The next great chapter in America's story

The tears snuck up on me yesterday. I was very aware of the hopefulness and joy that resided in my heart that morning as I prepared to watch the 44th president take the oath of office, but I didn't anticipate how deeply moving that experience would prove to be for me. I sat in the back of a room full of people, hushed and clinging to his every word and reflective pause, listening intently to his sincere call for a life better lived. Slowly, the weight of his words and the gravity of the situation settled into my chest and expanded into my throat, tightening it against the impending tears. Tears that were repeatedly resistant to my efforts to squelch them throughout his speech and the rest of that day. COULD IT BE??? Could we really have arrived at this surreal moment in time, after so much watchful waiting?

Sometimes, in order to protect our hearts, we curb our desire to dream fully, fearful that disappointment is not far behind. Yesterday, as I watched this graceful and gracious new president step into the life of this new calling, I noticed anxiety welling up in me. The prayer in my heart sounding like this ... please, God, give this extraordinary man the opportunity to lead us, as a country and as individuals, to a healthier, more whole place. We hunger for this chance to begin anew! Guide him, inspire him, protect him, walk with him ... he will need Your help in every way.

For my own part, President Obama, I will continue to search the reaches of my own heart for ways that I can support you in your efforts to call this nation into greatness. I believe that, with God's help, we are capable and strong and I will always believe in new possibilities for anyone with a willing heart and a humble spirit. May God bless you and keep you (and all of us!) in these years to come!