“Free Day” – Daryle Lambert’s Antique and Collectible Blog – Free Can Have Several Meanings.

The American Flag and Freedom -

Today was a wonderful start to a vacation but it had nothing to do with Antiques or collectibles - that will begin tomorrow. I spent the day recharging my batteries and rekindling my spiritual side. The long drive was tiresome but when we arrived it was all worth it. I will give you just few little samples.

We arrived at this huge field of grass that over looked a valley and the most beautiful mountains imaginable. Arriving early, we saw several people roaming around that looked in no hurry for anything to happen. However, I did see many hugs and smiles as people greeted one another. There was this, what looked like, a huge arch that said Inspiration Park and stacks of folding chairs were everywhere, hundreds of them. They weren’t new chairs but looked as if they had been purchased at garage sales for fifty cents. In the middle of this humongous field was a homemade stage with huge sets of speakers on each side that looked as if they were going to broadcast to the whole world. I hope that I have painted you a fair picture of the surroundings I found myself in.

At this moment I wondered if perhaps I should ask my wife what we were doing there. Looking around I noticed that there were a lot of American flags flying everywhere so I decided to stay silent for awhile. It was at this time that the real crowd started to show up and most of them were carrying their own chairs thank goodness because - there wouldn’t have been enough fold up ones for them. Vickie, my wife said the show was to start at 7:00 p.m. By then there were several thousand people in this huge field.

What had I gotten myself into? It didn’t take long to find out because the announcer said let the show begin and for 3 ½ hours I heard people talking about loving one another and how Jesus loved us. I was back in the real South, American Flags, love of country, gospel singing and talk of heaven, all my stress seemed to just melt in the beauty of the occasion. I was home again and proud of it.

There were the people, a man that I started up a conversation with told me how he and his wife decided to adopt a child when he retired. I said that is wonderful but he stopped me and said “you don’t understand we meant in five years but God had another idea.” I asked what he meant? “Well” he said “I am still not retired but we have adopted three kids and are mentoring others. At this point, I asked myself if I was doing all that I could truly do to help others and I have to admit that I am not sure that I am.

The music was beyond belief as group after group took the stage each one was as good as the one before it. I found myself singing with the groups and often found tears in my eyes and a feeling of well being began to swell up inside me. Where had the worry that has almost consumed me for our country gone, why wasn’t I letting stock trades roam around in my head, why wasn’t I questioning God about what is going on in the churches today. I don’t have the answer to those questions but maybe that was what was intended for me.

Yes, tomorrow it will be back to Antiques and Collectibles when I arrive in Gatlinburg but perhaps I will be a better man and be able to be of more help to the people that look to me for advice. You may want to look at your life and see if it is time for a reality check and if it is don’t hesitate to take it.

Have a “HAPPY FOURTH of JULY”