Branson is best known for live, family-friendly entertainment, and there’s a wide variety of shows to choose from. I’m grateful to live near such a place 🙏🏽where there is almost too much to do, and we try to attend at least one show each month.🙏🏽 Many acts are here practically year round, but a few have limited engagements. Yakov Smirnoff is one of them; although he makes his home in Branson, he’s only in town this month and next. We were able to see his show last Friday🙏🏽 and our seats were fabulous (third row, right, on the end)🙏🏽
What I knew about Yakov was that he was a Russian comedian and had been around for years. But what I’ve recently learned about him makes me all the more grateful we went to see him: his love for America is amazingly profound, and in these current times, that was something I didn’t know needed to witness.🙏🏽His catch phrase, ”What a country!” often triggers a laugh, but now I know its true meaning is so much deeper. The United States of America IS an amazing country, 🙏🏽 and I am damn lucky to be a natural born American. 🙏🏽🇺🇸🙏🏽 I left his show feeling more patriotic and more hopeful than when I walked in 🙏🏽 that things will get back on track soon.
Hearing Yakov’s story conjured up memories of my own father’s patriotism, as he himself was a legal immigrant. 🙏🏽🇺🇸🙏🏽Though times are bleak and it seems like no end’s in sight, Yakov’s message is that many good things are happening around us🙏🏽despite what the media spouts. His message of love through laughter (and tears) was one I am grateful to have heard, 🙏🏽 especially on this particular day, which happened to be our 44th wedding anniversary. 🙏🏽 These days, I pray I take everything in gratitude and nothing for granted.
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time ~1 Peter 5:6
