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Saying No...For Now

Most of my close friends and family, especially my wife, are well aware that one of the words I'm not very good at saying to others is "No."  I have a tendency to make every effort possible to be everywhere and do everything that is asked of me.  Sadly, that is often at their expense because of the stress and pressure I put on myself to perform to an extremely high standard.  I don't know why that is, but I am working on it.  And oddly enough, today was one of those days that I officially unofficially said "No" to something that I had wanted for the past 18 months by allowing the deadline to pass by.

In Fall 2016, as the presidential race heated up and politics in general took center stage, I began to pay a lot more attention to politics and our elected officials.  I began to read up on who they are, listened to what they were saying, and watched how they interacted with others.  I began studying up on politics in general to learn what impact certain positions could have on their communities, neighboring towns, businesses, and our culture in general.  I actually thought about getting involved then but quickly learned the filing deadlines had passed.

The position that most interested me was the SC House of Representatives seat.  I live in District 42 which is the seat that Coach Mike Anthony has held for around 16 years and represents Union County and a portion of Laurens County.  I'm honestly not sure if one day I was brave or just had a wild hair, but I mentioned to him that I'd like to talk to him if/when he ever decided that he had accomplished all he planned to do and was moving on from the state representative role.  I did not initially share these thoughts with many people because well, why would an early 30 something want to pursue such a huge responsibility with little pay while growing a family?  Plus I just didn't see me running against a man that I had known as Coach for nearly 20 years.

Well, he eventually decided that it was time for him to end his career as our representative after a tenure that accomplished a lot of good for Union and District 42.  I believe that he always did what he felt was best for the people of this district.  Sometimes, that meant making hard decisions.  But that is part of the job when you step into such a role, and for his service all these years, I say thank you.

Given the whisperings that he may not run, and my desire (for whatever reason) to pursue politics, I have spent a lot of time in thought, prayer, asking questions, and seeking advice for the past 6+ months.  I had numerous conversations with my wife, many calls and texts to local politicians and others in political loops around town, and even several complex conversations with our CEO and CFO to discuss their opinions and how things would play out if I ran and then won.  One option I really liked about the House 42 seat is that it is considered part-time.  Now, don't get in your head this is an easy laid back part-time job.  It is difficult, it requires traveling to Columbia at least three days per week for several months out of the year.  And while I knew it would require a change in my daily duties at the bank along with longer days and more hours, I also knew that it would allow me to keep doing the job that I love while trying to make Union, Laurens, and South Carolina a better place overall.

I have to take a moment and be honest here.  Several times throughout this process, I believed that I had the answer to pursuing politics right now and that the answer was No.  But I continued to be that whining brat, going back to God and continuing to pray for the answer that I selfishly wanted.  I knew I wanted to feel like it was His will, or a yes, to run so I tried to turn scripture that way, prayed that way, and just kept hoping that it would change.  But it never did.

This week, this month, this year, this time, is not the time for me to enter politics.  I will continue to watch politics and politicians closely to learn more about the system and the people running it.  I will continue to watch and learn as much as I can about the economies of Union, Laurens, and neighboring counties.  I will also continue to develop myself professionally, personally, and most of all spiritually.  Politics can be a dirty game and the last thing I ever want to risk happening is to compromise my faith, or cause someone to stumble in theirs by a transgression of mine.  Thank you to everyone who has counseled me, prayed for me, and shared advice with me over these months.  I cannot express my gratitude enough through mere words, and I pray that when and if the time for me to run comes that I would again have your prayers and support.

But ultimately, this decision came down to a piece of advice that was passed down to me from my late grandfather and former Mayor of Union, James Blackwood, "When you don't know what to do, don't do anything."  I thought I would be good at making solid moral and financial decisions in the House.  I thought I would be a good Christian example to others in the political arena.  I thought I would be an encouragement to other young people considering a political career.  I thought I could win the election based on my community involvement and reputation.  But I did not KNOW that this was the next step that God had planned for me right now.

This wasn't an easy post to write because honestly, I had been hoping to write the exact opposite post a couple weeks ago.  While I don't know if it'll be 2020, 2022, or further down the road when the Lord opens a political door me, I do know that it's not this year, and I hope that when I feel it is the right time, that I will have the support of everyone in Union County and any others in the potential district at that time.  Please be in prayer for all our current and future leaders both locally and nationally during these days.

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