The grace of God surpasses our politics. Somewhere, hovering over the mess of this bumper-sticker, my-guy-is-better (or at least less evil) than your guy, mudslinging, irritating, land of a thousand billboards season, there is peace.

At least, this is what I’m telling myself this morning, sipping coffee and explaining to my daughter that looking at the pictures on her Gogurt tube and guessing at what they mean is NOT the same as reading. She does this because she knows that her father and I want her to use what she has learned and R E A D. She thinks that the end is the same as the means, so long as her outcome is close, it is good enough.

Sorry, Darling, but it’s just not. It’s just plain lazy. Use that brilliant brain of yours and take the time to do it right.

Turning back to my computer screen, there are the political headlines and the Facebook status updates – anger, hypocrisy, who supports who, who is an idiot, who looks more like Count Chocula, who looks more like Frankenstein.

Can’t we all just cut through the fog and see, we’re all just battling windmills here?

Voting one way or another is not the same as living your beliefs.

Voting is great, it is important in our country. Debate can be powerful, meaningful, helpful and inspiring. But vitriol and arrogance is the opposite of productive. And casting a vote for Party A or Party B is not the way to see the change you want in your life, your country, the world or the kingdom.

I’m not saying don’t vote, but I am saying, don’t expect your vote to do your work for you. It’s like thinking that because you supported the construction of a new gym in your community, you will remarkably become fit and healthy by virtue of your support.

Which, as wonderful as it would be, is just not the case. Sneakers need to be tied and miles need to be ran.

In our communities, our shoes need to laced up and our legs need to be moving.

In this world, our arms need to be open and our hands need to be reaching.

For the kingdom, our hearts need to be listening and our mouths need to be proclaiming.

So, no, Lila dear, there is no easy button for reading, and there is no easy button for life. You need to do the work to see the outcome.

And, as is often the case, my directives for my children come back and stare at me: sitting at the computer, coffee in hand, fresh cut sunflowers on my kitchen table, a full refrigerator and children playing on a swing set in the yard that I own. I am painfully aware of my comfort level as of late, painfully aware that donating money or voting one way or another, is not the same as getting off of this chair and living a life of purpose and action. Take my money, take my vote, take my stuff – it’s all for naught.

The world I want to see, the changes I want to make? There is no vote I can cast or easy-way-out that can fulfill my unique purpose.

There is no one else who can do for me what I should do for others.

Sneakers to tie, miles to run.