Maybe it's my imagination, but it seems the mood of people around me borders on tense. It's as if we all had gone on a Starbucks binge and now can't "come down" from all the caffeine. And it seems this is an equal-opportunity malady, affecting members of both parties equally.
Whatever the final results of tomorrow's election, some of us will be disappointed. But think how blessed we are to live in a country where we actually get to vote on our leaders! In so much of the world people only get to vote with their feet, as they flee from power-hungry individuals and armed forces. Over-crowded refugee camps teem with desperate people who left their homelands to save their lives.
Our founding fathers possessed wisdom beyond 
their own, I believe. They set up the United States as a nation where each citizen is free to get involved and free to vote for candidates of their choice. We can voice our opinions without fear of being carted off to prison. Each of us can help shape the community we live in, by volunteering for worthy causes, by supporting what we believe in, and even by the way we live our lives.
Under the U. S. Constitution, that's our right. More accurately, that's our privilege. So if you haven't voted yet, be sure to cast your ballot at your local election site tomorrow!
If history proves anything, it's that this nation is bigger than any one man who ends up being elected President. By the way, it's worth remembering that those Presidents labeled "good" when elected didn't always turn out to be that. Several Presidents who were trashed throughout their administrations later were described as "great" by historians. Even Abraham Lincoln faced constant ridicule, name-calling and criticism during his Presidency.
Who can predict what lies ahead, whether for this nation or in our own lives? None of us. Maybe right now you're traveling a hard path and hope seems a foreign concept. Even then, in every situation, we can be at peace. I love Billy Graham's well-known illustration.
"The storm was raging. The sea was beating against the rocks in huge, dashing waves. The lightning was flashing, the thunder was roaring, the wind was blowing; but the little bird was sound asleep in the crevice of the rock, its head tucked serenely under its wing.
That is peace: to be able to sleep in the storm! In Christ we are relaxed and at peace in the midst of the confusions, bewilderments and perplexities of this life. The storm rages, but our hearts are at rest. We have found peace–at last!
The lesson for us all: Peace does not depend on externals.
I wish you peace, every day!
Lenore
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