A Confession on Wednesday

It is all that I can do not to get on my usual soapbox about the stimulus package that has infuriated me so badly. Instead of beating a dead horse, I suggest that you read or re-read last weeks post about a Bigger Argument Against the Stimulus Package. My sentiments haven't changed, only become stronger against the bill that is now law. I still can't help but to remember that our country revolted against taxation without representation in the 18th century; yet here in the 21st century, we allow a bill to pass that over two thirds of the American people are against. Do we call this representation? And we basically take all of this laying down. We fuss a little, but we really feel that it is out of our hands anyway. "What are we to do about it?"." The government is bigger than we are anyway." These thoughts should never occur in this country and the fact that they do occur is very saddening.

And we are now following a European model of government, designed by egghead intellectuals and a greater degree of socialism. Even though our economy drives the world, we feel that the European model is a better model of how to do government. The only thing is that we forget to look at the economies and governments of European socialism in reality instead of looking at them with theory colored glasses.

And I'm not anti Europe. There are many good people and ideas that have come from Europe. Our country has some good allies in Europe. It is continent rich in history and culture. But America rose above all of them in a short time and I believe that we truly live in the greatest country in the world and that being anything other than American is selling ourselves short. Surrendering our freedoms and our principles when the going gets a little rough is not American. Accepting lousy legislation for fear that we may lose some money out of our pockets and some channels from our television is not American. Blindly following inept leadership is not American. Giving elected officials a free pass because we voted for them or because people deemed smarter than ourselves agree with them, is not patriotic; it is idiotic. But many people seem to be just accepting things and turning a blind eye, staying more focused on our actual checkbooks for the here and now instead of looking at the bigger picture of what may lay ahead for our future and it's generations.

The country is facing serious issues, that is for certain. And one of the scariest issues in my mind are the words our president said about only the government being able and qualified to bail us out of this mess; not that the American people, the strength of our nation, has the means to rise above conflict and economic woes. To say that things are so bad that only the government can fix things, smells of fear mongering. Obama peddled fear under the guise of hope during his campaign and is continuing to do so in every promise broken action that he takes and every empty word that he speaks.

That is one of the things that disturbs me so. That and these compromises and the neglect of our principles and ideologies, is what keeps me up at night. This entire stimulus package has sincerely got me worked up, in case you haven't noticed. When the president says unabashedly that stimulus is government spending, it makes me sick; in the deepest pit of my stomach. The things that are happening by our government and to our people, ans so few seem to notice or care, is what has me so rattled.

These things are also what has brought me back to remembering what is important and what the basic truth by which I try to live: God is in control. Always.

I get so irritated and I desire so much for my country and my friends and my family, that I feel that I must act right here and right now in order to single handily save everyone from all of the things evil in the world. I forget that God already has a plan for that. Sure, we will experience some suffering in our lifetime; but God is in control. He doesn't need me to save anyone or to defend His plans, although in my impatience, arrogance, and temperament I take it upon myself to try to do such. And I have to admit to everyone who reads this blog, I have lost focus on the bigger picture, the biggest picture of all, and have forgotten that God is always in control. I believe that He wants me to write and to speak up against certain things in this country and this world we live in. But I have been guilty of doing much more, if even only within my own heart. I have impatiently and hot temperately ran ahead of God and am now asking Him to rubber stamp His seal of approval on all of the things that I deem important. And that is not how faith, hope, or love work. That is not what my relationship with God is based on. It is not what Jesus died for or what the Holy Spirit empowers me to do.

It has been all Ronnie and Ronnie's ideas for the past week or more. Hopefully it is not very noticeable on the outside. Thankfully those close to me know how worked up I get and have treated my rants as such. Thankfully my friends and I respect each others views and each others differences, and outwardly that is all this last week of ranting has been. But I feel compelled to admit that inside I have been tied up in knots over the direction our government is heading. But thankfully that ever small voice has reminded me to trust God and to chill out. He is in control.

And on that note, I will finish up today's blog. This is not the blog that I set out to write today. And when that is the case, I hope as always that my broken words and scattered thoughts find the eyes and ears of whoever needed to hear them and that these words are a message about something bigger than ourselves; besides the obvious person who needed to understand these words the most, me.