George Washington

Tomorrow is George Washington's birthday. George Washington is one of my heroes- not only because he defined our American Presidency, but also because he was a man of enormous integrity and honor. He was a person who understood the calling of duty and the necessity of perseverance. He loved God, his country and his family.

Washington knew the humiliation of failure and the sweet taste of victory. He experienced both praise and scorn from those he led in battle. He felt despair in the face of certain defeat and indecision during times when he desperately needed clear direction. He cared deeply for the men who served under his command and he served his country at great personal sacrifice. He was a reluctant President, in a time when no one one knew what a President should be. In fact, he easily could have become a dictator for the remainder of his life, but he acknowledged the duty God had given him and led this new country to solid ground with the constitutional freedoms we enjoy today.

In God's perfect wisdom, George Washington was the right person in the right place at a very critical time. He was a great man and a God-fearing man, and he is my hero. Happy Birthday, Mr. Washington!

"The man must be bad indeed who can look upon the events of the American Revolution without feeling the warmest gratitude towards the Great Author of the Universe whose divine interposition was so frequently manifested in our behalf. And it is my earnest prayer that we may so conduct ourselves as to merit a continuance of those blessings with which we have hitherto been favored."
George Washington, in a letter to Samuel Langdon, September 28, 1789

(If you want to learn more about George Washington, the book "1776" by David McCullough is excellent!)