Lessons Learned In Politics!
I was four years old when I saw on a television the funeral for John F. Kennedy. I remember standing in front of my aunt’s television watching and even then I realized this was serious as I saw the sadness on everyone’s faces in the room. When I began first grade, I learned the Pledge of Allegiance and I was taught that I was honoring our country. I grew up with a sense of pride in America. I was grateful to have been born and living in my country.
I never thought much about politics until after I graduated and was working for an independent oil operator as an assistant to the secretary of the president of the company. I heard little things here and there about the political world and I was intrigued. My first time to vote was right after Jim and I got married. I had also volunteered to work the polls. During that voting season, I had voted for Ronald Reagan as I liked his beliefs and goals for our country. One day, I had the television on and a breaking news report came on about Reagan being shot. I was very disturbed by the thought that someone would even do such a thing. From that moment on I became even more interested in politics. It wasn’t like it is today, where politics is a 24/7 thing. We didn’t have constant news available like it is now. The people I was around didn’t talk much about politics. You just knew what you believed and when it was time to vote, you went down to vote and carried on. That was my world.
In the early 90’s I was driving down the street and I was pulled over by an officer. I evidently rolled at a stop sign instead of doing a complete stop. I sadly received my first traffic ticket. I chose to go to traffic school to take care of my ticket. While attending this class one night, I looked around the room while we were watching a video. I noticed two things. Half of the class had their heads down on the table and were sleeping. I also noticed that the video was all in English and about 80 percent of the class were spanish speaking only. That bothered me as I thought what is the point in this class. I wrote a letter to the editor of our paper about this issue and it was published. I received a call from an elected official who thanked me and he said he was going to do something about it in the way of it not being so boring and in a language everyone could understand. (I have never been back, thankfully, so I’m not sure how it is now) From that moment, I had discovered that my voice really mattered and could be used for good.
I began volunteering at the polls on election days and I attended my precinct meetings. I was nominated to attended 3 different Texas State Republican Conventions over the next few years. I loved the process of government. I was also nominated to serve on our Crime Commission for our city.
We were serving in a church when I had the opportunity to begin a prayer group for women with Concerned Women of America that was formed my one of my favorite authors, Beverly LaHaye. A state representative came to help me get it started. While she was visiting my town she alerted me to the fact that my city had an obscenity issue. I had never thought about any of that, but she opened my eyes to what was readily available at children’s expense. My heart hurt as I learned more on this issue. I was a bit sensitive to this subject as I had an experience when I was about 9 years old of a man approaching me at a grocery store parking lot while I was waiting for my mother to return to our car. I never really ever discussed it with anyone, but I still remember the entire ordeal to this day. (The story is here)
Long story short, our group branched into a separate group that was to help others become aware of what was being sold in our community. I worked with our local Sheriff who became a hero to me. We had a very large interest in our group with both men and women who wanted to rid our city of the things that were against our obscenity laws. We did get to have a couple of meetings at my church until we were told we could no longer have them there due to insurance purposes. I always thought that was strange, but I accepted it and we carried on at a different location. Other churches offered their locations for meetings. We had billboards around the city to help people become aware of the harm that this type of issue causes to women and children. We had many letters to the editor from various people that were sometimes met with much criticism. I even had a death threat and had to have our house watched as well as our telephone tapped. Which was a very odd thing to go through. Many lessons learned of what to do and what not to do. As time went on I stepped down from that “ministry” and concentrated on home. To this day I do not know how women run amazing organizations while raising a family. I discovered I wasn’t one of those people. Home was my first priority and it was just too much to keep up with. Although, I do not regret one moment that I was involved as we saw many victories is so many areas.
I did manage to keep up with social issues that pertained to women and children. At church, I didn’t share unless I was asked. Which wasn’t much. The pastor that we served under and my husband was his youth pastor and minister of education was a very kind man but I did learn that he wanted nothing to do with anything that resembled politics. My husband was called in when he heard that I volunteered at a local pro-life counseling center for unexpected pregnancies. We were told to not speak of it as the church had members on the board of the local a*ortion clinic, which was disturbing to me.
One time I had brought a voters guide for our pastor to look over which basically listed all the candidates and what they stood for so you could make up your own mind who you wanted to vote for. I was told not to bring them in the church building and that I could hand them out from the trunk of my car in the parking lot if I wanted. Which I kindly declined. I kept that part of my world to myself and just stayed busy doing my duties in the church and taking care of my family.
At this particular church we had huge bulletin boards everywhere. They were in classrooms and down the halls. I love decorating and they always looked so depressing as they were all blank. So, I asked if I could decorate the boards each season. I was given an okay. I had so much fun going to our local teacher supply store and picking out different designs to decorate all the boards. I received lot’s of compliments of how they brightened the hallways and classrooms up.
One year it was voting season. I had an idea to decorate one of the main boards in red, white and blue with flags, etc. I also had a folder on the board of organizations that you could volunteer for to better the community. When I went to church the next week I passed by that particular board and it was blank. Someone had taken every item off of the board and thrown them in the trash. I asked some key leadership people and no one knew anything about it or cared. Shortly after that, my husband was preaching on a Wednesday evening since the pastor was sick and a deacon came up to my husband right before church began and told him in what I would call a threatening way, to not speak a word about anything on the pro-life issue.
What an interesting time of learning at this particular church. I have always said that I became a Christian when I was 14 and my world 100% changed. I loved my home church. I loved the people in my church; the leaders and the members. I held them all in high esteem. I believed they loved me. All I wanted to do was be in the center of God’s will and life for Him.
The older I got and we served at other churches, I began seeing things that bothered me, but, I loved my Lord more than anything and nothing would ever stop that. Some of the hardest lessons on people I’ve ever learned, was in the church. I’ve been hurt to the core more than once so much that I wanted to leave it all behind and never look back.
I have never doubted my faith in Jesus or His love for me. My faith and love for my Savior is stronger than ever and I can look back at all that He wanted me to see and experience and I know it was for a reason. I hope today that pastor wives are taken under someone’s wing to share what to expect while serving in full time ministry all the while making a Christ honoring home. I see a lack in that area and that is the main reason I share my stories in this series, “Looking Back at the Glass House…Confessions of a Former Pastor’s Wife” Surely, in seminaries there are classes for pastors wives on this topic, but if you are like me, you worked full time while your husband attended seminary.
To sum up my thoughts on Politics and the Church. I believe a church is where we go to be encouraged and inspired to live a holy life that is pleasing to our Savior. The sermons, the lessons, the studies, the events should all lead you to one thing and that is a life that has been transfomed from hopeless to a thriving life lived for the King of Kings. I want to hear what God says about the issues of life and I want to apply that. There are some issues in our world that need attention when it comes to our homes, our families and even our church. There are so many issues that harm people and I think we need to be aware of them. If that means knowing a candidate is for or against something that harms our family, then we need to hear about it. There is a time and place for it. It should be done in a godly, organized way that doesn’t take the main thing away from the main thing, which is hearing the Word of God preached and taught.
Let’s just say, I am so thankful I don’t have to make those decisions any more in the church world. In the world we have today, it is crazy and out of control. People are so cruel and no one seems to have any tolerance left or dignity. Friendships are lost, family members break away from one another. It shouldn’t be that way. There has to be a way to stand on what you believe and still love people regardless of what they think or believe. We have the freedom to believe what we want and be around those we want. Wisdom and discernment are much needed today as we walk through an election season. Even in non-election seasons!
All that to say, Happy Election Season! It’s almost over and Jesus will still be on the throne no matter what!
The real question is….Do you know where you will spend eternity if you were to die today? Have you had a real life change? Do you know that Jesus loves you and gave His life for you? If you aren’t sure, please click this link and read about how you can know for sure without any more doubts!
Until next time,
