April 15th - A Day That Will Live in Infamy

I truly would like to post something inspiring or insightful - maybe even something worth reading for the annual "You must file today or we are going to come get you and drag your worthless hiney off to jail" - day.

But I am uninspired.

April 15th does not bring with it nearly as much pressure for me personally as it did for me during the Reagan administration. That's because that was the last time I did my own taxes. On at least one occasion, I was doing my taxes on the 15th.

Fortunately for me, we had someone in the White house that seemed to despise taxes almost as much as me.

Even more fortunately for me - I now have a wonderful wife that does all the nerd stuff (that's Dave Ramsey's term, not mine), she makes sure we have proper records, makes sure they all get to the tax preparer on time and makes sure all the signatures are in place. She's a gem.

A lot of people seem to be upset about taxes this year. They seem to think that folks in Washington are just spending money left and right without a single thought for tomorrow. And they are spending money on things these people wouldn't approve of if they were spending it themselves. And they are upset because it is their money the folks in Washington are spending.

I am one of them.

That's why I am uninspired.

Some folks will be going to Tea Parties tomorrow - in celebration of the glory of the "Boston Tea Party". I am glad to see those things going on, but I just seem to be at the end of my anger. You know, I just can't seem to muster any more emotion right now.

I have been listening to a book on CD for the last few days, it's Joel Rosenberg's Epicenter, the follow-up to his Last Jihad series.

(By the way, thanks John for loaning it to me - oh so long ago - you'll be glad to know I've finally finished it)

Anyway, the book is full of research involving the Bible's "third lens" of history and how Ezekiel 38 and 39 are evolving right before our eyes.

So the book has me in an apocalyptic frame of mind - and the President and Congress all seem to be making apocalyptic changes to our nation. Without real explanation ... without any moral justification ...

And it just makes me sad.

I have been praying for Barack Obama more these days - not really praying against him (which I am not beyond doing) - but truly praying that he will govern according to God's design.

I think we will have to speak up soon. Maybe the Tea Parties are a way for people to do that.

Maybe before we talk much, we need to pray.

A couple of summers ago, I read Catherine Drinker Bowen's Miracle at Philadelphia, about the Constitutional Convention in the summer of 1787. There was a strong need for prayer in those antagonistic meetings in that sultry hall. In the heat of one meeting, the aged Ben Franklin stood up and delivered this sage advise:

"In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for divine protection. Our prayers, sir, were heard; and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor. To that kind Providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need [His] assistance?

"I have lived, sir, a long time; and the longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth -- that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured, sir, in the sacred writings, that 'except the Lord build the house they labor in vain that build it.' I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel; we shall be divided by our little partial, local interests, our projects will be confounded and we ourselves shall become a reproach and a byword down to future ages. And, what is worse, mankind may hereafter, from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing government by human wisdom and leave it to chance, war, or conquest.

This quote came from the National Center for Constitutional Studies website, you can link to it here.

I am aware that Franklin's speech was followed by a motion to have ministers begin each session with prayer and the motion failed because they didn't have the money to pay a chaplain.

The point is that in that time of turmoil even Benjamin Franklin - who was not known for his piety - recognized the need to turn to God.

So there. I don't feel inspiring, but maybe old Ben can stir us up.

Did you catch that line... "God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice ..."

I like that.

Sparrows are fairly helpless... especially baby sparrows, yet the Master is mindful of them... and I know He watches me...