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The rain beat down on the roof, and the March wind howled giving the early blooming bulbs a good soaking all through the night last night. I ventured out to walk the neighborhood this past week, and the green stalks waved at me from almost every yard and vacant lot promising lovely splashes of color to brighten up the winter weary landscape.

Seasons change and bring new beauty to delight the senses of those who take the time to notice. I realize that I have more time to stop and smell the roses, so to speak, now that I have retired from teaching and spend my time doing other things I love to do, but any of us can get so caught up in our schedules, or worries of the state of our country, or other things, that we forget to notice the simple pleasures that God offers us everyday.

One of my friends from Mississippi called yesterday, and we had a long chat about the state of our nation among other things. She expressed her concern over the direction America is headed. As I was working in the yard yesterday a neighbor and I began to chat. He expressed the same concerns. I don’t think it is a coincidence that both of these people in different states were thinking and feeling the same things.

I ponder my role in everyday life I too feel discouragement over the things the federal government is doing that go against everything I believe to be true and right. In church Sunday, my pastor spoke on the power of prayer. He explained that prayer is actually a very powerful tool in changing our world and circumstances. It’s more than just a last ditch effort when nothing else seems to help, and it’s certainly not a cop out which I’ve heard some say.

As Christians we have both an opportunity and a duty to speak out against evil and to lift our concerns up to our Heavenly Father. I’m not a Bible scholar, but I’ve read and heard it enough to know that some things are just wrong no matter what popular opinion tells us.

My friend from Mississippi vented her concerns for quite a while before simply asking, “What in the world do we do?” Good question. When any of my students were facing a hard decision they would occasionally ask my advice. I always told them that on my own I don’t know what to do, but I’m so glad that I know Someone who has all the answers.

Nothing takes God by surprise. He tells us what we need to do very clearly in His Word. We can’t change our own hearts much less the course of our nation, but God can.

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV)

Jan Penton Miller can be reached at lilsisjan@yahoo.com.