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I had many excuses
LouRae Holt, Guest Column
October 30, 2017
5 MIN READ TIME

I had many excuses

I had many excuses
LouRae Holt, Guest Column
October 30, 2017

I had many excuses for why I didn’t know more about the politics surrounding our state and nation. I’ve been busy loving my husband, raising four children, being an active church member and struggling to know and imitate Christ in the midst of life happenings.

I told myself, all I needed to do was vote on a regular basis, which I did. I would ask my brother, a newspaper editor, at election time who to vote for and take my voter guide in with me to the booth to cast an “informed” vote.

LouRae Holt

But God changed all that last fall. I found myself praying desperately for our country and for the presidential election and for Christians here and abroad. For the first time, I fretted over my vote. God convicted me of the need, as a Christian, to be politically literate, not just imitative of others I trusted.

As much as I wanted to stick my head back in the sand and say, “God, you’ve got this,” – which He does – I knew He was calling me to be more proactive.

As confirmation of this call, a childhood friend reached out to me and asked if I would consider writing for the N.C. Family Policy Council. She thought I could write from the perspective of many people in our state who are active and engaged in their communities, but perhaps not as informed about public policy as they could be. I’d be writing, not as a political wonk, but as a wife, mom and church member.

Being from a family of journalists – and a decent writer in my own right many years ago – I didn’t think I would have too hard of a time writing stories. However, I was surprised to find that understanding state policies and background legislation was far more than I imagined. Working remotely from my home in Alamance County, what I have learned about the political climate in our state since January of this year would fill a book. I am often shocked and appalled at what I see, but also excited to witness the inner workings of a democratic process that is both messy and wonderfully designed.

Here are my biggest revelations over the past six months:

  • There are organized resistance movements behind the protests and demonstrations we see on the news regularly;
  • Political discourse is much ruder than I expected;
  • Progressivism is vigilant and desperate to change the culture, no matter the cost;
  • There are many avenues available to all of us to be more active in the political process.

For example, last month I attended my congressman’s town hall meeting. I witnessed first hand the rude and disrespectful dissension displayed by parties who disagree. I listened to two interesting interviews on N.C. Family’s “Family Policy Matters” radio show and podcast. First, a Hillsdale College professor discussed their free online Constitution 101 course, for which I immediately signed up. Anthony Esolen’s radio interview about his latest book, Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture, piqued my interest, and I bought the book. I pored over the pages on how to make a difference in the culture and found it inspiring!

I learned about an organization that works with state lawmakers called the Capitol Commission and I signed up to pray daily for our state legislators. I wrote about a Raleigh crisis pregnancy center’s struggle in court to open its doors next door to an abortion clinic, I grew in my understanding of why an expansion in the gambling industry would be bad for our state, and I know more about school choice options through a story on Parents for Educational Freedom (PEFNC).

And of course, who could forget the drama and repercussions surrounding House Bill 2 or the many disturbing attacks to our religious freedoms. N.C. Family’s stories about LGBTQ movements challenged me to question how, as a Christian, I am to love this community without compromising God’s Word and His truth. N.C. Family has been a helpful first step to knowing more. With their mission of “equipping North Carolina families to be voices of persuasion for family values in their communities” and their vision of “A state and nation where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive and life is cherished,” they are a great resource.

Whether God wants you to run for office or just to be informed on what is going on in our state, we need to get our heads out of the sand for the sake of the gospel.

Learn more about resources available by going to NCFamily.org. Sign up for email updates and receive a complimentary one-year subscription to Family North Carolina magazine.

(EDITOR’S NOTE – LouRae Holt is a contributing writer to the North Carolina Family Policy Council. She lives in Burlington and is a wife and mother of four children.)