Voting

Yesterday, I voted in our Primary election. Voting is very important to me. After all, I was not born into that right. Well, technically, I was. But, actually, not; at least not like a man would be.

You see, it took a long time before women were granted the right to vote. Many women gave an awful lot so that they and their sisters and daughters would have that right. I saw a movie about the struggle, Iron-Jawed Angels, and it changed my view forever. Those women were not only jeered at on the street, but they were imprisoned, starved, and beaten. Some died. Suffragettes. What a group of strong women. Bless them forever. The Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution was passed in 1920. So you see, women have had the right to vote for less than 100 years, whereas men have ALWAYS had it, inherently.

Therefore, voting is very important to me. I try to not miss any opportunity to vote. I have, of course, missed one or two. When President Nixon was re-elected, I didn't vote. I was in labor in the hospital with my second son. And, I've missed a couple of elections since then. But I always do my best to try. I think it's important to cast my ballot to let my voice be heard in whatever way as to my preferences regarding my leadership in my city, county, state and country.

Yes, it's true that sometimes this does not have a direct effect. Certainly, in the

presidential election, we are voting for electors, and in my state, they are not required to cast ballots at the convention for whom the voters have expressed desire. They are free to cast ballots as they please. But usually, they do as the voters wish.

However, that is the exception to the rule. Take Dade County, for instance. It is called Miami-Dade County these days, but it will always be Dade County to me. They just had an item on their ballot, placed there by those who would like to end the ban on pitbull dogs. Those who went to the polls voted to retain the ban. Mind you, I said those who went to the polls. Those who did not go to the polls and vote had no say in the matter, and this directly affected the law in the county.

This is why it is so important to vote. Because your vote DOES count. And, voting is a privilege. For us women, it is a gift that was granted to us by the sacrifice and pain and suffering of a group of women many years ago. Thank you, girls. I will try to use my gift at every opportunity.

What Dr. Stanley says about how God works. Here's some of what he said today: "When anything or anyone becomes more important to us than the Lord, we have an idol in our lives. To protect us, God sometimes uses adversity to strip away everything we have relied upon so that we'll cling only to Him. The chisel hurts--it sometimes feels as if God is taking away everything we hold dear. Unless you understand His goal and believe He's working for your good, you'll think He's cruel. But if you trust Him and yield to His shaping tool of adversity, your faith will be purified and strengthened through affliction."

Dr. Stanley will be 80 years old next month. And surely he has had more Christian experience than I. Certainly, he has had more tribulation. But, maybe he hasn't. A woman's tribulations are much different than a man's. It doesn't matter if a man or woman is in a place of public leadership or not. The heart is what matters. I often feel that God has left me. As my husband says, "I wouldn't treat my bride like that!" And he's right. The scripture also says that God's ways are not like our ways. And that is certainly true. I would not treat my children the way God allows us to be treated. So, is Dr. Stanley right? I don't know. Certainly he is correct in saying that the chisel hurts. But is he correct in saying that whatever God allows is okay because it makes us stronger? I don't know about that. I think, personally, that it hurts sometimes so badly that it sends us away from God.