9/11 and politics.

i'm sitting here working on school work but all i can hear in the background is the news.

they're replaying the events that took place 11 years ago.

the events that shook all our lives, and our country.

and now i'm wondering the very question we all have wondered at some point.
why can't we have this kind of patriotism every day?

why can't we all come together as "americans" more than once (or twice if you add independence day) a year?

because that's what we are.
americans.

party lines aside, we all share one thing in common.
we live in the greatest country in the world.

yes, we've hit some bumps lately. but we're still the greatest.

it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that this election season is about to get really crazy...and nasty for lack of a better term; because honestly it has.

the things i've seen (from both sides) have astonished me. left me at a loss for words.

as i look back at previous posts, i'm actually pretty proud of myself for not turing this little corner of mine in the internet into a political one.
because if we can be honest, i'm a pretty political person.

{anyone notice my new button?}

but here's what i'm thinking.

what if, as a nation, we all came together on a daily basis like we are today?

what if each day we remembered how incrediably blessed we are to live in the united states of america.

because if you don't realize that, you need to.

there are parts of the world where people are killed just for holding a bible.
here, we get to hold it, read it out loud, and stand on the street corner "reading" it to others.

freedom.

it was our favorite word 11 years ago, but today. we're on two different sides of the isle.

and the gap keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger.

let me be clear though, i certainly don't think we all need to have the exact same opinions on things. because then life would be boring.

but what happened with just having a conversation with someone and disagreeing? now we bash each other on facebook and shake our heads at their existence.

11 years ago our nation faced the biggest terrorist attack to date. and i'd venture to say anyone reading this was old enough to remember.

old enough to remember the planes crash into the buildings.
old enough to remember the people running for their lives.
old enough to remember the man jump out of the building.
old enough to remember watching the firemen as they ran into the burning building.
old enough to remember the people on the streets screaming for help.

we are old enough to remember that for a short time, we all put our differences aside and became one. 

we got along. 

we smiled and held open doors for people. 

we thanked police and firemen and those in the military for what they are doing or had done. 

we hung our flags proudly. 

america was a happy place to be.

some of that has changed.

we're too busy, some would claim. to hold that door, thank that police officer.

but are we really?
i'm wondering what america would be like if right now we all stopped hating the other side so much and just remembered that above all we live in the greatest nation. if we remembered that 11 years ago, over 3000 men and women were killed because evil arose. if we remember that even still today, there are men and women in uniform who fight to keep us free.

let's give it a try shall we?
take an extra second to help some one. say thank you to a service man or woman. and above all, play nice.

we can disagree, but we're getting mean about it don't you think?

i can't sit here and say that Jesus would be a republican or democrat because i think that's totally bonkers to even assume. we have no idea. most likely, neither (not making Him independent either), i honestly think He wouldn't pay too much attention to politics.
i do know though, that He most certainly doesn't appreciate what's going on in politics today (christians, we're included here).

we've become really mean to each other because the lines that were once drawn have now been erased. i've seen scripture being used to prove a point of how bad mitt romney is.

is that where we are now?

using God's Holy Word to try and prove a political point?

i pray not because friends, that's a bad sign.

i'm trying to find a balance right now of politics, and keeping Christ in mind when i say and do things. and if i can be honest, it's not always an even balance.
but i hope i'm learning.

i make no bones about the fact that i have been born and raised, and will vote republican.
but i'm also learning that just because people don't agree with me, doesn't make them terrible people.

we can't all be the same. that would be impossible.
and yes, there are things i see on facebook that make me want to go crazy pants because it's so ridiculous.

but that's their choice.
and i'm learning that at this point in the game, i can't be the one to change all of their minds.
and i'm ok with that.

because if it came down to it...i'd rather win souls for Jesus than persuade someone to vote for a certain candidate. 

let's try and get back to that "we are one" mentality.

let's remember that we all live in the greatest nation in the world.

all my love, 

meg