Election 2020
The middle seat is never the choice seat. I don’t like to have to sit in the middle seat in the back seat of a car. I certainly don’t like it on a plane. Politically speaking, the absolute worst seat has been my middle seat during this 2020 election.
It has been my experience the past four years that those of us in the middle of the political spectrum are not very vocal. We understand both sides. The far left and far right however are a different story. They rage on social media about the injustices of the opposite side. Why is it that the minority is the loudest voice?
The Middle Seat
Online and in person, I’ve been told…
I’m not a Christian if I vote for Biden.
I’m not a Christian if I vote for Trump.
I’m racist if I vote for Trump.
I don’t support police if I vote for Biden.
You can’t be friends with me if I voted for Trump in 2016. (What happens if I vote for him in 2020? Beheading???)
I stupidly answered the question, “What do you think?” once on Facebook, only to be berated for my opinion. That will never happen again.
I’m tired of seeing phrases like:
Wake Up America
Do you even know this is happening?
Have you had enough of this garbage yet?
If you…then you are part of the problem.
REALLY??
Did you really think that you would sway me by saying those things to me? Just so you will know, you didn’t sway me at all. In fact, you lost your voice where I and many others are concerned. And, more importantly, you lost your Christian witness to many. Sad, very sad.
How people have acted in the name of their faith has made me extremely sad! My sister and I were talking about it the other day, and she said it perfectly. “I’m just very disappointed in people.”
Yes, that’s it. I’ve just been so disappointed in people that I love and care deeply about! I’ve, at times, allowed that disappointment to consume me. I can’t do it anymore!
What It Means To Be A Christian
2021 is going to be a year of self discovery for me. I’ve already decided. I’m going back to the basics of what it means to be a Christian. You, on both sides, have made me question just what exactly it means to be a follower of Christ. What does that look like? The past 4 years have derailed that for many.
Today is election day. Someone will win. I don’t have a clue who it will be. I don’t have a clue if it will the the candidate that I, with a sick stomach, voted for, or if it will the the other candidate that I really don’t want to win.
I’ll tell you what I do know. It’s not going to matter that much in the long run. Both Democrats and Republicans have done a great job with scare tactics. They have scared their followers into believing that life as we know it will cease to exist if the other side wins.
That simply isn’t the case!! Oh, there will be changes, but there always are. We’ve been through rough times as a country before, and this won’t be the last of the rough times.
Peaceful Transfer Of Power
No matter who wins the 2020 election, we will go on. The question is, “How will we go on?” Will we continue to berate each other on social media? Will we continue to seemingly HATE the other side? Will we continue to allow our vitriol to spew out until violence (on both sides) occurs? Or, will we find a way to go on with common decency at the forefront? Can we drag ourselves out of this abyss that we find ourselves in? Can we please find common ground?
Our democracy is based on a “peaceful transfer of power.” The president peacefully leaves office when a new one is elected. It is also a peaceful transfer of power for all of us. Will we allow our democracy to continue by accepting the results of this election even if our candidate of choice doesn’t win? If we don’t, we are chipping away at one of our pillars of our democracy.
I know that most Americans sit firmly beside me in this middle seat. We have the innate ability to somehow see both sides. Yes, there are two sides in all of this!!
I’m not going to get into issues, but there are two sides to every issue and each side has a right to be heard.
All I know is this, after today, God will be where he has been since he spoke this world into being, On His Throne!!! We can’t change the outcome of what He has set into place. He is in control of my life as He is in control of this world.
I encourage you to study the book of Daniel if you need some reassurance on this truth. Daniel shows how God is in control of our world leaders and well as our individual lives.
Who do you trust? the president? the media? your friends?
I know who I trust- The Living God.
We are going to be OK. God is in control.
Please save me my sanity and don’t go berserk if you candidate of choice doesn’t win! My nerves can’t handle any more of this!!
Great Story
— A church needed to remodel their sanctuary. It was 35 years old and they had never done any remodeling so it was in great need. The pastor got anyone who wanted to come in to help with the demolition. Different church members came, and without knowing anything about construction, began tearing out the carpet, tearing up the sheetrock, and completely gutting the inside of the sanctuary. He told them that it would be fine for him to tear out the sheetrock, but they sure wouldn’t want him to help hang the sheetrock– that takes a special skill. It doesn’t take any skill to tear something down, but building something takes great skill and care.
I shared this story on the blog a couple of years ago after I heard it in a sermon at my church. Isn’t it true? We all need to decide where we stand. Are we going to allow our words to tear down this country or will we allow our words to build it up.
The choice is ours!!
Loved this!!! I pray that the majority of us in the middle will continue to lift up Jesus—no matter who wins!!!
Absolutely!!! Thanks for reading!!
BRAVO! I am sure writing this with such heart was difficult. I have spent my life proudly being an “Independent” voter in that middle seat. Choosing my votes by my eclectic collection of opinions based on my beliefs, my conscious and my patriotism. In 2016 I voted against one , and literally became sick after casting my vote for the other. This election season we all have heard words we may never heal relationships from. I found myself feeling a need to defend my beliefs without fear of offending those who were already offending me themselves. I sincerely did not care anymore. When daily and regular mocking of “religious base” “Christians” and “praying” became acceptable behavior on social media I was finished with social media and strategically shut down my accounts. They can keep their evil platforms. Satan dwells there. Some of these posts were by people I had once admired and another someone in close relation. Do they even realize their comments once seen can never be unseen? I have no problem with political differences but have a zero tolerance for Religious Persecution. I have experienced it first hand growing up and I have spent my life in defense of religious freedom no matter the faith. It is the very foundation of our country. My middle seat is empty now and I hope someone currently under the spell of evil will decide to take it and fill their mind and heart from this different vantage point. The actions of the far left have shoved me out of my middle seat most likely for the rest of my life. I choose Life of the unborn and defenseless children of God and I choose Freedom from persecution for people of faith. Without a flinch of hesitation, my conscious clear I gave up my middle seat and for the first time in my life I proudly voted a straight ticket.
Thank you so much for your words!! I think we all need to have an intelligent and meaningful conversation about our differences. I do understand where you are coming from!! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts!!