Sunday, October 12, 2008

An open letter to Sarah Palin: Woman Come Home

Sarah Palin, I marvel at you. No one has captured the imagination of Americans and won our hearts like this since Lady Di become the Crown Prince of England's fiance'. I generally don't allow myself to engage in celebrity-worship, but I find myself trying to do up my hair like yours. You are winsome, beautiful, and articulate. You have rejuvenated the McCain candidacy spectacularly. You were the smartest decision McCain ever made, from his campaign's viewpoint. I like what you stand for--your prolife views, your determination to made true change in government, to peel away our dependence on government, get rid of earmarks, and restore sanity to our energy policies.
However, I can't help but wonder what is happening to your family. I can relate to you somewhat; I grew up and attended public school in Alaska; I have five children in the same age range as yours; I have been politically active and pursued a teaching career. But I have found out the hard way that it it is not in the best interest of my children to have my best hours spent away from home. It is not good, even when they hit high school, as your now-pregnant-out-of-wedlock daughter demonstrates. I have heard it said that most teen pregnancies occur between the hours of 3 and 5pm--after school, at home, before Mom gets home from work. You weren't at the gate, watching for your daughter.

Titus 2 tells us women to be keepers of the home. The greek word for "keeper" means a guard, like a doorkeeper that guards the door from hostile entry. A mother needs to guard her home, and those who God has entrusted to her care. It has become nearly impossible to properly guard our children while they attend public school. The sexual pressures are far too strong for even Christian young people to resist.

When I shared my opinion about this to my mother, she said, "Now Arden, you know there are a lot of Christian parents who have had this happen to them." I realize that--and they too can probably look back and see where they made mistakes--when they let their guard down, and how they lost their children. I too am fallible. I rely on my good Christian mom-friends to help remind me to stay on top of the blogosphere my children use for virtual socializing. They can lose their hearts just as easily over the net as in person. (At least they can't get pregnant.)

But I digress. Sarah Palin, do you have your children's hearts? Do your children know they have your heart? And what will you do when you realize their hearts are slipping away? Do you have the courage to resign from your place of power and come home?

For what does it profit a woman if she changes the world but loses her own children?

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