I have found that in a world where words like love, tolerance and kindness are used, the more humanity is failing. I remember a quote Aristotle said "Tolerance the last virtue of a dying society" and I believe it is true and we can see it. I think people hate more than they ever have, become less tolerant, less patient, less religious, less grounded and far more superficial while they desire to look as if they care deeply and if they do, what we usually find is that they care more deeply about themselves than others but that to, often times isn't what it seems.
In the years that I have become public, I may not have known it at the time, but I felt all of the troubles of the world and desired to work against it in every way I could, I just did't know it at the time. In a world that hates, I wanted to be the one that hugged, spoke and listened when people needed me to, I wanted to share deeper than others did and help others see what I felt like they couldn't see. I think we as people were created to be this way so maybe if we could reverse the "badness," we may just realize we could, by our indiviaual actions, offer hope to the hopeless in so many areas.
To best summarize what I wanted even at an early age, I wanted two things and as I tell others about the old saying "he who dies with the most toys wins" I just wanted to be the one guy that knew the most people before I died (or have them know me.) The other thing I wanted, a bit later, oddly enough was the knowledge David recieved. Well, we may have to see how things finish out before either of these are accomplished but I felt like if I shared those with you, it may help set the stage for what I wish to express with you in the rest of this post.
The words below, as a matter of fact, came in a recent response to an email I received from a friend about how he felt like there was no hope and that our entire system was rigged and controlled and that there was just nothing we could do but by the end of my reply I realized it took this friend to send me an email that actually helped me understand myself better than I already thought I did. He probably won't realize that in my response to him, he forced me to learn, by replying, important things about myself so, as my friends, or followers, for what it is worth, I thought I would share them with you for your consideration and understanding about me if you ever wanted to know.
Now, some of these things are rather personal but why would anyone follow someone that wasn't sincere that couldn't or didn't want to express vulnerabilities that may even help empower others? I believe pain and hardship shared does two things: 1. It allows the healing to begin and 2. it allows others to consider the hardships of another either offering direction or a warning of what not to do or at least reveal possible unintended consequences. Either way, I don't feel those two emotions were meant to be kept to onesself, at least forever.
I would like to also say that In the midst of all this hypocrisy, as people literally see humanity failing, there is an extremely growing sense of despair and hopelessness to the degree now that I am asked every day either "What do we do?" or "...what is the use anyway because nothing I or anyone else can do matters anyway." To address these questions, Here is my perspective and my response:
I woke up late, 45 to be exact. I was late to the game. I thought throughout my young life that I was worthless- teachers, parents friends, step parents, seemed like everyone. I tried to do things to show people I wasn’t worthless and among those things, I even joined the military on a 12 mo. Delayed Enlistment Program and didn’t go. Man, if I ever felt worthless in my life it was the day I came home to my jack wagon step-dad after backing out.
Fast forwarding, I was bullied a lot in school (I was small in stature but had a big mouth an ran fast) and I always stood up to bullies even when teachers or parents exceeded their authority, I somehow inherently knew they didn’t have authority and called them out on it. (Sound familar yet?) As it turns out, I was not only fighting for myself but for others that either wouldn’t or couldn’t and aside from the profanity once used frequently, the mission today continues.
As I look back at instances like this now, things come clearly into view about why I do what I do. Years later I got married and had children, last Saturday God granted me my first grandson and in 3-4 weeks, if God maintains his blessing upon me, I will be blessed with twin boys for a total of 3 grandsons in a month.
It wasn't until recently I realized, as we look at today's society compared to decades ago, that I had two clear choices. One, I could have been an entitled brat or, two, I could spend my life proving that I was worthy as a human being, an adult, husband, dad, civic engineer, friend, politician and now a grandfather. If you know me, you know which path I have chosen.
When I first began this journey (Let's call it "the fight") I was extremely aggressive. I had no idea who I was fighting, why or how I would fight, I just knew I would need to, did and do. It wasn’t until patience was continually hammered into my consciousness that I began to see things clearly enough to know why I do what I do. I am still unclear on how I will fight or what my part is in it and what sword I will choose to fall on, all I know is that one day, unbeknownst to me, 20 years ago, I attended a church meeting one Friday night that changed my life and helped solidify what I do know and why I fight and that I am still alive today to continue that fight.
As strange as this may be to say, my greatest source of strength and conviction is found by looking back (hopefully not turning to a pillar of salt) to know what I feel like I have gone through and why. Looking back and forward to the present, I realize what I fight for and why it is needed. I also realized there are people that depend on each of us, whether they are family, friends, radio listeners or people that follow me on my website or social media. People need someone they can trust and in a world where that seems increasingly lacking, I needed to state my position in all I did hoping people along the way would understand it.
I know people, especially now, above all, need hope. They need to know the fight isn’t over because if it is, all this country has fought and bled and died for was in vain and I can’t accept that for a minute and I can't imagine anyone living in this "free"country that would!
If there is a Creator and he has performed Miracles and changed lives and changed nations and blessed and protected people while decimated nations for failure to honor Him, I think it is clear for more than one reason, that more people need to get it right! I often think "it matters not what happens to me, it isn’t something I can just turn off when my existence was built upon it!"
A wise man once said, there are two ways to destroy humanity- 1. when people lose hope in their Creator and 2. when they have lost hope in themselves.
I heard in a movie once, “if you can’t give them hope, just give them something to do.” And knowing this, if people work toward that end, they may just receive their just reward and who are we to say whether they will receive it because the reward doesn’t come from us, it comes from on High.
We also know that faith without works is dead but works without faith is futility so where would you like to be? We really only have two choices or, of course, we could submit to a Tyrannical Anti-God One World Govenrment. Which would you choose and we better "choose wisely."
So, when you feel like there is no hope, or people tell you there isn't, or people ask you "what can we do" the answer is first to find or maintain or grow your faith in God, then find that faith in yourself and live accordingly and teach others the same. While some may bock at the suggestions and wish to do something else, remind them that we are in our current situation because of our failure to adhere to those two provisions.
Let us re-commit to learning and living and re-establishing our foundations and have the patience to understand and believe that according to: Issaiah 55:11: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
As far as what can be done beyond that, that is worthy or a lengthier discussion but it is definately a discussion worth having because that too, isn't rocket science.
Finally, I would ask you to think about who and what you are and to consider Issaiah 59:17:
"He will wear justice like a coat of armor and saving power like a helmet. he will cloath himself with a strong desire to set things right and to punish and avenge the wrongs that people suffer."