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Election Day will be over by the time you read
this, but here are some thoughts that might help you realize the
obligation and privilege we have to vote in the United States of
America.
There are only four requirements for you to have
the privilege of voting:
--You must be a citizen of the U.S. and reside in
West Virginia.
--You must not be deemed “mentally incompetent” by
the court.
--You must not be under felony conviction
(including treason and election bribery), probation, or parole.
--You must be age 18 or older.
Now, it is so simple to be able to vote in this
country. Our ancestors fought to give us this privilege. Some gave their
lives to give us the opportunity to choose how we would be governed.
I read the following in a magazine about prison
ministry: “I didn’t know what freedom was like until I spent two months
in jail. When you can’t have it is when you appreciate it.”
Election means change. Change is not a negative
factor. It is our attitude toward change.
I kept a quotation on my desk the last year of
teaching to prepare my mind for change: “Change is a beginning, not an
end.”
Another one read this morning is: “Sometimes change
is like being struck by lightning, sometimes like a gentle rain that
slowly but surely sinks in.”
Something else people need to change is their
thinking about change itself. People put off making much needed changes
because they are looking for a big change or a sign they can use to
bring about change.
We can change our attitude toward voting before the
next election. We can make a difference. It is the accumulation of small
nudges that make us change in the first place.
Don’t fear tomorrow, God is already there.
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