Confused

Ryan awoke from his nap late yesterday afternoon and would not stop crying. I took him to Daddy and Daddy said, "Do you want to go vote with Daddy?" He immediately stopped crying and shook his head yes, reaching for Daddy.

On our way home from the voting polls, Ryan asked "Where we going?" We told him we were going home. He said, "No we not. We going on a boat." Here he thought Doug told him "boat" instead of "vote." We laughed and explained to him what voting was. He seemed to take it well and wasn't overly disappointed.

When we came out of the voting polls, Regina asked if that's the way people vote in other countries. I told her they probably had their own method of doing it.

Once we got home she said, "I thought voting was going to be waving flags and lifting your feet." She was remembering a few years ago in the D.R. when they held their Presidential elections. They really make a big deal in the campaigning. They have a song written with their slogan in it etc. The ice cream shop just across the street from our house played the LOUD music of their candidate and danced, waving flags, and stopping cars to try to persuade them to vote for their fellow. It was a very interesting time as the LOUD campaign music floated through our whole house for several weeks prior to the election.

The celebration afterward was just as loud and boisterous. They drove around in vehicles dragging tin cans, beeping horns, and hollaring. It was quite the ordeal and I don't think our kids will ever forget the campaigning of the celebration of victory after the election.

First time voter!

Today was the first time I ever voted for government offices. In the Brethren in Christ church, from which I came, separation of church and state was believed and practiced. I never thought about voting. When I went to Bible college, I learned that other Christians vote! I understood their reasoning and did not condemn them for it and certainly felt they were not in the wrong. However, I still didn't feel any reason to change the action of not voting.

As it came closer to the last Presidential election, I realized that we are in a spiritual battle; Biblical values against ungodly values - not just one man against another. Our values are at stake. I felt convicted in my heart that I should be voting and doing something about it. It was too late to register to vote by the time I mentioned it to Doug.

For some reason, I didn't vote in the last several elections. But today, the first time in history, I feel good knowing that I did my part in helping to shape our country into what it should be.

Not only do I vote, but my mother, brothers, and even some aunts and uncles now cast their vote as well. The eyes of many are being opened. May God help more and more to see voting as a Christian duty more than a citizen duty.