Those who know me well know I am rarely silent about anything! However, the events of the last two weeks have temporarily rendered me speechless. Not because I don’t have anything to say — I do, and plenty of it — but because I need to process it in such a way that I can discuss it without losing my “Christian cool.”

I have said that I am a Christian first, and whatever else I am politically, ethnically, occupationally or otherwise, is secondary.

I had a long talk with Stacy Swimp today, and vented quite a bit as friends do with friends. Then, a couple of hours later, Congressman West confirmed that the race in St. Lucie County had been certified for his opponent, Patrick Murphy.

That sent me over the emotional edge for a few minutes, and I had to really think long and hard about a few things. I will still most likely go back and finish the many blog posts I’ve started and stopped during this period, because I do think I’ve got a lot to say before I can move on to The Next Big Thing.

The point of this blog post, however, is to expand upon something I said to my husband right after the election was called in favor of President Obama, and what Congressman West and I discussed today when he told me of the situation in FL: God’s got this.

In Bible class at church, we’ve been studying the prophets. They warned the people time and again about straying from God, and often God allowed them to “feel the burn” from their rebellious choices. He allowed them to have the king they begged for in order to be “like the other nations” (1 Samuel 8). Further, He allowed them to be carried away into captivity, allowing the Israelites to suffer famine or adverse weather conditions, etc. when they chose to disobey Him.

Am I saying that’s what He’s doing today with us and this election? I don’t have a Special Red Phone that rings, but I do know that God places people in positions of authority. He places the leaders we like and those we don’t. And we are called to be mindful of their positions (Romans 13).

I know that if Mitt Romney had won, I would be doing the Fairly Happy Dance, instead of the “Icky Shuffle” (with all due respect to the iconic Elbert “Ickey” Woods and his Shuffle of many years ago). I would probably not be focusing as much on the spiritual as I am now, because I have probably prayed more often and more fervently for this nation than ever before.

Now with Congressman West’s race decided (I refuse to say “defeated,” for my opinion is that he was robbed), I again turn introspective and prayerful. As I wrote to Representative West today, I said that I am learning to focus on the bigger picture, which is this world is not my home, so I shouldn’t be “snuggling in” getting comfortable.

Though I was at home this morning with sick children, my husband shared today’s lesson at church with me. Our preacher mentioned that it was when he was at his lowest that he felt the strongest spiritually. He said that we need adversity to remind us of our priorities.

Those of us of faith have read the end of the book. We know how it ends. Good triumphs over evil. God wins, and the bad guys lose. Until then, I have a job to do: continue to talk about spiritual things in the hopes that more eyes are opened to the Truth. As that wise philosopher, Peter Parker once quoted, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

–Marie

About Author

Marie Stroughter

Marie Stroughter’s foray into political activism began around the dinner table as she deconstructed the day’s news cycle with her husband and three homeschooled children. She is one of the founding members of African-American Conservatives (AACONS), and is the host of its critically acclaimed podcast. Marie has served as a communications and social media guru for a number of statewide and national campaigns ranging from senatorial to presidential. In 2019, Ms. Stroughter was appointed to be a National Advisory Board Member and surrogate for Black Voices for Trump. She currently serves on the America First National Engagement Council, an arm of the America First Policy Institute. She has been a part of Allen West’s digital team since 2017. The former Digital Comms Director for the Republican Party of Texas, she now serves a similar role for Texas Values, a nonprofit devoted to policies related to faith, family, and freedom. Marie also freelances and focuses on growing AACONS. To book Marie, use the “Contact Us” page.

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