I've never liked Obama, but I HATE the glee some people show at his setbacks. I've always believed in praying for and hoping for the best from ALL our presidents because what they do reflect on and affect the whole nation. If God moves Obama so that he's successful in addressing our problems, I'd eat crow and be delighted to do so. If we cannot work together -- if we cannot move beyond blame, bitterness, and anger -- then we deserve our doom.
Tonight I had a conversation with a friend who told me how she hated Obama and his family because they were "bad for the nation." Out of the blue -- because, trust me, I rarely show this much wisdom -- I asked her when was the last time she had prayed for him and his family and asked God to bless them.
She paused and then said, "Never."
I suggested we pray for them right then.
She could not. She said she would choke on the words.
So I said if we hate a person so much that we can't pray for him or her, then we're letting that person get between us and God, and we can't do that if we expect to be happy. (Of course, I didn't express it as easily as that when I talked, but that was the point I finally stumbled to.)
Mind you, this is not some knee jerk conservative. She's smart, funny and a good person, but hate has crept in and curled around her soul. It was a disturbing conversation for both of us.
After we hung up, I thought for a while and have added this resolution to my list: Unless I have prayed for the president that day, I will not give myself leave to criticize him. And I don't mean a prayer in which I ask God to change his mind or to remove him from office. I mean the prayer that I pray for my friends and family: That God will keep him and his family safe and bless them with joy, health, and wisdom and an ever-increasing desire to draw closer to our Heavenly Father.
I don't know if this is a solution to all the bitterness that's out there, but I'm going to try it. I hope you do, too.
Enough preaching. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Take care and have a great night.
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1 comment:
Thanks for the reminder to continue to pray for our President. It's the only thing that can save us.
That and surviving the next three years and finding a viable replacement.
But prayer for him and his family for his safety and guidance and wisdom? Yes. Definitely.
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