Up until last week, I had no intention of voting for the next President of the United States. ZERO! NONE! ZILCH!

 

Morally, I just could not do it.

 

But I was torn between the responsibility to vote and the inability to support a candidate I did not like, trust, or respect.

 

 

 

Fear had won, although I didn’t see it as such until yesterday.

 

Have you ever experienced a situation when someone was conveying one message, but your ears and heart picked up not only the intended message, but then something so much more?

 

That’s what happened.

 

 

A Message of Hope

 

Our pastor gave an incredible message of hope. It wasn’t some generic, feel good, send-you-on-your-way  kind of empty message, but one that had tremendous depth and meaning. Words of truth packed with a wealth of wisdom and practicality all rolled into one. A message that was intended to calm fears and restore courage and optimism.

 

And it hit the mark.

 

 

Ashamed

 

You see, I was ashamed to make a choice. I was scared that a choice would reflect MY character, MY nature, MY ideals, and I wanted NO part of that.

 

It would have been easier not to vote and not claim any responsibility for whoever ended up in office.  I didn’t want God to be disappointed in me for supporting a morally bankrupt person. I hesitated to make a decision, that if proved disastrous, would bring guilt and regret. 

 

 

Skewed Logic

 

But yesterday, through a message of hope, I realized that my thinking was skewed.

Abstaining from casting a vote is akin to voting ‘for someone’, but relinquishing control of saying WHO that someone is. Whether I like it or not, by not voting, I am essentially voting anyway. And voting for a third party candidate who has no shot of winning is a similar decision. While initially, it may have felt like an honorable alternative, deep down, I knew it would have been a cowardly approach. Please don’t misinterpret. A third party candidate vote is NOT necessarily a bad decision, but for me to vote for someone I knew nothing about for the sole purpose of circumventing responsibility is. 

 

At the end of the day, while I have a huge lack of confidence in both candidates, comparatively speaking, there is one I dislike less. The right thing to do? Declutter fear and make the best decision I personally can.   

 

 

Decluttering Fear

 

If decluttering fear was easy, we’d all be doing a better job of it.

 

We all know, however, that easy doesn’t necessarily equate to good or right, so here are the hard truths I tackled yesterday:

 

• While I have a responsibility to cast a thoughtful vote, the outcome of the election does not rest on my shoulders alone.
• Taking a stand doesn’t mean I’m making the right choice or a perfect choice.
• There is strength in being able to make an unsavory decision.
• Regardless of what I do, there will be those who disagree.
• Fear is paralyzing and I refuse to succumb to this scheme of the Devil.
• God knows my heart and will love me through any decision I make.  He knows I’m doing my best.

 

[Tweet “The outcome of the election does not rest on my shoulders alone.”]

 

 

Back to the Message of Hope

 

And one more truth…

 

• Jesus is the ONLY ONE who can do ANY saving!

 

If we are looking for a president to ‘save us’ or ‘save our country’, we are sorely misguided.

 

As a Jesus follower, my hope is in the Lord. He ALWAYS prevails. Good ALWAYS triumphs over evil. And it will ALWAYS be okay.

 

Might there be some bumps in the road along the way? Sure. Of course there will. But I know the END of the story and it is good. Very, very good.

 

My hope is in Him and Him alone.

 

Need a little more convincing? Take a listen and allow the truth of these lyrics fill and soothe your soul.

 

 

 

My Coming Out Party

 

I am voting for Trump.

 

There I said it.

 

My declaration is not an effort to win or sway votes, however after making this decision, that would be okay too. And it’s not out of obligation. My admission is actually part of my healing process; my determination to overcome fear and live by faith. It’s cathartic and liberating. It’s necessary for me.

 

Regardless of who you decide to vote for, my prayer is that without fear, you will indeed cast your best vote, having full faith that our Lord Jesus Christ remains in control regardless of who is sitting in the Oval Office.

 

Thank you Pastor Brett.