How Good I Have It.

When my car wouldn't start yesterday, our household had a second car to jump into.

When my car problem couldn't be solved today, I could afford to have it towed to the dealership.

If I wanted to, I could begin the process of buying a brand-new car tomorrow morning -- with no roadblocks whatsoever in my way.

We filled out our 1040 this evening. A good-sized refund will go straight into our savings account, and the amount we deducted for charitable giving is more than last year's income for some people I know.

My dentist says I have the teeth of a much older woman, but they're all actually my real teeth, none missing.

Our kitchen could use an upgrade to get rid of old colors, impractical cabinetry, and a traffic bottleneck in front of the refrigerator. But we have friends who told us that if we really love each other, don't remodel the kitchen, as it nearly destroyed their marriage. They weren't kidding.

The couch right behind me is 26 years old. It's not gorgeous, but it's a neutral color and we aren't picky about letting the dogs up on it with us.

We "need" new floor covering. But the carpet is basically clean, if a bit tattered in spots.

I have absolutely no reason to whine about my life.

Dreamin'

At early service, the band did "We Shall Be Free" (Stephanie Davis/Garth Brooks) as our anthem. It went well, and marked the debut of a new band member on lead vocal (our band has never had this many people in it before -- nine! -- exciting...).

I got back into the groove of singing at both worship services today. Someone different gave the children's sermon at each service, but they both covered the same topic: Martin Luther King Jr. Day is tomorrow, he wanted segregation to end and for everybody to be treated the same, and also wanted us to love each other, because he followed Jesus like we do.

When I heard the second version of this message, complete with little kids explaining segregation and why it needed to end, I realized there was no flippin' way I could've heard such a children's sermon when I was that age. I remember people who were angry that MLK Day was a federal holiday. I heard casual use of the "n" word. I saw deep divisions. I remember deciding not to invite my summer camp roommate home with me during 4th of July break, because she was African-American and I was afraid of what some members of my extended family might say around her -- or to me when she wasn't around.

I don't know if the racial climate in that part of the country (or in my extended family) has changed or not; I don't spend enough time there to really tell. But I do hope that today's children's sermon in my childhood church was something like the one I heard in my own sanctuary.

Looking at who we'll remember tomorrow, and what we'll be celebrating on Tuesday, I begin to see that we've come far. And I still believe we have a long way to go. Which is why I consider "We Shall Be Free" one of the most patriotic songs out there: It calls us to be better than we are. It isn't over. We aren't finished. We can do better.

This ain't comin' from no prophet
Just an ordinary man
When I close my eyes I see
The way this world shall be
When we all walk hand in hand

When the last child cries for a crust of bread
When the last man dies for just words that he said
When there's shelter over the poorest head
We shall be free

When the last thing we notice is the color of skin
And the first thing we look for is the beauty within
When the skies and the oceans are clean again
Then we shall be free

We shall be free
We shall be free
Stand straight, walk proud
'Cause we shall be free
When we're free to love anyone we choose
When this world's big enough for all different views
When we all can worship from our own kind of pew
Then we shall be free
We shall be free

We shall be free
Have a little faith
Hold out
'Cause we shall be free

And when money talks for the very last time
And nobody walks a step behind
When there's only one race and that's mankind
Then we shall be free

We shall be free
We shall be free
Stand straight, walk proud, have a little faith, hold out
We shall be free

We shall be free
We shall be free
Stand straight, have a little faith

We shall be free