We are in the last seconds, of the last minutes, of the last hours, of the last moments of….

ELECTION SEASON!!

It’s been a little over a year since this crazy journey began and I think we, as a country, are more united than ever!  RIGHT? AM I RIGHT?!

 

 

Politics, 1996, and Ross (not from Friends)

Politics remind me that…I just really don’t like people.  I love voting.  I love the process.  I love elections.  But I can’t deny that election season brings out the worst in our nation and every year I vote, people never cease to amaze me with their crazy.

As I sit here, I’m reminded of my very first election I could vote in.  No, not the wonderment of YES WE CAN 2008… man, those were the days!  I’m talking about my VERY FIRST ELECTION!

It was 1996, 10 and half years before I would graduate from high school, 11 years before I could officially vote for president and eish… 20 years before I would write this blog.

Ugh. I’m old.

This election was between (then) President William Jefferson Clinton, former Senator Bob Dole and, of course, Businessman Ross Perot.

Ross Gellar? No.

Ross…Perot? Yes.

Why? Because Third party candidates and, well… sore loser.

So it’s the match up between Bill and Bob (and Ross …not from Friends)!  As with any other school in America, my school held an election to teach the principles of exercising your right to vote for whomever you want regardless of what anyone says.   However, in my Christian, white, suburban setting… teaching kids to exercise their right to vote really meant:  VOTE REPUBLICAN OR DIE.

 

I remember so vividly having a conversation in my classroom about whom I voted for.

“Bill Clinton,” I said proudly.  I knew nothing of the man, except everyone in my home was voting for him.  That’s all I needed to cast my  ballot!  I was 7.  What else mattered?  However, in that moment, I was met with Shame and Guilt because my classmate couldn’t BELIEVE I could vote for such a man!  Why?

“How could you?! Bill Clinton cheats on his wife and wants to rip babies out of mommies tummies,” she said with horror.

I’m sorry…what?!

I knew little of Bill’s…ummm extracurricular activities and knew far less about abortion and what it meant… I was SE-VEN.  I think that is a compliment to my mother’s parenting skills for keeping me from such nonsense at that age.  But here I was: 7 and half almost in tears because my mom (whom could do no wrong at that time in my life) was going to vote for this monster who wanted to rip babies out of stomachs.

Side rant, real quick:

Parents… leave your kids out of your politics. Seriously.  It’s moments like this that scar people for life and are completely avoidable if you just recognize the poison your children witness you saying.  Sheesh.  What you say doesn’t just effect you.  Be held accountable to your actions.  Ugh.  Sorry, I just needed to get that off my chest

That day in 1996, my Alma mater had chosen Bob Dole  to be our next president by  a landslide.  That night, however, my real life nation chose Bill Clinton to begin his second term as President.  Yet, the best part of that blessed day was the mere fact that Monzi had won her first lessons in politics:

1. Keep your opinion to yourself
2. Never put your trust in a politician…or a human being for that matter

In a world of free speech and constitutional rights, even the most American of Americans can never and will never win in these areas. And now looking at the crap storm election of 2016… I’m happy I learned these lessons as young as I did.

 

 

Lessons Learned.

Not much has changed in the 20 years since I was harshly exposed to the realities of politics.  Conservative Christians still base their votes off a fetus.  Children still know WAY more than they should due to their parents ridiculousness.  And now, more than ever, people can’t agree to disagree.  Because of Facebook, Insta, WORDPRESS, etc… people are happy to hide behind their phones, toting off the most offensive and intolerant posts and memes… but aren’t willing to have their opinion challenged.  How dare someone believe something different than me?! How dare you find my internet findings untrue?! How dare you vote for Hillary when you are PRO LIFE?!

Hold on… side rant again:

Side Rant 2.0: Let me just say something about Christians and abortion.  I believe in Jesus Christ.  I am pro-life.  I believe abortion is wrong in any circumstance and in any trimester.  HOWEVER, I also think that Christians need to stop basing all their political push in the pro-life/abortion basket.  Pro life should mean exactly that…PRO-LIFE.  Be pro the life of a teen mom who needs help raising a baby she didn’t plan on having by building a relationship with her instead of throwing her side eye when she comes to church.  Be pro the lives of people needing assistance from a rigged system by teaching them break free and resource themselves instead of complaining about how “these people need to get off welfare and get jobs”. Be pro keeping American lives safe while also pro keeping other lives safe from their corrupt and insane countries and governments.  ISIS isn’t just a threat to us.  It’s a reality to many.  For every life taken because of a snap judgement, ignorant stereotype or just straight up racism… Be pro that life instead of dismissing what you may not understand.   For those who are quick to say #alllivesmatter… remember pro life isn’t just limited to the womb! Be pro-life in every sense of the word and make moves that show every life matters to you and God! 

Sorry…  Just had to get that off my chest.

 

AHEM. You may now shut your mouth.

Everyone just needs to lighten the flip up! Seriously.  I like to stir the pot of both sides every once in awhile during an election… but boy, am I happy I learned to shut my mouth early in this race.  I’ve never seen such disrespect for candidates and voters in my 27 years and and almost 10 years of voting. Why is everyone so sensitive and touchy if I disagree with you about voting for Hillary/Donald/Gary?   When is it ever okay to compare someone to Hitler?!  HITLER?! Is it because you don’t like the other candidate so much you’ve lost your mind?   Is one of the candidates your best friend?  Have they  done some amazing gesture for you and you want to defend them to the death?  Are you scared?  Do you like being rude? Or is it because you’ve lost sight of who your identity is and whom will actually save you from the chaos this world is promised to bring?

Are you putting your trust in man or God?

Zing!

While I later learned a less harsh version of Bill Clinton’s beliefs… I also understood that Bill Clinton was just a man.  A sinful man who happened to be the President of the United States of America.  And any sinful man is a man that should never be trusted! Somewhere along the way… I think I lost sight of that and this election helped me to really understand the significance of knowing Whom to put my trust in.

If you’re a Christian reading this, join me in humbling and repenting before the Lord.  Seriously.  We walk, talk and think that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will rescue us from our troubles… when really they are sinful human beings who cant even save themselves.  We’re so quick to forget who we are and who we’ve been called to represent in these moments!    I don’t like Donald Trump.  He has offended me and people like me in so many ways, I can’t even count. He is cocky, ignorant and rude.  I can understand people disliking Hillary, too. She is the definition of a politician. She lies. She flip flops.  She send emails on wrong servers… I get it.

But how well am I representing Christ when I call Hillary, “Killary/Hitlery” or Donald,  a “Feckless blowhard” (read that last insult in an article recently {see here}… I don’t even know what that means! But I kind of love it.)

Come on people!  Where is your energy being focused?!

 

In America, we have it so easy!  We aren’t getting beheaded for saying Jesus’ name.  We aren’t denied basic rights because of our religion.  Okay, we can’t talk about God in schools and Gay marriage is a thing.  Yes.  But does that really oppress us?!  No, Christian Cleetus.  It’s not that bad.

We have all this freedom to pray and fast and humble ourselves on behalf of our country and our Church and yet… we spend 90% of our time on Facebook looking for memes to take political jabs at people?! What the literal heck are we doing?!

Jesus is king.  Let me say it again…JESUS IS KING.  Donald Trump will not save us from ISIS. Hillary Clinton will not fix our economy.  Bernie Sanders will not wipe out our student debt!

Jesus is King.  

He starts thrones and ends them.  He knew about this wretched election before He said “Let there be…” And if we trust in Jesus and really understood the power and authority He holds, we would be on our faces crying out to Him every moment; entrusting not only our country… but our lives to Him.

If we held Jesus as our true and rightful King… we wouldn’t be relying on politicians to bring about change.  We would be changing things ourselves with the power of Holy Spirit.  Think about it: Who is supposed to care for the orphan and widow?  Us.  Who is to feed the hungry?   Us.  Who is give away belongings for the needs of the many? Us.  Who is to care for the lost? Us.  Who is to bring light to the darkness? Us.  Who does God use to be His hands and feet? Us.  Who is supposed to take up our cross and follow Him?

US.

Jesus has empowered us with Holy Spirit to carry out His commands and live a life separately and completely opposite of this world.  If we, as Christians, actually acknowledged Jesus as King and obeyed what He’s commanded us to do… our country wouldn’t be in this mess!  Take a good look at the man in the mirror, folks.

This is all our fault.

People shouldn’t be reliant on governors and senators and presidents for their freedoms and protections… they should be seeking God.  And if we did a better job of proclaiming Who God is,  His amazing truths and showing the world who Christ really is… perhaps this election wouldn’t be so important after all?

Don’t get me wrong… participate in your political process.  Please. But at the end of the day, it’s pales in comparison to being a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven.  He alone is the one who holds us together and where the Spirit of the Lord is… there IS freedom! Let’s stop getting so caught up in the world’s crazy and start praying for God to unleash His goodness!  Make America great…for once– with Christ!

That’s all I have to say about that.

I realize this is a real soap boxer but.. I don’t care.  I don’t know.  Maybe I’m crazy.  I’ve had a couple pain meds today.

11pm is near.
Electoral votes are real.

Until our next president,

“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne.  All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.  For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.   I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink?  Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing?  When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

~Matthew 25: 31-40