On Sunny Lane: Great Awakening

A couple of months ago, Sweetheart and I were at a cookout at a friend's house. As the evening wore on, one couple decided it was time to leave. The NASCAR race would be coming on soon and they didn't want to miss it.

The wife said she was never interested in NASCAR races until she started betting on them. I'm sure she didn't bet much money on the races and didn't win much money, if she did. Sweetheart said she got interested because she had some skin in the game. I believe everything is more interesting when you have some skin in the game.

At this point in the history of America, I think we should all have some skin in the game. In fact, we do, whether we like it or not. How could our country be in such disarray? In our little town, life goes on pretty much as usual, but events are happening in major cities that do and will affect all of us.

At this point, all of us have either had Covid-19 or know someone who has. Some of us even know someone who has died from its complications. For every health care expert who says wearing a mask is essential, another one says they are useless. Whom do we believe? In fact, there are two sides to every controversial subject in the US today. Whom do we believe?

Protests about perceived injustices turn into riots and looting. Civil disobedience becomes violence. The election has caused turbulence and unrest, instead of the reconciliation we had hoped for. People are hurting and killing each other. We wonder if we're getting all of the news we need, or just the news we are allowed to hear.

We have all experienced shortages at our local stores and probably will in the future.

When has our country ever been in such bad shape? Maybe, it was in 1776, when some people wanted to become an independent country and others remained loyal to the king of England. Or, maybe, it was in 1861, when some states believed it was okay to own slaves and others did not. Or, maybe, it was on September 11, 2001, when we were attacked by a foreign nation on our own soil.

However, we had the Great Awakening in the time of Benjamin Franklin and others through the centuries. Besides turning our lives around, these religious leaders entreated us to pray. (Or, at least, if they didn't, they should have.) As you may remember, I get a lot of information and guidance from slogans and proverbs and catch phrases. One that sticks in my mind is, "Pray like everything depends on God. Work like everything depends on you."

I have seen the results of prayers that were answered. As the turmoil in our nation escalates, I have been praying harder and praying more. I know other people who have been doing the same. Our churches may be in a state of flux right now, but we can still pray. We can have a Great Awakening in our own homes.

We have had periods of peace in the United States and I believe it could happen again. And, if we do, it could just be because we prayed.