Lead, Follow, and Get in My Way, Please!

From Christianity Today's movie review on All About Steve:

This is an original turn in a Hollywood film—to present apparently pro-God protesters as genuinely good people. It's original, as well, to throw away the "happily ever after" cliché in favor of true friendship with people who, like you, earn only the world's contempt. Mary's concluding line is, "Just find someone as normal as you are—or lots of them."

Yeah, so, I'm gonna start this post out with a few lines from a movie review. Oh, the places I get my inspiration. Ha!

Actually, those lines in italics up there hit me hard, after some online conversations this past week with fellow shakers and movers. Some of which are fired up more than ever, and some who feel like throwing in the towel.

I was telling my husband yesterday that one friend suggested sacrifices among conservatives must be made...mainly losing of self promotion for the greater good. I had been thinking the same thing recently. Having my own selfish demons to wrestle with, I have to ask the question, if we say we are “all in this together”, where exactly is “this together” place?

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying we should never “give credit where credit is due”, but how much due credit do we really need as political activists?

When the American Revolution was in high gear, I am sure there were those who wanted to take the lead...nothing unusual there. Someone has to ford the way. But I dare say that most participants in the revolution were somewhat reluctant to engage in actions they found risky and dangerous, albeit a completely necessary task.

Who were they? History books throw a few names around, but the bottom line is, we just don't really know the majority of those colonial grassroots activists.

How did they organize? History gives us a few answers there as well...secret meetings, clandestine notes, outspoken townspeople. Hmmmm, sounds familiar, doesn't it? All done handily on the interweb today. Gosh, we have it easy.

Important to note is that whomever they were and however they did it, those revolutionists had key people to follow, and they worked together to set up a plan for our country's independence success.

How about some solidarity today in our ranks?

Please?

We can ignore this and pretend it's not happening. “Don't wanna give the enemy ammunition to use against us!” some will say. Or we can acknowledge that we have hundreds of freedom loving groups, PACs, blogs, and famous talking heads striving to take the lead. What the hey?

I realize that each “part of the body” has its purpose, and I would not even desire that they do the same thing. But imagine a concerted effort of all the parts at least moving in the same direction!

The liberals are just that. Liberals. We've got folks with labels of Republican, Conservative, Moderate, Independent, Center Right, Libertarian, and probably a few more I've missed. Feel free to add their prestigious titles in the comments.

Each of those groups have their own agenda and feel like they know the best way to do things. It's easy to see where the conflicts lie and where lines can be drawn among differences. But folks, if we don't put away those differences, we can hang up 2010, 2012, and any other forthcoming election year.

It can be hard working with people so much unlike ourselves. The Founding Fathers didn't even smile and listen politely to each other's words. They yelled and kicked dust at one another. But in the end, well, here we are. The point is that they were willing to band and hash it out.

It's original, as well, to throw away the "happily ever after" cliché in favor of true friendship with people who, like you, earn only the world's contempt.

Instead of looking at other folks in our “movement to restore America” as being platform spoilers or kooks, undeserving of attention and bringing ridicule to us by the media, let's embrace them, find that common ground, and strive to get the job done.

I suggest that Sarah Palin is a leader we can all get behind, whether she chooses to run for another office or not. She has rightly earned the status of poster girl for the liberal world's contempt. Unfortunately, there are some against our current administration that don't see Gov. Palin as worthy of being followed.

I implore those people to take another look. You may not agree with Gov. Palin's stance on everything, and neither she nor I are asking you to...but you can rest assured on one thing, she will honor our country's constitution, as she did in Alaska with their state instrument (to the consternation of some of her own colleagues). And I fully believe she would follow suit if sitting in the Oval Office.

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us. . .that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion. . . that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain. . . that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom. . . and that government of the people. . .by the people. . .for the people. . . shall not perish from the earth.
~ Abraham Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address

Will Sarah Palin take the lead? Only time will tell, as the saying goes.

Either way, it's up to us, the feet on the street, to move in the same direction. How do we do that? How do we lose our selfish desire to be in front?

What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? ~ Mark 8:36 (The Message)

To those of you that feel your faith wavering in our fight. Chin up! It's all worth it. The small, the disabled, the truly incapable, are depending on us to get our act together. Because one thing is for sure, if the degenerate “powers that be” come after them, it's only a matter of precious time that they come after you, me, and the ones we love.

Don't give up. Don't give in. Band together. Welcome all willing to be on our side of the fight.

Just find someone as normal as you are—or lots of them.

Cool quote from Wishbone: "Complete the story, not compete with it."

(Cross-Posted at The Palination)