For forty-eight hours every calendar year, the National Archives allows for the original Emacipation Proclamation to be displayed at some location. This year it was to be displayed at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
After church on Sunday, we made the two hour trek to the Library. As we approached the hill on which the Library sits, we were confronted with a sign delcaring that the tickets to see the Proclamation were sold out for the day. Disappointed, we decided to tour the museum anyway. It was well worth it! What a great historical museum! We were even able to board Air Force One (the *actual* plane used by seven Presidents) which was staged as it would have appeared during Reagan's terms as President.
As we finished our tour, we started hanging around the room where the Proclamation was being displayed in hopes of slipping in. Don finally approached a lady who worked there to ask her if there was any chance of seeing it and she handed him five tickets for the 5:30 showing!
We immediately got in line and, eventually, filed past the document. It was so basic. It didn't look spectacular. It was worn and faded and barely even readable anymore. But what a legacy it is! I was still awe stricken to be standing before this "simple" declaration which changed history! I was so moved thinking about the emancipation of so many people-people of full worth because they were created in the image of God.
As I continued to think about it in the coming days, I reflected on my own "Emancipation Proclamation"--the death and resurrection of Christ! As I read my Bible I see that He seemed plain and unassuming just like the pages I stood before last week. Yet, His acts were spectacular! He gave His own perfect life that I might be emancipated--freed from my life long bondage to sin; freed from my due penalty of death.
Not only was I freed from those things but I was freed in order to serve Him with the rest of my life. I don't do it begrudingly or out of compulsion feeling like I "owe" Him for His pardon. I do it out of love for the Savior who sacrificed everything because of His love for His people and His desire to emancipate them.
True freedom allows to fully love the One who freed us! It's not really plain, unimpressive or unassuming at all, is it? Perspective changes everything!
Enjoy your freedom!
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3 comments:
Great post Ronette. That is really neat how you got the tickets at the last minute!
Hi Ronette! I only just realized you weren't at FIAR anymore ... it threw me off ... I thought I hadn't seen you post in awhile. Very very sad to see you go ... I really hate to lose your wisdom and insight. Glad that I at least found your blog so I can see what you're up to!
Hi Jen and Kristen!
Kristen, I'm glad to see you! :-) I miss all of you at FIAR. That's a big part of my life missing. You've probably seen it, but I have a post about it here.
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