CALLING FOR UNITY IN MESQUITE!!!

Dear Mesquite Friends,

My posting today is not about the Valley View Heights Neighborhood work. Its not about any political issues. Its about unity!

One of the goals/purposes of the Nehemiah Mesquite Mission is to bring about unity in the City of Mesquite! For how can we solve our crime problems, or how to fund our schools, or fund important things like fixing streets and other infrastructure needs, helping put people back to work and most importantly--help the Gospel of Jesus Christ be spread throughout our city--if we are all at each other's throats and are in disunity?

Surely, surely, surely--there are important matters to every single one of our families in Mesquite--in which we can all come together and find common ground???

Helping the poor, helping make neighborhoods and apartment complexes safer for children in which to grow up, creating more jobs in Mesquite so everyone doesn't have to spend hours a day just commuting, helping the unemployed get back to work, helping families who rent one day be able to live the American Dream and own their home, and so many more critical issues--WE CANNOT ACHIEVE THOSE THINGS AND MORE--IF WE CANNOT WORK TOGETHER!!!

As I go around asking all kinds of Mesquite residents to join our effort--I have literally had a handful say "Well, if so and so is involved--I won't work with them!" Well, I love those folks and value all they've done for Mesquite. But honestly--anyone who says such things--I have to honestly question--is the cause of making our city better and doing what is right whats important? Or is pride and self-focus the main priority? I don't mean to offend anyone--but I vow to speak the truth and be honest!!!

IT REALLY DOES NOT MATTER WHO WORKED AGAINST WHO IN A PREVIOUS CITY COUNCIL, SCHOOL BOARD, OR STATE REPRESENTATIVE RACE!!!!

When I spend time at Allenhurst or Peachtree Apartments and try to encourage people, when I talk to the many unemployed friends I have around town, when I see people in neighborhoods concerned about their homes being broken in or people driving too fast on their streets, when I look into the eyes of the many children we minister to whose parents don't come to church with them--NONE OF THEM SEEM TO CARE ABOUT POLITICS OR WHOSE UP AND WHOSE DOWN AND WHOSE FRIENDS WITH SO AND SO!!! THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT WHOSE ALIGNED POLITICALLY WITH WHO!!! THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT WHO SAID WHAT ABOUT WHO IN THE LAST LOCAL POLITICAL CAMPAIGN!!! They don't care, God doesn't care--so why should we?

Mesquite has many wonderful things taking place and we are blessed in many ways! But like the rest of the nation, we also have our share of problems and struggles!

To face and deal with our many challenges, we need to find times where we are not Democrats, Republicans, Liberals, Conservatives, or a host of other labels--but instead--there must be times where we can come together and just be God's children and fellow neighbors who love each other and our great city who work together to help build a better future!

When Nehemiah realized how bad things were in Jerusalem, chapter one of Nehemiah's book says that Nehemiah wept. He then called on the Lord to help him go rebuild the destroyed walls and burned gates of Jerusalem! With God's help--we can do the same here in Mesquite--with our struggles and problems--IF WE CAN WORK TOGETHER!

During the 1860 Presidential campaign, Abraham Lincoln and Senator Stephen Douglas had a hard fought campaign against one another. But both loved this country deeply and saw a greater cause then themselves--this is one thing in which they found common ground--as all of us can. On Inauguration day--March 4, 1861--as President Lincoln walked up to the podium to give his inaugural speech, he realized he needed a place to sit his hat. Not seeing where he could put it, Lincoln then heard a voice behind him--Senator Douglas--who gently said to his once opponent and now his President--"I'll hold it for you."

Richard Nixon campaigned on a very important theme in 1968, with the country torn apart by war and civil unrest--his theme was simply "Bring Us Together." It was a good theme then and its a good one today!

John Kennedy said it best when he said: "For in the final analysis, our most basic common link, is that we all inhabit this small planet, we all breathe the same air, we all cherish our children's futures, and we are all mortal."

Remember September 11, 2001 when members of Congress--Democrats and Republicans--stood arm in arm on the Capital Steps and sang God Bless America? I get chills thinking about it. We need to have such an attitude of unity in Mesquite, Texas!

Let us be praying for unity. Let us reach out to one another. Let us love and serve one another. Let us disagree when we need to, but let us do it in an agreeable, Christ-like way. And let us come together and roll up our sleeves and rebuild and make our Mesquite better! Our children and grandchildren will be blessed by our common purpose and unity!

There is nothing wrong with Mesquite, that cannot be fixed with what is right with Mesquite!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!