Abundant Blessings Homestead

The mourning after....

The election is over...and I will admit, I felt sick most of the day yesterday. I went to bed feeling sick as I watched the electoral votes stacking up on Obama's side. I had trouble sleeping, with visions of all that his election would mean.

When we woke Wednesday morning, we turned the tv on to see Oprah rejoicing in her candidate...and we knew the worst had happened.

During the day yesterday, I went through a range of emotions. The overwhelming one was fear. Fear for our nation, for our freedoms, for our future, for our children's future. Sadness, sorrow and discontentment were pretty prevalant as well.

How did Obama win? How did this happen? The countless stories of his associations with terrorists, his anti-freedoms stances, his mentality that a babe is a punishment, his religious attachments, his questioned citizenship, his inability to pass the test to even be on his own secret service staff....all things that should have stopped him from even being nominated to run for president. Yet, he won. Why? My thoughts? Things like "We hate Bush", "He'll end the war", "He'll fix the economy", "He'll fix the stock market".....etc......and the folks who sit on the couch visiting the "church of Oprah", The View and all the other ridiculous talk shows. The colleges where the evolutionist and liberal ideas are shoved down the students' throats. The media who downplayed and were silent on so many of Obama's faults.

Many folks voted on one thing...and completely forgot anything else. The economy, their retirement, the war, the whatever. As if pulling completely out of Iraq is the answer. No, I don't know what the answer is...but we do have enemies there....and they are rejoicing in Obama's win. Doesn't that scare you just a bit? How about the fact that he promised to sign two really bad pieces of paper? The so called Freedom of Choice Act...which is really no "choice" at all. How many more millions of babes will be killed in their Mother's wombs at the altar of "it's my body" mentality? How about the UN Treaty on the Rights of the Child? Wow...that's a smart one...let's allow our United States to be controlled by the UN. Let's allow this treaty to surpass our own Constitution. Let's allow children to decide what's best for them. Let's not allow a parent to make any choices for their child. Sure...I have a 5 year old who is incredibly smart, but she still needs two parents to help her learn and grow. I even have a 15 year old who I feel is more mature and responsible than many adults. Yet, she's not ready either to make her own choices. There's a reason a babe is born to two parents. There's a reason they are not considered adults until the age of 21.  The thought of babies killed for the sake of convenience, the homosexual agenda being taught to children, the freedom to own a gun no longer yours, the freedom for churches to speak the Word (example...in defense of traditional gender roles), the freedom of choice in education...and oh so many others....but, hey, as long as your stocks are rolling in, who cares about these other terrible things.

I believe that nothing happens without God either inspiring it or allowing it. I kept questioning God...why? Why did you allow this, for I know you didn't inspire it.

It took all day, but I think I finally found my answer. God wants His people to rely fully on Him. In times of trial, danger and fear, we call on His name with a sense of urgency. We know that we can do nothing without His intervention. We know that He is the ONLY answer to our strife.

In my own life, this has surely proven to be true. The biggest example of this was the loss of our babe last year. We had no answer. There was no "this is what happened and why your babe has died". It was an awful time, yet we relied on and rested in the knowledge that God was our comforter. We came away a stronger couple, a stronger family and stronger followers of Christ. We came to our "bottom" and had to ask God to pull us back up. And He did so. I still cry when I think of our babe....and probably always will. (No, I don't need "counseling", I need to remember our babe and our loss. Just as a person does when they lose a loved one. I also cry at the thought of my sweet Aunt Di. She's been with Jesus for over 13 years now..yet I still cry.)

I believe we, as a nation, have turned so far away from our Lord. Oh, we have plenty of Christians, but how many are actually followers of Christ? We believe in God, but do we believe God? We say He's there, but do we trust Him to see us through our struggles? We profess to follow His word, but do we stay married to our husbands? We say He is our provider, but do we allow Him to reign in our lives and give us all the blessings (namely, children) that He desires us to have? Do we take his 10 Commandments literally? Do we repent of our daily sins and turn away from those wicked ways? Are we completely honest, even if it hurts? Do we set an example to our children of the wonderful life of marriage? Do we raise our children to know that God is their creator? Do we truly rely fully on His protection?

No, sadly, we don't. And I'm including myself in some of those...

God wants a people who want HIM. He could have created us to be followers of His, with no other choice. But, He wanted us to CHOOSE Him. To say no to the world and follow Him. Sure, it's easy to get caught up in all the world has to offer...and some of it is even good. But, when it becomes our god, it's not right. I believe that we have allowed the world to become our god. And God is waiting patiently for us to return.

If the election of Obama doesn't make Christians cringe, I don't know what else would. I believe that God is calling us. To turn to Him, to repent of our selfish ways, to trust in Him, to pray to Him, to fully rest in Him. I do believe He is sovereign and for His own reasons, He allowed this man to be elected to be our president. I'm drawn to stories in the Bible telling of oppressive leaders, terrible living conditions and such. And seeing how the hand of God led them through those times. I know that He still reigns and He is still on the throne...and that God is in control.

I leave you with this most awesome of songs by Twila Paris. It was a favorite of mine long ago when I first heard it...but seems even more fitting today...

Excellent Post

{ 07:55, Thursday, November 6, 2008 } { Posted by CheleLew }

Just wanted to say I enjoyed reading your post. While I cringe at what could come about once our President Elect is sworn in, I do recognize that our lives, this country and the world still belong to the Lord. Amen that He is still in control. I also heard the Twila Paris song thing morning and just had to chuckle at the reminder the Lord was sending. There have only been a few posts since the election that have been "worthy" of reading -- yours is one of them.
CheleLew @ homeschoolblogger.com/chelelew

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{ 08:17, Thursday, November 6, 2008 } { Posted by LivingSimple }

Thank you!-- Wonderful post--full of truth--I appreciate you speaking so boldly--something so many try to supress--God Bless you!

~Kris

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{ 08:55, Thursday, November 6, 2008 } { Posted by Anonymous }

I appreciate your heartfelt essay Laurie. You are so right. God bless, wykate

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{ 12:54, Thursday, November 6, 2008 } { Posted by homesteadinthemaking }

Great post. I agree with you on so many things here.
Blessings,
Trixi

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{ 03:45, Thursday, November 6, 2008 } { Posted by mountainmama }

I felt the same urgency for our country yesterday. I was in shock that so many things were ignored when it came to Obama.

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{ 08:53, Friday, November 7, 2008 } { Posted by a1health }

You have a great post. However, I think its time now to move on. My stepson has been seriously obsessing over this election for months and now its over. All we can do is pray for our president, our nation, and take care of our own families.
Blessings,
~Farrah

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{ 10:32, Friday, November 7, 2008 } { Posted by Anonymous }

I could not agree with you more, Laurie. Very well said. The only consolation I have is that God is in control and He'll bring a greater good about all of this.

Love,
Kristen

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{ 01:24, Saturday, November 8, 2008 } { Posted by Mennobrarian }

That was a very thoughtful post, and while I am deeply apolitical on many fronts, there is much comfort and refuge in the knowledge that God is still in control. Early on in this election, I knew who would win if only because Oprah told people who to vote for. If there is one certainty in this life, it is that people do what Oprah says, end of story. Working in a library, it is shown over and over to me every day when people come in looking for something Oprah told them to read. It is just amazing.