We Are Definitely Moving Forward

for sure. things are changing. and in many ways they are changing fast. i'm not exactly sure how i feel about that. i love change. i embrace it. i like new things. i like meeting new people and seeing new places. i like experiencing new cultures. i like learning about new things. for sure things are changing.

but change can be terrifying. don't you think? i mean, really. when was the last time you had a monumental shift in your life that didn't cause you to second guess things? its easy to do, right? honestly, we can't take a 180 degree turn without really asking the question, "Is this right?"

let me give you a few examples. i've moved several times in my life. now, decisions are very easy for me. i'm pragmatic. i'm not a super spiritualist. i look at the pros and the cons and I make a decision. sure, sometimes i "fester." my dad says that sometimes I am a bit "cautious." granted. but decisions are easy. however, after several moves I have often asked myself the same question, "is this right? did i think clearly on this? what if I should have..." like dave matthews says, "don't ya ever wonder if you took a left turn instead of a right you could be somebody different..."

but you get me, right? i'm not alone in this, though. many people are in the same boat. millions in fact are experiencing the same thoughts and feelings that I am right now. i mean, seriously, have you turned on the TV? people seriously are having issues with the changes that are going on. we definitely are moving forward. is that ok with people?

as my friend says, "you never want to be 'that guy.'" i'm gonna be "that guy." like millions of others, the past several months has caused me to really think about things. the election craze has consumed me. "change we need," boasts obama. but like I said, change can be terrifying.

let me say a few things, first. i didn't support obama. but I will never put him down. the ridicule that bush received was insane. no where near what he deserved. i pray that the Lord himself with guide the very thought process that obama uses to make each and every decision that will affect you and I. but we all know that this still doesn't ease the fact that change can be seriously scarey.

i was nervous about a few things. i don't want to be a one issue voting christian like most. i'm not. i haven't been. and never will be. in fact that drives me nuts. but the freedom of choice act terrfies me. it scares me to death. literally. i cannot wrap my brain around how someone could get to this point. ok i see that there is a fundamental difference between the two types of people. i get that. it makes sense. we'll probably never agree. but still, it scares me to think about someone who could devalue the sanctity of life so much to not feel convicted about letting the survivors of a botched abortion die. craziness.

i was nervous about the economical proposals of president elect obama. now, let me be honest. i get the philosophy behind redistributing the wealth. i understand our country is seriously messed up. i understand that the rich are seriously rich and the poor are for real poor. i get that. what I don't get, however, is why we create programs that seem to cripple the poor. this is what I think redistributing the wealth does. let me give you an example. my wife and I were serving with our church, helping some homeless families. this is a fun thing for me. remember, I like new people? new cultures? new experiences? we had an interesting and revealing conversation with one of the ladies who we were serving. we were talking and she said to me, "i can't get a job, because if I get a job, the government will take my health insurance away." this is the crippling effect I think redistributing the wealth has. it becomes nothing more than a glorified welfare system. and welfare doesn't work. i don't mind giving to the poor. listen, i have a heart for the poor. i mean it, too. but my giving needs to be coupled with relationship so that transformation actually occurs. (but that topic needs its on post to be discussed thoroughly).

i had other concerns about the experience of barak and his past associations with radicals. these things really really concerned me.

so i know millions of others relate to me when I say that I'm a tid-bit nervous about the change that is ahead. i don't know what exactly is ahead. but it does make me wonder if we shouldn't have taken a left turn instead of a right.

but i think perspective is key. perspective must be taken into consideration. i've come to realize that what it says in ephesians is true. that christ is above all rule and dominion. christ is above all title given. when I have this perspective, i can trust the future of this country in God's hands. do my concerns even matter? how terrified should I really be? does obama even matter? would mccain even matter? i will pray for obama, daily, but i'm beginning to realize more and more that it matters not who our president is but who Christ is.

change is coming. hopefully it is the "change we need." i pray to the Lord that it is. for sure, it is happening. we are definitely moving forward.