More Than Just History

As I have alluded in prior posts, I have had chronic stomach problems for over twenty years, and recently I was prescribed medicine to help with it. Still, I have had some difficulties in that area, though not nearly as severe. About twenty minutes into the trip on Day One, we stopped at a rest area (my son is still trying to get the potty training down, so when he says he has to go, we stop ASAP!). My stomach had been bothering me, so I began to pray, claiming the victory of healing through the love and power of Christ.

As we left the rest area just a dozen miles from home, my wife said, “David was praying for your tummy to be better.” And, not surprisingly, it has been better for the whole trip. Thanks be to God.

So, Day Three began with a French toast breakfast and the obligatory entertainment by David for our host and the other guests. After David had his bath, it was off to our nation’s capital, Washington, DC. I had never been to Washington before last year, a surprise for all who know my fanaticism with history. After getting lost a couple of times, driving around the National Mall for two hours, and being sick, the two days in Washington last year were not as enjoyable as they could have been.

I was excited to once again visit DC, this time with cooler temperatures and better health. As we approached the capital from the south on I-95 and I-395, I caught a glimpse of the Washington Monument towering over the skyline, and I got chills. So many emotions in thinking of our history! We passed the Pentagon, and those memories of that terrible day five years ago were still vivid. But we were back, this time with a map that took us directly to the underground parking garage we’d accidentally found last year. Eighteen bucks is a small price to pay for quick and close access to your vehicle, especially because of what’s on the same block: Ford’s Theater.

Ford’s Theater was where John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln on Good Friday, April 14, 1865, the president passing at 7:32 AM the next morning at the Peterson Boarding House across the street. Last year Ford’s was closed when we visited, but this time, while we didn’t get to go into the theater proper, we did get to visit the downstairs museum. There were so many artifacts and small pieces of history that I was speechless, which is no small feat for those who know me. I gained so much valuable insight that my friend’s and my pet writing project has received a wealth of information that will help us greatly.


We also visited the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, which was fascinating as well, as I have never been to such a museum before. And while we didn’t get to go to any of the monuments this time (due to the patience of a three-year-old who desperately needs a nap), I still had a pretty good time. I guess the reason is that, even though there is so much politicized division and scandal, the capital represents all that is good about America. The giants of our history saw many of the same sights, walked the same paths, shared the same dreams as the millions who visit each year.

********************************

Looking at the Capitol dome rising majestically at the eastern end of the mall, the Washington Monument at the western end, I couldn’t help but feel a deep connection as well as a reverence for the place that has truly changed the world.

But for all that Washington, DC, represents, all the many great statesmen who have made a difference, none compare to a simple carpenter from Nazareth. There are still a few places in the United States I’d like to see, and some other places around the world, what I do or do not get to see doesn’t compare to what I have already seen and experienced in my heart through faith, and what I will one day see when this life is over.

I do think I’ll wait until David is a bit older before returning to Washington again, but even if I never get to see those monuments of the history that mean so much to me, that’s okay. As great as I believe this country is, despite all the problems, I’m living for another country, looking forward to a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

There has probably never been, nor will there ever be, a president who has affected our nation more than Abraham Lincoln. But as much as he did, as much an effect he gave to the world, it cannot compare to the impact Jesus has made on the world, and in the lives of those who love Him. All of history centers upon Him, the past, present and future all pointing toward what He did for us, and what He will continue to do for us.

So Day Three of the vacation has come to a close. The wife and son are asleep, Jay Leno on the television, and my legs slowly losing feeling here on the couch. If the Lord wills, perhaps we will visit a few more, closer sites, those areas hallowed by the blood of thousands of Americans, North and South, whose struggle helped shape us into the nation we are today. I look forward to once again visiting the former fields of battle, long since quiet and peaceful, yet transporting the visitor back over 140 years to a time when our future was so uncertain. And I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you, especially how those thoughts move me toward thoughts of Jesus, without whom all of this, and all of us, are nothing.

© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.