I am not a political analyst. Politics have never be a big part of who I am. I have never been an official member of a certain party or put signs in my yard supporting people I planned to vote for. I am one of those people who will be relieved when this election is over so I can watch TV or listen to the radio and enjoy it without constant interludes that end with "and I approved this message." And I hang up on every phone call that smells like a political survey or endorsement. So when it comes to politics I choose to stay on the fence and make my decisions on a case-by-case basis instead of dedicating myself to one side or the other. The first time I was old enough to vote in a presidential election--I didn't. It is not that I am completely apathetic to the direction our country is going. And I have never had an issue with a lack of opinions. I just did not feel like I was informed and decided I would rather not vote than to vote for the wrong guy(they were all guys that time).In the four years between the 2000 and the 2004 elections a couple of things happened. First, I starting experiencing this snowball of guilt for not executing my right as an American woman to vote. Oprah is always saying that the best place in the world for a woman to be born is America. I kept thinking about all the women who suffered to give me a voice I was not using. I felt like I was disgracing women everywhere by staying silent.
I decided if my reason for staying out of it was lack of knowledge then I could remedy that easily enough. I graduated from college and started my career in Cardiac Rehab. Ninety percent of the patients in my program are senior citizens. Most of them are involved in their local political groups and have been for many years. Most of them care about politics. And all of them like to inform others of why their political beliefs by far surpass those of their opponents. I learn a lot from my patients. They are wise about all the important things and have learned not to care too much about the things that do not matter. And these people watch the news and the weather. Every day. So I chose some of my rehabers that I trusted and I asked them to tell me why they felt so strongly about their party and/or their candidates. When opposing sides conflicted I went to the computer or the news and researched the issues. By 2004 I was no longer uninformed and I voted. And I wore my sticker all day.
Another change in me since 2000 was my decision to rededicate my life to the Lord and be baptized. My faith has become a bigger part of my life since then. I have done a lot of research for this presidential election we are facing. I watched most of the debates. I have listened to my rehabers discussing amongst themselves issue after issue. The feeling I get from people around me is that not only is this election the most important of all time but that the end result could make or break our country. People are putting so much pressure on themselves to choose wisely. People are having all kinds of anxiety over who is going to the White House and what that will mean for America. I do not share in all of that anxiety. I do not believe one man (or two men or one man and one woman) can make or break our country. Who has always been in control? After the election, Who is going to be in control? We can pray for our leaders and our country regardless of who wins this election. I don't believe our president is supposed to fix everything. It seems like people look to our leaders to fix all the wrongs in the world. It would be wonderful if they would always do the right thing. But when disaster strikes why is our government supposed to fix everything? Has it always been that way or did people use to help each other when a neighbor was in need? The President of the United States cannot single handedly change the hearts of all Americans. Is it the president's job to bring our country to Christ? Or is it our job? Shouldn't we be sharing God's Word, showing God's love, and living by God's example? If Christians everywhere were loving their neighbors and honoring their parents and preserving the sanctity of their marriages and teaching their children in the way they should go and living their lives for God would there be such large scale problems in our country? And are we supposed to be spending our time worrying about all of it or turning it over to the One who can change things?
All I am saying is that I have done my research and I will cast my vote. I am still on the fence relative to my devotion to one party or the other, but I do try my best to vote with my heart for the best candidate that I can. But I am at peace with whatever the outcome will be. I just don't understand all the anxiety all around me and I don't share in it. I believe God is in control, and after my privileged time in the voting booth it is out of my hands.
Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
