02/17/2026
HAPPY WASHINGTON’S BIRTHDAY (No, it’s not Presidents’ Day! There is no such day as that. This is the federal holiday called Washington’s Birthday.) — George Washington: First in War, First in Peace and First in the Hearts of his Countrymen. There is so much that could be said about this great man. You certainly should read his Farewell Address linked below. It is a message to all Americans, of every generation, words of great wisdom to guide us for all times. To understand Washington, there was one particular event that speaks volumes and shows his great faith in our Heavenly Father. It was December 1777 in one of the darkest hours of the Revolution. His army was encamped at Valley Forge and suffering greatly. Of 12,000 men, perhaps 2500 died of starvation or disease that winter. The men were on the land of Isaac Potts, a Quaker and opponent of the war. One day while walking in the woods, Potts heard someone crying out passionately to God. It was General Washington. Here is his testimony: “I heard a plaintive sound as, of a man at prayer,” Potts said. “I tied my horse to a sapling and went quietly into the woods and to my astonishment I saw the great George Washington on his knees alone, with his sword on one side and his cocked hat on the other. He was at Prayer to the God of the Armies, beseeching to interpose with his Divine aid, as it was His crisis, and the cause of the country, of humanity, and of the world. Such a prayer I never heard from the lips of man. I left him alone praying. I went home and told my wife, ‘I saw a sight and heard today what I never saw or heard before,’ and just related to her what I had seen and heard and observed. We never thought a man could be a soldier and a Christian, but if there is one in the world, it is Washington. She also was astonished. We thought it was the cause of God, and America could prevail.”  Virginia Governor Patrick Henry heard of the army’s distress and immediately sent provisions and help. The Army was saved and went on to great victories. Potts, the Quaker and a Loyalist, said a nation led by a man of such faith as Washongton was truly blessed by God. He changed his mind and supported the Revolution.
Farewell Address: https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/pdf/Washingtons_Farewell_Address.pdf?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
