Thank God For America

The sports buzz around the world right now is the FIFA World Cup. The event that occurs every four years is being hosted in the United States for the first time since 1994. Because of the popularity of not only the event, but of soccer itself, many people from many countries are visiting America. Estimates vary, but most believe that there will have been millions that come through America when the tournament is all said and done. Because of the influx of visitors from foreign lands there has been a lot of talk about them experiencing American culture. What has become somewhat of a social media phenomenon is videos that these foreigners are posting about experiencing America for the first time. And it is probably not what you think. For example, there is one video of an Italian who was stunned that he got a refill of his drink at a restaurant without asking and without having to pay for it. Or there was a British man who thought Texas Roadhouse was so amazing he called it fine dining. Then there was a United Kingdom couple saying how nice the beaches were in the Carolinas because the beaches in England smell so bad. There are many videos of people shocked about American gas stations. Not because they were dingy or anything like that. No, for being so big! For having free bathrooms (because supposedly you have to pay for public bathrooms in Europe)! And for having a huge convenient store attached to the station. Imagine people being amazed at a gas station?! And don’t get me started about how flabbergasted they were at the phenomenon known as Buccee’s! One of the shocking things to me was how much they enjoyed our air conditioning! They have no air conditioning in Europe! And everyone that was visiting couldn’t get over how nice it felt to get out of the sun and into an air conditioned room!

But that's not all. There was also the discovery of ranch dressing! One lady from the Netherlands was wondering why Americans have been hiding this dressing from the rest of the world. It was so loved by everyone visiting America that they are bringing it back home by the gallons. TSA had to issue a public statement warning travelers that ranch dressing is considered a liquid and cannot be on their carry on luggage! Imagine that. TSA had to issue a public statement, not about terrorism or safety, but about ranch dressing. Plus there was the fascination with our pickup trucks in America. So many travelers were shocked at how many there were because there are hardly any in other countries. There was a video of a French man who was stunned by the garbage disposal in the apartment he rented. A German who fell in love with the food at a Waffle House. Then others kept raving about the size of our country. To have multiple time zones or being able to travel from state to state with no passport need and being able to choose any climate you want without ever having to leave the country.

A man from Japan was astonished that he was given free chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant. An Australian said the beaches in Florida were way better than in Australia. A Lithuanian couldn’t believe how wonderful Texas BBQ was. A South African couldn’t understand how people could just walk the streets in their neighborhood. He said people were just walking around with their kids and pets without a care in the world. When back at his home there are giant walls and no one can safely walk far from their home. These newcomers were also overwhelmed (in a good way) of all the American flags flown and patriotism Americans publicly show.

Then there was the Walmart and Costco phenomenon. There are no stores that compare, in any other country in the world, to Walmart or Costco. Europeans, Asians, Africans and Australians alike were so excited to shop at such a large store. You thought they made it to Disney World for the first time. To be able to have so many choices, at such low prices, at such large amounts, in such a large building seemed something out of a fairy tale to them. They were so happy to shop at Walmart like it was Saks Fifth Ave! And keep in mind that most of these people are from Europe. They were from nations that have democracy and a certain level of freedom. These were not people from Afghanistan or North Korea.

On top of all of this, pretty much everyone was surprised by how nice, friendly and hospitable Americans were. One Army veteran encapsulated it well by saying, “The World Cup has turned America into a discovery channel for the rest of the world. And they are not handling it well. In the best possible way. Here is what they are discovering:
Free public restrooms. Europeans pay every time.
Free water at every restaurant. Just appears.
Free refills. Coffee. Sodas. Iced tea. Unlimited.
Free chips and salsa before you even order.
Free warm bread with dinner.
Ice in drinks like civilized people.
Air conditioning everywhere. Not a moral debate. A fact.
Parking lots attached to the actual place you are going.
Drive throughs where the food comes to the car while you sit in it.
Ranch dressing by the gallon.
Tex-Mex that cannot be explained only experienced.
Dental care that actually works.
Buccee’s. There are no words for Buccee’s.
Then they found the grocery stores. Five of them within one mile. Each one the size of an aircraft hangar. Burgers. Steaks. Brisket. Ribs. Pulled pork. Lamb. Veal. Every cut of every animal ever domesticated by human civilization available in one refrigerated aisle at ten in the morning on a Tuesday. The Germans stood in the meat section for forty five minutes. In silence. Processing. They finally understand why we do not have trains. We have roads wide enough for the cars we actually drive. Parking lots the size of small European countries. Airports in every city worth visiting. Why would we need trains. 
The Germans are taking ranch home by the bottle.
The Dutch found queso and briefly lost the ability to speak.
The Japanese are photographing HEB (a grocery store) like it is the Louvre.
The Czechs are weeping in West, Texas.
Welcome to America! The greatest country on earth.”

It is through this perspective that helps us see just how blessed we are. I do not know about you, but I never thought of a Walmart as anything special. Air conditioning is just routine. We complain about the weather, when we could live in any climate. We do not like the prices at a restaurant when we get so many things for free. A lot of times when you are in the midst of something you do not always see the obvious. Yet, it is through the eyes of these foreigners that reminds us of just how blessed we really are. It's like that saying of how you do not realize what you have until it's gone. Is our country perfect? No. Are there problems? Yes. Are things getting worse in some respects? Absolutely. Is our leadership the best? Far from it. Could there be some improvements made? Sure. Have some of our freedoms been taken away? I would say yes. Do we need to fight to keep what we have? Absolutely. Despite all of this though, our country is still the best in the world. We still have a level of freedom no one else does. We still have options and choices other people in the world do not. We can still worship God freely. We take some things for granted that other countries would die to have. What we call routine or expected, other people from other first world countries call a luxury.

So let us not overlook our blessings. With the fourth of July this week (as well as the 250th anniversary of our country’s founding), let us give thanks to God for this country. Let us show our gratitude that He has placed us here and not in some other foreign land. Let's thank Him for being spoiled with all the comforts and freedom we have. Show your gratitude to our Savior for allowing this nation to stand for over two centuries. We do not always realize how blessed we  truly are because we don’t always realize how bad it is in other supposedly “free” democratic countries out there. It is not a Christian characteristic to be ungrateful. And because of all the changes that have happened nationally over the last decade or so, it is easy to be negative about the current state of America. But let's not forget, for as bad as some things have gotten, we still live in the best country in the entire world. Thank God for America and God bless the USA.