Flutter Your Wings!

Land where our fathers died/Land of the pilgrim’s pride/ From every mountainside/Let freedom ring! On “Independence Day,” the American people celebrate the great gift of freedom they have received as a nation. Even so, in one of the most popular American songs of the Age, the lament “I want to be free!” is repeated over-and-over again. “I want to be free.” “If only I were free of the burden of worry and grief … If only I were free of this or that responsibility … If only I were free of the drudgery of my work … If only I were free not to have to answer to anyone … If only I were free to stay in bed until eleven every morning … If only … If only … If only …”

A young businessman was killed in an automobile accident. His widow had been left with several small children to raise and her elderly mother to care for. Over the years, she…