Here it is...my political blog! Please pretend this picture is at the end...not the beginning...

So...the election is tomorrow. I've sat patiently by and listened to all the political fodder forEVER. I've received all the jokes, poems, video clips, etc. I've watched the debates, done the research, read everything I could find on both candidates. I have long debated sharing my opinion because it stands in contrast to almost everyone around me. Shawn and I have the same political feelings, and by the time this post is finished I hope that you will understand why. Many times I find that my tendency to convey my point and my normal headstrong ways are overbearing, so I have just chosen to remain quiet for a long time. I believe what I believe, I am 100% confident in the validity of my beliefs. Nothing that anyone can say will sway my opinion. Honestly, I'm not out to change the way that people will vote. I just hope - I pray to change the way that people think.

I've long debated how I should convey the basis for my political views. I've had a draft blog saved for about 7 weeks now. I've never posted it. Much like a journal, it did me good to actually put my beliefs and thoughts into visible words. Even then, it was very wordy and very "Amy." Tonight, I am going to go in a different direction. So here goes.

I am a Christian. I believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, lived a perfect, sinless life, and died for my sins. I believe that He rose on the 3rd day and that He is now in Heaven, seated at His Father's right hand. I believe that with every fiber of my being. My Christianity outranks any political party allegiance, any presidential vote, etc. I fail MISERABLY every day in living a life worthy of the name of Christian. But I try. I pray a lot, ask for a lot of forgiveness, and keep trying.

I used to say that there were many aspects of religion that sickened me. I am finding it more and more difficult to distinguish between religion and Christianity. That saddens me. It keeps me up at night. It makes me sneak into my bathroom with all the lights off and turn on the fan so I can have a little noise to stifle my whispers. While there, I pray. I cry. I ask God why people are the way they are. Why Christians are the way we are. Why we are so easy to judge, why we think that it's our JOB to do so. Why we are so quick to label and feel NO REMORSE when we do just that.

I despise abortion. In my opinion, it is not justified, ever. You can't argue with the Word of God, and it says, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you." What more do you need to prove that life doesn't begin at conception, it truly begins BEFORE conception! Therefore, abortion is the taking of life. It is murder. It is wrong. Period. End of story. When Shawn and I were struggling through infertility, we often cried out to God begging Him for a child. I couldn't understand why some people could get pregnant, then would abort the children. I couldn't even get pregnant. It wasn't right. It isn't right. EVER.

Here's my HUGE issue with the republican party. I agree with them on the pro-life stance. I TOTALLY disagree with them on their view on what to do with the children once they are born.

I've received all of the emails. All the poems. The trick-or-treat cartoons stating, "This must be a Democrat's house, they want to give our candy to the kids who are too lazy to go trick-or-treating." And I must be honest...I have found them all repulsive. Sorry to say it, but it's true. I hate them. I hate the opinion that people who are less fortunate are "lazy" or "deserve it" or aren't worth helping out. I can't stand it. It keeps me up at night. It invades my prayers daily. It is a major issue with me. Know what else? It is a MAJOR ISSUE with Christ. Yep, that's true. IT IS.

..."For I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' Then they also will answer Him saying, 'Lord,when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to You?' Then He will answer them saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me." Matthew 25:42-45

Notice, Jesus didn't say ANYTHING about people being lazy, not deserving help, etc. He didn't say, "You can go out and work just like I do. I'm a carpenter. It's good enough for me to work, you ought to work." Nope. He didn't ask questions, did He?! He said, "Whatever you do to THE LEAST of them, you do to ME." Those cartoons aren't so funny now, putting Jesus in the place of the "lazy" or the "undeserving."

Proverbs 19:17 says, "He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and HE will pay back what he has given." We sit and wonder why our nation is in the state that it's in. Why? We would MUCH rather judge the less fortunate than help them. Why let our tax money support lazy, worthless people? We are Christians. We've got it all figured out. We're working hard, we're better than them. This attitude disgusts me. It is so Pharisaical in nature, yet we feed it. We foster it. We are proud of it. God help us...God forgive us all.

WHO ARE WE to judge who deserves help and who doesn't? Jesus didn't put qualifications on the ones who deserve help. He said HELP THEM. What we do to them, we are doing to Him. Are you all comfortable with what we are doing to Jesus? Sorry, but I'm not. Seeing it that we, we aren't doing enough.

We push to get those babies born, and WE SHOULD. But when they're here...then what? What if they are born to young, uneducated, drug-addicted mothers who already have other children? Do we just judge that mom and say, "Look at her, she should know better. Why should my hard earned money go to people like that?" Look at Leviticus 19:10. "And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather EVERY grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD." He doesn't leave much room for guessing there, does He? We are to help. Not judge...not second guess. HELP. More red words coming...Jesus talking, here. :) "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgement you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." Matthew 7:1-2

There is an older praise and worship song that we sometimes sing at church. There is one part that always stands out to me. When we sing it, I can physically feel a pricking in my heart. It says, "May my life reflect the beauty of my Lord." I ask myself, does it? If not, what is my life reflecting? I John 3:17 says, "But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?" Really. Can somebody answer that one for me? HOW DOES IT?

So, unlike almost EVERYONE in the Bible Belt...I am FOR health care for everyone. You know that feeling we all get when we hear Barack Obama say that he supports the right to choose (abortion)? Well, I get that feeling when I hear John McCain say that health care is a privilege, not a right. I WANT my tax dollars to help others. I believe that we should do MORE for the less fortunate. I agree with something I heard from a McCain supporter, it isn't the government's role to provide health care and support for the poor - it is the church's role. Amen. It is. But, we aren't doing it. Instead, we are casting judgement. We are figuring out who "deserves our help" and who isn't worthy. We are making cartoons and poems and emails, and sending them around. Who do we think we are?

I remember 4 years ago on election day...I remember it well. A fellow teacher who happens to be A FELLOW BELIEVER came to me with this declaration, "Amy, I heard that you aren't a republican. Is that true?" I had to say, "Well, I don't agree 100% with the republican party's beliefs, and I don't believe 100% with the democratic party's beliefs..." She then interrupted me with this lovely word that has stuck with me ever since, "Well...if you aren't a republican, then you are a baby killer. I hope that you can sleep with the blood of innocent babies on your hands." Nice thought. Sweet sentiment. WWJD? That? I wonder....

I hope that you still love me, or if you don't, that you at least still pretend that you do. :) I believe that God is bigger than all of this stuff...no matter WHAT, He is still on the throne. It isn't "Country First" like we've heard. It's GOD FIRST. Then family. Then church. THEN country. If we truly believe GOD FIRST, then we need to do what He says. I hope that I've done an adequate job of conveying what He says.

I'm going to end with this. Remember that young, drug addicted mother I spoke of earlier? Well, I've met her. Many times. I've taken her out to eat. I've sat across from her at court. I've accepted a letter from her written in her 4th grade level handwriting and vocabulary. I read this letter and choked back tears, hearing her try to convey her sincerest apologies, fondest wishes, and deepest regret for her sons. And...I have judged her. For a long time, I judged her. Then, one day, I heard from God. He said, "Don't you DARE judge her. You pray for her. You love her. DON'T judge her anymore." So I don't. It isn't easy, but He didn't say that it would be. He knows all the aspects of the situation. He sees her faults, and they are many. But He says, "Don't judge." In my heart, I know that this admonition isn't just for her...it's for ALL who are less fortunate, unworthy, etc. We aren't given the right to determine who is worthy of compassion or help. Truthfully, we have all been given a gift far greater than anything we deserve. I don't know about you, but nothing that I have done, or could ever do makes me worthy of receiving salvation. I didn't earn it. I received it. Without judgement. Funny how we forget that, when we speak of money. As if money is worth more than salvation.

Lastly, (for real), I really took GREAT offense to the cartoon dealing with "those kids who are too lazy to trick-or-treat." I took offense to what it represents, what it stands for. MY BOYS are EXACTLY what that premise is built on. Less fortunate. Born to that very drug addicted mom. Remember her? The one God told me not to judge? THEY are the main reason why I will NEVER support any party or candidate that thinks that one class of people is better than another, or that one group of people don't deserve help. Are there people who abuse the programs? YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT. Jesus didn't mention them. He said HELP. So while so many people that I know and love send the jokes, post the cartoons, I can't. I won't. When I think of "those people," I see these faces. Maybe the next time you receive one of those emails...you will too. (pretend that the picture at the beginning of the post is actually here)