A Ballot for Every Palate

We’re still getting used to having a puppy around the house. I call her a puppy, but I honestly think this creature is mostly GOAT. This weekend we had company and Gracie came lumbering into the family room with our guest’s toothbrush sticking out of her mouth. Talk about embarrassing. At least she has good oral hygiene. If we could only get her to floss.

Every morning we harvest the Gracie leftovers from the family room rug. There is almost always a wide selection of sock parts. It’s amazing to me that she can turn one napkin into a half acre of napkin confetti. It’s all faithfully spread across the rug every morning like manna.

This morning, along with the manna, I harvested kindling from three colored pencils (she had already digested about a pencil and a half), and what used to be a package of paper. I guess that means if she happened to swallow anything live, it has enough art supplies in there to complete a nice project or two. I also found half a hair clip and one of my daughter’s new shoes—which now has handy ventilation holes in the heel—plus a shredded pizza box and pieces of what used to be the seven, nine and Jack of hearts. I think she was going for a flush.

Paper or plastic? She doesn’t care. She doesn’t even bother to find out if it’s wood, hay or stubble, animal, vegetable or mineral. In shoes she does seem to prefer leather, though she’s yet to meet a shoe she would shun. It’s hard for me to imagine looking at my son’s flip flop and thinking, “My, that looks delicious.” But this pup? She’ll swallow anything.

Sadly, some people will swallow anything, too. When we make choices about who serves in positions of leadership, we need to do more than simply swallow the last thing we heard. Who wants to be a vote goat?

We need to study. Electing people to represent us is no small issue. No bones about it—doggie or otherwise. Rather than closing our eyes and punching a dot, some research can clue us in as to who will best represent our principles and beliefs.

We need to seek wisdom. Not the earthly kind. We need the heavenly kind. The election choices are decisions that our Heavenly Father cares deeply about. When we ask Him for wisdom, He gives it. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

So let’s seek the Lord, let’s do our candidate homework and let’s use wisdom in choosing our elected officials.

Just in case you’re wondering, my candidate homework is temporarily in one of those portable fire-proof metal boxes along with our insurance policies, birth certificates and marriage license - none of which Gracie will ever taste.

Rhonda Rhea is a radio personality and a conference speaker for events all over the country. She is the wife of First Baptist Church of Troy, Missouri’s pastor, Richie Rhea, and mother of five teenagers. She has authored several fun and fruitful books, including the new release I’m Dreaming of Some White Chocolate. Watch for High Heels in High Places coming in 2007. Find out more at www.RhondaRhea.net. For speaking information, try www.FindRhonda.com.