Why I voted for Trump

I've been thinking about tomorrow and what it means for our country. As many of you know, I voted for Trump. To say that I don't share in the apprehension with the rest of American's about our collective future would be a blatant lie. While I don't owe anyone an explanation regarding my personal choice to vote for Trump, I want to give one anyway along with what I honestly think the next four years will look like.

When voting, I did not think it would be a legitimate race for anyone other than Hillary or Trump, so I was forced to choose from them only. (I wonder how many of us felt like that and could have voted in a 3rd candidate, but that's another issue.) My choices were incredibly difficult. I could vote for a 3rd party and thereby throw away a vote, which may give way for someone like Hillary to win the election. That was not going to happen. My vote was very much, "Not Hillary, even if it means Trump." I do not trust Hillary. I do not believe that she has the good of America nor the Kingdom of God as her compass. I do not believe she would have been a good President. I hate her foreign policy. I hate her domestic policy. There was not even 1% of me that was willing to let her win. The thought of her nominating Supreme Court Justices made me want to puke/cry. So if she is not an option and the 3rd party candidates are not an option, that leaves me with Trump and I blame the RNC for that. But these are the cards I have been dealt, so here's how I feel about these cards.
Many people like to bring racism into the Trump campaign, and I fully acknowledge that he has said some HORRIBLE things. For me, the fact that Hillary is a strong advocate of Planned Parenthood, is also a sign that she is racist. If you know the history of Planned Parenthood and Margaret Sanger, you cannot deny the roots. One of the most dangerous places to be, if you are black, is in your mother's womb. So if I am forced to judge on who is less racist, I choose Trump. (I know many of you will see this as a stretch.) I saw all the things that everyone else saw: his multiple marriages, his horrible behavior, etc and in the face of an extremely tough choice between a woman who I believe is extremely corrupt and will lie, cheat and manipulate her way out of anything and who also is very pro-abortion (or at least pro-choice) or a man who has said terrible things, is married to a woman who posed naked, is on his third marriage. It was a terrible predicament. I thought many times over the last year about the phrase, "Actions speak louder than words."
But the real thing for me is that there are systemic problems that I see in America that I think need to be changed. So yes, very much in spite of all of those things, I chose him and I am genuinely hopeful that his experience as a business man will help improve our economy. I am hopeful that he will bring back jobs and help eradicate our debt. I may be incredibly naive. And let's not forget the chance to nominate Supreme Court Justices. How hopeful I am that Trump will nominate Godly candidates and how terrified I was of who Hillary would nominate. For the life of me I don't know why the Republican Party didn't put forth a more solid candidate. Why they didn't force some of the weaker candidates to drop out of the race earlier so that Cruz had a better shot in the primaries over Trump. This may have been an easy decision for many people. But it wasn't an easy choice for all of us. It was easy between the two choices I had but it was not easy in general. I also can't deny that my particular flavor of faith greatly influences my decision.

If I haven't lost most of you yet, I will likely lose you here. I am a part of and follow the Charismatic tradition of Christianity. During the whole process of Trump running for nomination, I was listening both to people who I respect as church leaders in my tradition as well as my own internal sense of hearing God speak about who should be elected. There were lots of comments made from pulpits that I initially thought were crazy. I had multiple conversations with friends about how I thought this one preacher had lost his ever loving mind because he was pro-Trump from the onset. I continued to listen and pray. Many have talked about him being a Cyrus, out of Isaiah 45.
Then I had a dream.

In my dream there were 2 significant parts. The first section, I was given a certain amount of tickets to go to a gala where Trump was going to be and another certain amount of tickets to go see the band Housefires play in concert. I begged my friends to go with me to see Trump because it was a "once in a lifetime event." While at the gala, we were in a ballroom and Trump was going around and talking to people. He came up and greeted us and was so incredibly fatherly. It was really shocking to me. He was very kind and tender and genuine. Then the scene switched and we were at a football field and it looked like a presidential procession of limo's was parked by the football field. Trump was leaving. Everyone was on the opposite side of the fence from him except for me and my friends. One of my friends had a 'fan-girl' moment and was screaming "We Love You Trump." Security guards stopped her from getting close to him. But a red heart balloon was released from the limo. The second scene began at a movie theater. Me and my friends were at a movie theater which had been rented out to host the Housefires concert. I was in line for the concession stand and my friend Nicole (who wasn't a part of my group) saw my friend Jenn (who was a part of my group) and they began running to each other to hug. Their impact, caused Jenn to fall backwards and land in a chair. She hurt her right foot and was crying and saying something like "I give up." I laid hands on her and began to pray for her to be healed and spoke very clearly to her that it was time for her to get up and walk. (The End).

I do a little bit of dream interpretation, and I feel like what this dream means is that Trump is walking or will walk in the Father heart of God and release a wave of love over America. I also think the second part means that there has been an adulteration of the praise and worship movement and it's become incredibly commercialized. I believe God is restoring/healing us so that we can worship in spirit and truth. (My friend Jenn has a tattoo on her right foot in real life that has spirit and truth written on it.) How will this happen?

I think that the only way the healing could occur in Jenn was for the accident to happen to cause either awareness of the problem or the problem itself. I think not only based off my dream but also based off the reports of other preachers, that Trump is going to be a wrecking ball and is going to cause some systemic things that are counter-kingdom to come crumbling down. I think it will likely be very painful and uncomfortable. I think there will be days when all the people who hate Trump will say to people like me, "See, I told you he was horrible. Don't you feel like an idiot. Don't you regret your choice." And I (and other Trump supporters) will likely feel tempted to say yes I regret it. The same is true when any hard circumstance happens and we are tempted to deny God's nature and character. Just yesterday, I was comforting a friend who didn't get a job she wanted and in the midst of her disappointment she was tempted to not believe in the goodness of God. So it's not a stretch for me to believe that many of us might regret electing Trump at some point in the next four years. But somewhere in the midst of all of this, I am hopeful that it will turn around. That what seems like devastation now will turn into good later. That what looks like a forest fire will be a place where new growth comes in and things are much healthier. I am hopeful that our economy will be much healthier in four years. I hope that Trump does a good enough job in the first four that he is re-elected.

I am gravely concerned that he will be representing America and feel free and fine to make HORRIBLE racist and misogynistic comments like he made in the last year (let alone his life.) I sincerely hope we don't see that from him while president. Even if we do, he should not be the standard we set for our kids. No president should be. Not Obama, Bush, Clinton, Ford, Nixon, Carter or Reagan. They all made horrific mistakes. Cheating, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Lying, Etc. Trump will not be the first president who we don't want as a role model for our kids, nor will he be the last. Moms, dads, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, grandparents, etc...you be the role model.

If you don't like something that Trump does, don't be silent. Write/Call your representatives. Stage peaceful protests. Start non-profits that fight against whatever he did. Give money to ones that already exist. Start local.

As an addendum: I believe that names mean things. Donald means: 1) Great Chief, World Mighty, and Dark Stranger. John means: The grace or mercy of the Lord. I think the fact that John was the beloved is significant. I am praying that The grace and mercy of the Lord will cause Donald John Trump to be a great chief.

And with that, I am going to end with a prayer:

Jesus, I ask that you bless President Obama and Michelle as they leave the White House tonight. I pray that you cover them and make your face known to them. As they continue to walk as role models in the world, I pray that they would come to know you personally (if they don't already) and I pray that they would be used for your glory. Jesus, I ask that you be with President Donald John Trump, his wife Melania, their son Barron, his kids Ivanka, Eric and Donald Jr. I pray that you would cover them in your protection. I ask Jesus that you would send angels to guard and protect them each and every day over the next four years. I pray that you would they all would come to a saving knowledge of you. I pray that you would use them for your kingdom purposes. I pray that they would be able to walk as role models that bring healing to our land. I pray that Trump would not only bring our nation to a better place economically but also that he would become a champion for the poor, disenfranchised, for women, for minorities. I pray that people would see Trump as an ally instead of as a combatant. God I pray that you would give Trump wisdom and knowledge, I pray that you would bring him Godly advisers. I pray that you would give him grace and strength to do this task. God I pray that you would humble America and bring healing to her so that we can once again be a nation after your heart. God, I ask that you would bring revival to America. If that comes through Trump working as a wrecking ball, I pray that you would be with us as we go through the fire. God, many Americans are caught up with fear tonight. I pray that you would help us to walk in love and that love would overcome fear. Jesus I pray that you would be glorified in my life, in my country from this day and forevermore. Amen.