December 8, 2020 – Click here to listen
One of the first businesses I ever founded was a taxidermy studio. I did so because I was such an avid fanatical outdoorsman and I loved wildlife and being able to preserve it in an artful manner. It was something I really enjoyed. I was very successful and soon was taking home close to $100,000 after taxes. This was several decades ago and that was big money back in the early 1970’s.
Most taxidermists were struggling financially, and I wanted to share some of my expertise to help them. So I became active in the Georgia Taxidermy Association and was soon elected to serve on the board and then urged to run for President which I did and handily won. My wife and I worked long hard hours and increased the membership and its revenue exponentially. I used my own money to purchase supplies and conduct mailouts on many occasions and of course donated all my expenses. I did not receive a salary, nor did I want one and was not compensated at all.
So you can imagine my disappointment when a handful of members started griping. I’d arranged for our convention to be held at the coastal St. Simon’s island resort and it was a big success; however word got back to me that a few individuals were making accusations about practically everything including one guy insinuating I was embezzling funds. I was not as level headed in those early days and I dispelled that notion rather quickly by taking it up directly with the person responsible for spreading those lies. As far as I know after our encounter, he did not ever make another accusation like that about me.
Nonetheless I was disgusted with it. All I’d wanted to do was help but instead of being thanked I got criticism. Funny how critics shout from the rooftops but those who appreciate you hardly utter a peep.
I couldn’t have been happier when my term drew to a close. Under my leadership our membership more than doubled, the organization was comfortably in the black, and we conducted the best convention and competition we’d ever experienced. Many members practically begged me to stay on as President, but by then I’d had all I wanted of politics. It was a pain in the neck and took me away from my business to serve and it was a thankless position. Prestige of being president meant absolutely zero to me. But it was the biggest thing in a few of these people’s boring lives to be on the board or much less be President and most were willing to do most anything to get elected.
I vowed then and there I would never run for any kind of office again and I didn’t. I all but dropped out of the association after that bad experience and by the end of the first year under the new leadership it had returned back to a poorly run organization with a much smaller and declining membership roster. Competition judges were selected because they were friends with those running the organization and not by qualifications and so on.
I was thinking about Donald Trump this morning. He didn’t need the presidency. He was amazingly successful as an entrepreneur with billions in his portfolio, a wonderful family, fame, and a great life. So why run for office? Why did he want to become a lowly politician more despised than a tax collector or trial attorney?
I attribute his throwing the hat in the ring entirely to his love of country and knowing he could improve it. Of course the entire world knows the extent of lies that were told about him and the bitter hate spewed against him including some in the Christian community. This in spite of him doing more for Christians than any other President, making our defense the envy of the world, improving the economy, and so on. Of course those who hate him would never admit any of that and simply tweet their idiocy to the multitudes with lie after lie. The incredible thing about Trump to me is that even after all of the attacks on him and his family that he even considers running again. He is one tough tenacious guy who foregoes self for the country I tell you.
The Bible talks about the root of all evil being the love of money. It doesn’t clearly identify other lusts as being part of the root system, but the lust for power logically has to be a close secondary root. I’ve sat on a more than a few boards (primarily ministry related) and from my experience there are always people that want to be on the board to serve themselves and not necessarily the Lord. It’s a matter of pride and lust for power. It is a genetic flaw carried down from generation to generation.
Biden is a career politician and to my knowledge hasn’t ever even held a job much less created a single job as an entrepreneur. America will decline when and if he eventually takes over as President. Corruption and the swamp will flourish again. Many average people in this nation will lose their livelihoods, homes, and freedom. The sad thing about it is that the entire nation will suffer, not just the Bozo’s that orchestrated the coup.
I can understand those who voted against Trump to suffer the devastating consequences of a Biden presidency, but what about the millions who did vote for Trump? Why must we suffer too?
Good question. One day I hope to ask God what’s up with that and the quintessential question of why do bad things happen to good people? Until then I intend to just keep on working and I’m determined to abide by that venerable Latin aphorism: Illegitimi non carborundum
2 Chronicles 15:7
“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”