A Roller Coaster

It's been a wild ride! Last week was an emotional roller coaster of extreme lows and intense highs.

I started the week with confidence about the election. I was sure that voters wouldn't make the same mistake twice by re-electing Obama. On Monday, it looked good for Mitt Romney. Several polls showed him ahead in a number of the swing states. It looked like he had a clear path to victory. I was so excited!

Then came Tuesday night. Early in the evening, I could tell that things weren't going the right way, especially when Obama won both Romney's home state and Paul Ryan's home state. It wasn't looking good for Romney — or for America. Still, I held out hope. The bottom fell out about 10:30 Tuesday night when Ohio was called for Obama. He had won the election. It was a crushing blow to my spirit.

The next two days were nearly unbearable. It was so hard to think about where our country is headed now. I couldn't even bear to listen to the TV news or talk radio. It was just too agonizing to hear them talking about this man, who has ruined our country, now having four more years. I couldn't take listening to it!

But my spirits were lifted Friday when I went to a Veterans' Day program, which is put on each year by Travis Elementary School in Pampa. Several hundred veterans were there, and Kay Pittman, the program's organizer, talked about her passion for teaching the schoolchildren at Travis about freedom. The children, from kindergarten through fifth grade, all sang to honor the veterans. It restored my hope in America.

My friend Keith Roberson sang "God Bless The USA," and Congressman Mac Thornberry spoke about Old Glory. I saw that the American spirit is still alive in these children, despite the hard times ahead. It blessed me to see this on Friday.

Then on Sunday, my pastor preached an inspiring message called "In God We Trust." He reminded us that "In God We Trust" is our national motto. It's printed on our money. It's what this country was founded upon. We must keep putting our trust in God, not in the government or any man. It's God who will see us through the next four years and beyond.

After an agonizing week, I needed to hear that. My hope is in the Lord. Whatever happens in the next four years, I know God will see me through!