This July Fourth Holiday weekend, there will be plenty of parties and parades with families and friends celebrating America’s Independence. What can sometimes get lost in all the festivities is the real meaning of this holiday.
Occasionally, we receive reminders that the freedoms we enjoy today were bought with a hefty sacrifice that cost some men their lives and fortunes. In his short but very fascinating article, “The Price They Paid,” Michael W. Smith noted what happened to many of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence.
He recounts, “Five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the revolutionary army, another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the revolutionary war.”
Ultimately they prevailed against the British forces despite long odds. But as Smith’s article notes, it all began with: “soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: ‘For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.’” They bequeathed to us a great Nation that even today offers all sorts of opportunities and possibilities.
But this July Fourth weekend, there is another lesson we can learn from the birth of the world’s most premature baby. Richard Scott William Hutchinson was born 131 days early, and the doctors did not expect him to survive. The neonatology team gave him a zero percent chance of survival. He literally had to fight to stay alive from the moment he was born. Even though he was so tiny that he could fit in the palm of your hand, his parents never lost hope, and neither did his neonatologist, Dr. Stacy Kern. “I knew the first few weeks of Richard’s life would be very difficult, but I felt that if he could make it through that, he would be a survivor,” she said.
Richard continued to gain strength each and every day. After he gained weight and gave his body a chance to catch up, he was discharged from the hospital six months later. Dr. Kern recalled, “The day Richard was discharged from the NICU was such a special day. I remember picking him up out of his crib and just holding him with tears in my eyes. I couldn’t believe this was the same little boy that once was so sick that I feared he may not survive.”
When Richard celebrated his first birthday this June, Guinness World Records made it official by recognizing him as the World’s Most Premature Baby ever.
As we head in to the July 4th weekend, may I offer a closing thought? The Founding Fathers and Richard shared a couple things in common. First, on the surface, when their journey began, things looked bleak. Sometimes in life, we get hit with things that make us think there is a zero percent chance of survival.
Second, they experienced the challenges of the birthing process. Whether it’s the birth of a country, the actual process of being born, or the birth associated with a significant change in our personal or professional circumstances, sometimes we just have to “fight to stay alive.”
And that brings us to the third point: Never lose hope! Even though Richard was so tiny that he could fit in the palm of your hand, his parents never lost hope, and neither did his neonatologist, Dr. Stacy Kern, who knew “he would be a survivor,” And I am sure there were times when our Founding Fathers knew things would be difficult. But they too were survivors and never gave up hope either.
If you need encouragement, or know somebody who needs a dose of encouragement, send them this note with a reminder: “You’re a survivor!” As we celebrate July 4th, let’s remember the lessons from our Founding Fathers and little Richard. Regardless of the circumstances, we can fight the good fight and never give up hope!
And one of the reasons we can always have hope is because of these words from the Gospel of John: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
Have a wonderful July 4th Weekend.
Mike
