History

Today was a very important day. Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States of America. This is the first time I have ever paid much attention to an Inauguration of a President. I felt like I needed to be aware of my surroundings, like I needed to pay attention, that I needed to talk about it, that I needed to listen. History was made.


I am so excited that my children were able to witness this event. I wasn't sure if the boys would get to watch it or not, but they both came home talking about it this afternoon. Even my little 4 year old Isaac watched history unfold at the pre-k center. "Mommy, I saw Barack Obama become President today!" Jake could recall all kind of details of the event. He has a crazy memory! He thought that "old Doctor guy" was a little weird. He stood for the singing of the National Anthem and got after his friend Logan who was not paying attention. Thank you Lord for my wonderful precious son. The tv in my classroom would not work, so I made all of my students go across the hall and crowd in another classroom to watch it. I was in 4 period with a bunch of 9th graders. Deqwon and William sitting next to me. I tried to encourage them all to pay attention, to remember. That this was important. This was one of those events that you will want to remember where you were, what you felt, who was with you.

No matter how you voted. This was a huge day for The United States.

My dad sent out an email yesterday. I loved it and thought I would share it.

I have vivid memory of fighting back tears as I watched live television of people dancing and cheering as they dismantled the Berlin wall with sledge hammers and pick axes when the Soviet Union fell. I remember turning to my young daughters and telling them, “remember this day, because you are witnessing a turning point in history.” For some time my mind has understood that tomorrow we will witness another turning point when Barack Obama takes the oath of office, but I didn’t feel it until this morning. As I was eating breakfast, a clip of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech came on the news. When I heard him state with such conviction that “… all men are created equal ...”, it finally struck me. It stuck me that we (the people of the United States of America ) have reached a turning point. Tomorrow we will be knocking a huge hole in our “Berlin Wall” of prejudice. A wall that Abraham Lincoln started beating on 150 years ago. A wall that Martin Luther King and others died to weaken 40 years ago. Tomorrow I ask you to take a moment to look past politics and the color of man’s skin to see freedom. I encourage you to fast and pray tomorrow. I ask you to praise God that we are so blessed to live in such freedom. Pray earnestly for our new president. Pray that he asks for God’s wisdom daily, and that he will listen when God provides it. Pray that God will use this moment to turn the people of this country to Him. Pray that God’s grace will spread through this country and that the “wall” of prejudice can be completely destroyed and every person can be free a last.

Erich