I gave election coverage the same amount of time I gave to game seven of the World Series where I went to bed after the top of the ninth. Last night, I went to bed when Trump had 254 and Clinton had 215 in the electoral college. This morning around 4:30 am Roy told me that Trump had won the election. I hadn't intended on watching any of the coverage because I could watch Andy Griffith reruns, The Simpsons and Roseanne but I found myself flipping over to CBS every once in a while. Then I flipped between all the major news networks just because of what I was reading on Twitter. So there is where I got hooked in, not so much for results but to watch all the commentators reel, backtrack, and stumble through the coverage because it was not what anyone thought it would be. This included commentators that supported both Trump and Clinton. There wasn't any shortage of shock.
The Christian blog, Twitter and FB world has been rocked as well. These months of endless arguing and wrangling over differences and perceived sin has torn people apart. On both sides, I had to hide a few on my FB timeline because what they wrote was too much and where did these stories originate? I had no idea if articles posted were valid or not...so I stopped reading them.
My vision of disenfranchised blue collar workers changed from my long time view in Texas. Around here I don't see too much poverty or at least on a daily basis. Poverty in the burbs disguises itself rather well because one must keep up appearances. Here I haven't seen a family put back groceries while they shopped because they only had X amount to spend. Around here I know of people who have lost jobs but not due to the fact the entire industry has moved overseas thus eliminating higher paying jobs. I know several people in NC who work 2-3 jobs and it still doesn't meet all the needs. I can see why pollsters and politicians missed seeing this group of Americans.
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Good Thursday morning! I'm watching the sunrise over Rancho de Five. The sky is a beautiful golden hue. This morning I am squinting to make the roofs look like long range mountain views.
Emily and I met for breakfast yesterday at the Black Walnut Cafe. Yummy pumpkin pancakes! Had a great breakfast and catching up with each other. I came home and had a message from orthopedic office. Called them back and left a message. Knowing it was probably their lunch break, I headed over to Academy and then decided I should return home instead of running into the grocery store. When I hadn't heard back I called again and talked with Karen. We discussed clearances and blood thinners and new scheduled surgery time. It feels like all the details are falling into place.
I read a good blog post by Julie Pennington-Russell yesterday. She writes for Baptist News Global. A quote she used by Harry Emerson Fosdick in 1952 concerning the Cold War got my attention; "The highest use of a shaken time is to discover the unshakable." Of course she is writing about the election and how various people and tribes have felt their world rock and reel. She writes of hope and finding comfort in Psalm 46.
Sometimes when we are in a shaken time we are quick to rush to the immediate fix for our emotions and feelings. While the immediate may provide a blast of redemption for the moment, it usually is the hard work and behind the scenes hours of prayer and action that sees the most desired longevity for attacking that which has shaken us. I often think of a radio show I heard in the late 70's, The host interviewing children about getting a good education and what that means. The interviews and conversations revealed that all these children knew to say was, they wanted a good education but they didn't know what work or time was involved to pursue an education. Finally, one of the adults with the children being interviewed interrupted the host saying, " look, we had a parade about getting a good education, what more do you want them to say?" We had a parade to bring attention to education became the mantra for the rest of the program. Over the years when Roy or I don't want to put the time into something or the work for a desired result, we would laugh and remind each other, but we had a parade.
Of course there is a big picture sense to these words yet at the same time it has a small world...after all....ear worm for the rest of the day singing that annoying song.... Anyway, next week my shaky knee world is going to be shaken up something fierce and I will need to discover the unshakable, of more than my walker. I will need to hold fast to the One who holds me and tells me to be of good courage, to be strong and very courageous. To strengthen the knees that are feeble and the hands that are weak.
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