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Before all the excitement from the elections and inauguration can be forgotten, we have another opportunity to remember our presidents in February. President’s Day, on February 16th, is a special historical holiday to honor some of the greatest men who have lead this nation. It was first established as a national holiday in by congress, in 1971. Before then, the Nation observed both Washington’s Birthday on February 22nd, and Lincoln’s birthday on February 12th. In the original bill to create the central date, the recommendation to call it ‘President’s Day’ was voted down in effort to preserve the primary honor of Washington and Lincoln. Eventually the common name became commercialized, and generally accepted, but it is still a holiday primarily in honor of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. In a free nation where we aren’t required to kneel at the point of a sword, or bow on pain of death, this holiday represents and opportunity to show gratitude and respect for to our leaders. Really, it’s equally a celebration of Freedom as it is of presidents. We know far too well what presidents look like today. Every detail and action is emphasized, accentuated, scrutinized, and criticized. But do we really know what the President of the United States means to us as citizens? To choose the leader of a nation is an unparalleled gift of liberty, and marks the president’s role with service. The goal of Presidents Day is to honor them in return for that service. In an effort to keep that in perspective, Washington and Lincoln’s birthdays are still observed to highlight two of the greatest presidents this nation who has had, and frame the celebration of the rest of them.. One of them was the father of the nation, and the other preserved it. Despite anything else about them, the most significant feature of their characters is their servanthood, and commitment to America.
George Washington’s renowned integrity laid in his humility, and ultimately his role as a servant. He was first and foremost a committed man of God, and all his honors and promotions were by the will of the people around him. According to one account by the Quaker Isaac Potts, he once found General Washington in the woods during the winter at Valley Forge praying to God for his country, and thanking Him for His “exuberant goodness which, from the depths of obscurity, had exalted him to the head of a great nation.” Washington considered his role as an honor first to God who had given him a chance to serve, and then to his country which he was a servant to. He once said “I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.” George Washington was the President of the United States for two terms, and though he held what many men view as the most enviable title of all, he is remembered best for the title he held most dear: an honorable man. We remember 43 presidents. How many of them can compare to Washington?
Abraham Lincoln was another man who was a great servant to his country. Many history books tell different stories of his presidency, and there are a lot of contrary views tied up in the Civil War. But Abraham Lincoln was another man who was known for integrity and honesty, earning him the famous nickname “Honest Abe.” Lincoln said of himself “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have.” Lincoln saw the darkest moments of this nation, and though many are quick to point out where he could have done differently and better, he was clearly a man of God whom God raised up to preserve the United States. The latter President James A. Garfield said of Lincoln, “He was one of the few great rulers whose wisdom increased with his power, and whose spirit grew gentler and tenderer as his triumphs were multiplied.”
These great men were citizens who stepped up when their nation needed them, and served their country. We celebrate them first to honor their memory for their sakes, and second to remember it for ourselves. We need more citizens today who will serve their county for thee love of Liberty. Our leaders should not only follow these men’s footsteps on the stairs of the capitol, but also in the deeds of their character. Too many men these days run for political office as their career instead of a service, and it’s the citizens that pay them back for their actions for the rest of their lives. I’m not just talking about reaping the consequences, although that has unfortunately become the norm. All political offices carry lifelong pensions which are paid by the taxpayers. You really have to wonder who is serving who? Our leaders should take more lessons from our own history, and do more to follow in the steps of integrity that our forefathers have laid.
So how can you celebrate President’s Day? It’s a national holiday, and holiday means “a day that holy (or set apart).” We must remember that God has given us a great nation with a rich heritage. God gave us great men like George Washington and James Madison for the divine plan of given us a country with freedom like we have today. He rose up men like Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan to preserve us in a perilous time. Every leader this nation has ever had right up through Barak Obama has been ordained by God for a special purpose in this Land of the Free. Don’t lose sight of any of those facts, and celebrate President’s Day for the memory of our past heritage, and a standard for our future.
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