Yesterday I am proud to say I went to the polls and cast my vote for president. I am proud of the fact that I had the right and responsibility to do so. As I got into my car after submitting my ballot I breathed a sigh (not of relief) but just took a moment to collect my thoughts. As I took a moment I sat to breathe in the presence of God. I had asked him to help me in making my decision and He did just that. 
What a privilege to be able to voice my opinion and make it count. However I was still disturbed and unsettled that I couldn’t get behind a single presidential candidate whole-heartedly. It was a decision that I could stand behind because I had put so much thought and energy into it this election. I have never been one to like politics – but I couldn’t get enough of this election (at least until the last month of so when it totally went out of control). 

As my husband and I sat and watched the numbers on election night I was hopeful yet my heart was broken, not because of who was and wasn’t winning, but because the United States looked broken. We are so divided (not United)! My heart was also very saddened by the tone of the media…. they weren’t reporting the results — they were throwing in their opinions and bias. It all felt so negative and disheartening. Shouldn’t they be more positive???? Around 11:00 I decided to call it a night and went to sleep (after taking melatonin and a Benedryl). 

This morning I woke up to the sun shining beautifully in the sky and was reminded that God, creator of the universe, was still in control. My heart began to feel joyful again! Then I made the mistake of getting on Facebook……. what a cesspool of negative energy. People that I consider friends were using language that wasn’t kind or civil. It was a very gloom and doom situation. So what did I do?? I started to pray. I prayed for our country. I prayed for my friends. I prayed for all of the candidates on all sides of the aisle this morning. I prayed for unification and love to prevail. Then I heard the pitter patter of little feet…..and my children came into the room. So innocent and naive to the brokenness in our world. Oblivious of all that was going on in their own country. They were just happy to be alive at home with their family. God gave me a sense of joy and peace yet again. 

My boss, Jill Savage, posted a great article that no matter what side of the aisle you are on it made sense….Please take time to read it. http://www.jillsavage.org/the-one-question-you-must-ask-yourself-today/  She asked the one question you must ask yourself today and everyday. Instead of asking yourself “How are you today?” ask “WHO are you today?” She gave some examples of what she hopes answers were.

 “I measured my words and resisted needless arguments on Facebook.”

So I asked myself the same question… WHO AM I TODAY? So what can I do as a mom, a wife, a daughter, and a friend?? Here is what God laid on my heart throughout my pondering and praying today. 

• I can be a light in the darkness. This world is a dark place right now. No matter what happened in this election we know the world isn’t in a good state right now. We have evil in the world like ISIS, a divided country, hatred pouring in….. But God calls us to be salt and light. He calls us to LOVE each other even through disagreements. We can have different opinions but we are all God’s children and he loves us all.

• I can be an example for my children. They are watching constantly and it amazes me how much they try to emulate what I say and do. So I need to be an example of love for my neighbor. I can agree to disagree peacefully. I can be intolerant to hate. 
• Yesterday we talked about why I voted. I was a good citizen and used my right and responsibility to vote for my candidates. I hope they understand how important that is and that they will continue to exercise their privilege to be counted in the vote. 

• I can love my country. My son who is 4 years old and in his second year of Pre-K can say the pledge word for word because he was taught at school. We continue to support him learning the pledge and songs like “The National Anthem.” We want our kids to be proud of the United States of America. 

• Last but not least I can be a prayer warrior. The most important thing we can do for our country is pray. Prayers for unity, prayers for peace, prayers for solutions, and prayers for each other are what should be in our daily prayers. We need to pray for Mr. Trump as he gets ready to take on this new position. We need to pray for our other leaders within our government. We need to pray that we become the UNITED States of America again!