Tuesday; May 5

Today is Cinco de Mayo – but do we really know what that means?  Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day (that is September 16), it is a day celebrated in parts of Mexico in remembrance of the Battle of Puebla in 1862.  While the day has taken on a life of its own in the United States, the story behind the Mexican victory over the French army is kind of inspiring.  Without getting into too much of the history of the battle, suffice it to say it was a time when an army of about 8,000 troops attacked a smaller and less prepared Mexican army half that size, but the Mexicans prevailed and defended their community.  The local victory was a boon to morale and went on to inspire a sense of nationalism and pride.
With many of the limitations in place this year, Cinco de Mayo will probably not be as widely celebrated in the United States as in other years, but I would like to take the day to remind us of what can happen with commitment and determination – especially among Christians.  We live in a world that is constantly attacking our Christian values and morays.  It would be easy to just give up and be overrun by the majority, but is that the type of people we are?  God’s people have always been in the minority, but that hasn’t been the true measuring stick.  To quote an old axiom, when it comes to the dedication of God’s people, it isn’t about the size of the dog in the fight, it is the amount of fight in the dog!
As the Apostle Paul faced oppression, he reflected on the challenge that lay ahead of him and wrote, “For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.” (II Timothy 1:12).  Are we in this fight to the end?
         Think About It!

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