Dear Mr. Obama,
I sit in my political science class as my professor talks about Congress, you, your agenda and your party. We discuss polls and approval ratings constantly, so of course, we discuss your low ones.
Criticism comes from her, from my classmates and honestly, from me. But I typically don’t voice my frustration or concerns (thankfully I’m not graded on participation!), instead I sit in my class and I pray for you.
I pray that God gives you wisdom to handle ISIS, Ebola, immigration and all the day to day issues that you still have to deal with.
I pray that you don’t define your value and worth as a person based on approval ratings and newspaper articles, but rather allow yourself to rest in who Christ says you are.
I pray God gives you just enough strength for each day, but never too much that you might possibly think it comes from yourself.
I pray for patience and compassion for you, that the constant problems of politics, life and the world don’t harden your heart.
I pray for your time with your family, that you are able to leave all the stress of the day, the problems you still need solutions for, the frustration and anxiety, that you’re able to leave it all at the door when you sit down to eat dinner with them.
I pray that you’re still able to find happiness in the small things, that all the big issues don’t diminish the tiny joys of everyday life.
I pray that your love for and commitment to your wife will not be an afterthought.
I pray that you won’t always be too busy to dance with your daughters.
I sit in class and I pray for you, Mr. Obama, not because I agree with all you do or even all you believe, not because I support your whole agenda or even your party. I pray for you because you’re the leader of our country. I pray for you because I see your daughters as little girls, your wife as a woman and you as a person, because I recognize that who you guys are goes far beyond “president” or “first lady.”
I pray that you do too.
I constantly hear students complain about you, and often it’s those same people that did not exercise their right to vote in the presidential election. But you know what? Those mumbled complaints won’t do any good…they’re not doing any good. In all of history, complaints have never changed anything. No innovation, revolution or movement took place simply because people complained to one another.
I can’t help but imagine what it might look like if Believers here in the U.S. would commit to seriously praying for you and for other elected officials. It would change things.
It may change y’alls hearts. It would definitely change some of theirs.
Kaitlin Ebeling 