I love to vote. Regardless of the turnout (although, who doesn’t want it to go their way?), I love the feeling that I get when I walk out of my polling precinct with that little “I Voted” sticker on my shirt. I feel like I’ve done my part, that I’ve played an important role in the unfolding of the American story.

Voting gives me hope.

A confidence in the system that was set in place long ago.

Thankfulness for democracy in action.

A belief that, deep in the heart of every American, a desire for protected freedoms still reigns.

A couple of weeks ago, I visited Disney World’s EPCOT with my youngest daughter. We walked around the “world,” enjoying the “Food and Wine Festival,” which offers a variety of foods and wines from nations around the world. Right in the heart of the World Showcase is America. They have a show there called the American Adventure, and we hadn’t seen it in years, so we walked in. While the crowd waited, most seated on the floor of the open lobby, an a cappella group called Voices of Liberty was gathered in the center of them, singing some early American songs.

Just as we walked in, the leader of the group was telling the story of Francis Scott Key. He finished with “…and those words he penned became what we now call our National Anthem,” and the singers launched their unaided voices into an amazing rendition of the song. As “Oh say can you see…” filled that acoustically perfect hall with rich harmony, the entire floor of seated people literally flew to their feet. Not one stayed down.

Not one.

And as goosebumps covered my body, I felt my heart pumping beneath the hand that covered it, tears filling my eyes at the beauty of people, all shapes, sexes, colors and creeds, uniting in the common ideal of democracy, standing, unbidden, in respect of it, and the country they love.

We are still America.

We are still Americans.

The process still works, and will continue to if we keep standing up for it, and keep protecting it. If we’re still playing our own roles in the unfolding story of the land of the free.

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 ESV