They chose to pay the price of liberty.  They struggled, and sometimes staggered, under the burden.  But they had faith in God, pled for His help, and He made them equal to the challenge.   

Our Founding Fathers and Mothers, famous and forgotten, were valiant in the great cause of liberty.  Together they created a heritage that has blessed countless millions with unprecedented freedom, peace, and prosperity. 

Their character, courage, and sacrifice are a powerful example for us.  We owe it to them, to our children, and to our God, to recognize and rise up to the challenges of our day.  And, with the help of God, we will pass on the great legacy of liberty.



0 Comments



Leave a Reply.


    Archives
    Blog posts from May 2011 to June 2013 are here.  Click HOME for more recent posts. 


    Dates

    November 2020
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011


    If the category you are interested in is not listed, try using "Search" below.
Photos used under Creative Commons from norwichnuts, miamism, Јerry, nukeit1, rob_rob2001, terren in Virginia, Nadia Szopinska, makelessnoise, slagheap, ProComKelly, DonkeyHotey, Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com, KAZVorpal, Randy OHC, Mankamundo PhotoArt, Kyle Taylor, Dream It. Do It. World Tour, Mark & Marie Finnern, ArtBrom, chimothy27, chany14, Sweet One, srslyguys, cliff1066™, p_c_w, Dave Dugdale, MCS@flickr, Randy Son Of Robert, richiec, woodleywonderworks, MCS@flickr, |vvaldzen|, JLStricklin, Coolstock, James Jordan, BenedictFrancis, StockMonkeys.com, analogophile, sheilaellen, Jeff Kubina, chrisbastian44, Kelly Schott, LeSimonPix ★, Congressman George Miller, benfff85, Marxchivist, Sunset Parkerpix, Mr. T in DC, merfam, cliff1066™, bingbing, tyhatch, David Paul Ohmer, pwbaker, uhuru1701, Jeff Kubina, kps186media, saccodent, Parvin ♣( OFF for a while ), Paul Lowry, Karen Roe, lucianvenutian, DTWpuck, srish, dailymatador, loco's photos, Governmentality, Base Camp Baker, Obama-Biden Transition Project, shalf, Ashborne Bristol Photography, losmininos, billjacobus1, laura padgett, Tracy O, ElvertBarnes, El Bibliomata, riptheskull, srqpix, vishwaant, longislandwins, How I See Life, mhaw, AlphaTangoBravo / Adam Baker, roger4336, Lisa Andres, Octavian Cosma, garlandcannon, Rambling Traveler, PBoGS, rkramer62, milan81, thivierr, Ernst Vikne, phil wood photo, jonfeinstein, Pip R. Lagenta, A. Strakey, charlesfettinger, a.drian, Beverly & Pack, Danny Novo, cliff1066™, Monticello Society, idntfd, Stinging Eyes, Jonathan Thorne CC, bigbirdz, DonkeyHotey, siegertmarc, bill85704, ourbethlehem, The History Faculty, ginnerobot, JoshuaDavisPhotography, Fort Bragg, turtlemom4bacon, VictoryNH: Protect Our Primary, Allie_Caulfield, KAZVorpal, Paul J Everett, Austen Hufford, The Sagamore Journal, Lars Plougmann, joiseyshowaa, radiant guy, cliff1066™, Congressman George Miller, post406, Tambako the Jaguar, Fifth World Art, heipei, stan.faryna, Red Barnes, marshalltownpubliclibrary, NASA Goddard Photo and Video, Scott & Elaine van der Chijs, Raúl A., Scott & Elaine van der Chijs, ConspiracyofHappiness, maz hewitt, seannaber, Zion PhotoGráfico, Casey David, Eli Hodapp, roberthuffstutter, seannaber, yaquina, Vladimir Yaitskiy, CIAT International Center for Tropical Agriculture, mark sebastian, Marxchivist, aNgeLinRicHmoNd, MPD01605, steven.y, R/DV/RS, erix!, Ernst Vikne, katmeresin, Gage Skidmore, Poetprince, rawmustard, Svadilfari, Sweet One, George Vnoucek, cambodia4kidsorg, markn3tel, UggBoy♥UggGirl [ PHOTO // WORLD // TRAVEL ], Marion Doss, Korean Resource Center 민족학교, Octavian Cosma, lilivanili, krossbow, DonkeyHotey, LizMarie_AK, Matt From London, Vote Marc Moffitt, soundfromwayout, comedy_nose, Worldizen, phileole, Siena College, thivierr, edalisse, Muffet, r w h, betancourt, Obama-Biden Transition Project, MelvinSchlubman, L.C.Nøttaasen, vicki moore, North Charleston, stephane333, srslyguys, acornchief, 28misguidedsouls, Peter McCarthy, Lucid Nightmare, AlicePopkorn, C_Baltrusch, Alex E. Proimos, Robby van Moor, Bengt Nyman, Loren Javier, dfred, Wendy Piersall, dgj103, stevegatto2, Mitya Kuznetsov, Ivy Dawned, gregwest98, Chris_Short, Bob Jagendorf, B Mully, Palinopsia_Films, Thriving Ink, jvoves, spakattacks, technoevangelist, CJ Sorg, h4ck3rm1k3, DonkeyHotey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region, kerryvaughan, Minette Layne, Matt Neale, roberthuffstutter, Muslimology, Tony the Misfit, jamiejohndavies, Fibonacci Blue, S.MiRK, Јerry, adria.richards, archer10 (Dennis) Busy, LenDog64, billaday, Lazurite, pablo.sanchez, saccodent, Elvert Barnes, Lida Rose, avlxyz, arneboell, Valerie Everett, @ANDYwithCAMERA, istolethetv, MPD01605, deeleea, markwainwright, Kevin Goebel, TrishaLyn, ellenkabellen, Krysten_N, jurvetson, Minnesota Historical Society, showbizsuperstar, brainchildvn