Martin Luther King Jr.

Today we celebrate the life, accomplishments and the dream of a great man who changed our nation. The more I learn about Martin Luther King Jr. and what he did for our country, the more impressed I am with the changes he made, his character and his insistence that change be made in a non-violent way.

I also find it sad that so few people know or understand what he stood for and why we celebrate his life. I honestly don't know as much about him as I would like, which is why I am spending a portion of this day researching his life and accomplishments. I'm finding that our nation today does not understand quite a few of the holidays our nation celebrates. Many do not understand Veterans Day and what/who it honors, for example. I find this very sad, not only because those who should be honored are not, but also because we can learn so much if we bothered to understand them better.

The other thing I've noticed in our country is the use of violence to get ideas across or what has been labeled "reverse racism". I believe Martin Luther King would be just as disappointed and saddened by this as he was by what he dealt with during his life. He stood for equality, respect and honor for ALL races. We need to take the higher ground and not stoop to the level of those who have hurt us. I know that is sometimes hard to do.

I find it very sad that as humans we have a habit of taking something good to an extreme in which the underlying purpose is twisted to our own selfish purpose. We are all guilty of this to a certain extent and we need to constantly examine what we believe and how we live that belief in our lives.

Please take some time today to better understand this great man who loved the Lord and stood up for his beliefs in such an honorable way. We can all learn something from his example.