Bless Our Hearts

6 month old Mark and I needed to run to the store to pick up a few baby items. His parents were out of the country on a mission trip. He and I were on our own mission trip.

Destination Target!

On our way to check out, I cruised by the stationery department. (Next to office supplies, these are some of my favorite aisles.) I was looking for the perfect card when a young woman interrupted me, "Excuse me. May I ask your opinion about something?"

I was expecting her question to be, "Do you think my grandmother could read print this small?"

Instead, she caught me off guard with this: "I see you have your baby with you, and I was just wondering, what kind of world do you want for him, and what should be done about it?"

I quickly scanned her basket to see if she was handing out pamphlets. She obviously had to be asking on behalf of a political candidate, a religious cult, or Amway.

Empty basket. No clues.

I wanted to give her a dollar for thinking I was Mark's mother rather than his Grammy from Miami. But in case hidden cameras were rolling somewhere I decided to take her question at face value and gave this response:

"I don't think I'm as concerned about the condition of the world as I am the condition of his heart. I am praying for him what I prayed for my boys; that whatever happens in his life would draw him closer to the heart of God. That means regardless of his health or the economy or any political situation, his hope would be found in the Lord."

She seemed a little stunned and asked, "Then what should we do about it?"

"We pray." I answered. "I want them to be blessed in every way. But I have seen people with very little by the world's standards be people of great faith. And many of the world's most miserable are those who seem to have it all. What do you think?"

"Uh, same thing." and off she went.

Mark looked at me like, "What was that all about?!"

That was four months ago, and I'm still wondering what that was about.

On this election day I am declaring again, my hope is not in our government. I am not afraid of the outcome. If God chooses to humble our nation as a way to get our attention, then bring it on. The Lord Jesus Christ never said it was all about the economy.

I am so done with one party thinking we are God's gift to our country while spewing hateful e-mails about the other one. One candidate is no more the antichrist than the other one is the savior. I would come up with a new political party if I could think of a catchy name and mascot!

I do want God to bless America. But most of all, I want Him to bless our hearts.