I thought this worth while sending on. Being a school teacher, there IS one correction in grammar: "he didn't do nothing" should read " he didn't do anything".Double negative. But whoever the author is of this, it is well thought out and keenly presented, in my opinion. Hope you find time to read it & pray for our leaders. Joy Dean

My friend Mary Helen writes: 

I don't know the source or who authored this, but I thought you might
 enjoy reading it.

 President Bush - Our Leader:

 This was the same man who came within a hair's breadth of losing an
 election in November, who withstood the political chicanery of the
 Florida Democratic machine to fix the vote count.

 This was the same man who admitted to having a drinking problem in
 younger years, and whose happy-go-lucky lifestyle led him to
 mediocre grades in college and an ill-fated oil venture.

 This was the same man who mangled syntax even more than his father,
 and whose speaking missteps became known as "Bushisms."

 And on Friday, this was the man who bore the weight of the world and
 the responsibilities of a generation with dignity, class, confidence,
 appropriate solemnity, and even much-needed wit.

 One thing struck me during the campaign, that difficult,
 roller-coaster campaign that now seems years ago. It was that George W.
Bush
 never seemed to get ruffled. Whether the theft of a campaign debate
video
 or the sudden (some would say, vicious) release of a DUI arrest two
 decades ago at a key moment, "W" did not lose his cool. At times, his
staff
 seemed overconfident, as did many of us. A 350-electoral-vote win,
 they quietly implied  . . . and we optimistically believed.  Then they
 counted the votes, miscounted others, and re-counted still others.  At
the
 end,
 he was still there. Whereas Al Gore almost frantically huffed and
puffed,
 trying to gin up something out of nothing,  Bush quietly but
confidently
 waited at his ranch.  He didn't do nothing: that is the mistake people
have
 constantly made with this man, confusing lack of  bluster for absence
of
 action. No, his team of attorneys and the iron-willed James Baker were
 carrying
 out his orders, but W stayed in the background, confident and faithful.

 You see, it is this faith business that confounded everyone. We have
 had such actors and liars in public office that we have looked
 skeptically whenever anyone used the term faith.  But this was the same
man
 who
 was the first politician ever in recent memory to name Jesus Christ as
 the lord of his life on public TV. Not an oblique reference to being
 "born-again" or having a "life change." He said the un-PC-like
 phrase,  "Jesus Christ," to which his handlers and advisors, no doubt,
off
 stage, were also saying, "Jesus Christ" in a much different tone.

God has a way of honoring those who honor Him. David learned that
 while he was on the run from Saul's armies. Job learned that after his
 time of horrible tribulation. The Messiah said so Himself,  many times.

 So this was the man who actually put faith into practice. He
 actually loves those who hate him. It is a staggering concept, so
foreign
in
 daily occurrence that few thought it anything but grandstanding.
 Even one of W's biggest supporters chided the President for adhering to
his
 "new tone." Yet there he was, again and again, thanking the Democrats.
 Appointing his enemies to high places in his government. Inviting
 his former foes and their wives to private movie screenings, and (I
 know, this is hard to stomach) even treating them with dignity. See,
this
 was the man who learned early on how  faith worked: by praying for his
 enemies, you "heap burning coals upon their heads."

 This was the man who named the absolute top people in national
 security and defense, then caught barbs from the politically righteous
that
 this one didn't have the right views on abortion or that one didn't
have
 the right position on guns.

 And on September 11, at mid-morning, this was the man thrust into a
 position only known by Roosevelt, Churchill, Lincoln, and
 Washington. The weight of the world was on his shoulders, and the
 responsibility
 of a generation was on his soul.  So this same man---the one that the
 media repeatedly attempted to tarnish with charges of "illegitimacy,"
and
>  the
    one whose political opponents desperately sought to stonewall until
    mid-term elections---walked to his seat at the front of the National

    Cathedral just three days after the two most impressive symbols of
    American capitalism and prosperity virtually evaporated, along with,

    perhaps, thousands of Americans.
    As he sat down next to his wife,  immediately I knew that even if
  his faith ever faltered, hers didn't. I have never seen a more
peaceful
face
  than Laura Bush, whose eyes seemed as though they were already gazing
    at the final outcome . . . not just of this conflict, but of her
  reward in Heaven itself. In this marriage, you indeed got two for the
price
 of
  one.

    Then came the defining moment of our generation. Some people fondly
    recall their Woodstock days. Others mark with grim sadness November
  22, 1963, as the day America lost her innocence. But I firmly believe
  when the history of this time is written, it will be acknowledged by
  friend  and foe alike that President George W. Bush came of age in
that
    cathedral and lifted a nation off its knees.  It wasn't so much his
    words, though read a decade later, they will indeed be as stirring
  as any. This conflict would end, he noted, ". . . at a time of our
    choosing."  It certainly wasn't his emotion. What had to have been
  one of the most stunning exhibitions of self-control in presidential
  history, W was able to deliver his remarks without losing either his
resolve
  or his focus, or, more important, his confidence. It was as if God's
hand,
  which had guided him through that sliver-thin election, now rested
fully
  on him.

    His quiet confidence let our enemies know . . . and believe me, they
   know. . . that they made a grave miscalculation. Now, this same man
  who practiced his faith through a tough election, who steeled his
  convictions even more in a drawn-out Florida battle, and who never
  once  gave in to the temptation to get in the gutter with his foes
(well,
  ok, maybe the "Clymer" comment is an exception), this same man now
  lifted the weight of the world and the responsibility of a generation
and
  put it on his modest shoulders as though it were another unpleasant
  duty.

    As he walked back to his seat, the camera angle was appropriate. He
  was virtually alone in the scene, alone in that massive place of God,
  just  him and the Lord. But that's the way it's always been in his
life
  recently.  In that brief time it took him to return to his seat, I
    believe he heard words to the effect of, "You can do this, George. I
  am with you always. And you can do this well, because I am going
before
   you. And don't worry about the weight. I've got it." And I saw in
  his eyes a quiet acknowledgement. "I know. Thank you,  Lord."

    Back at his seat, when W sat down,  George H. W. Bush reached over
  and took his son's hand. The elder Bush always struck me as a
religious
  man,  but not someone who shared his life on a daily basis with the
Lord.

    George H. W. treats the Father like a respected uncle, visiting Him
  on appropriate holidays and knowing the relationship is real, but not
  constant.  Anyway, I believe that in that fatherly squeeze George H.
W.
said,
  "I wish  I could do this for you, son, but I can't. You have to do
this
on
  your own."  W squeezed back and gave him that look of peace that Laura
had
 kept
  throughout. It said, "I don't have to do it alone, dad. I've got
  help."

    *******************
   What a blessing to have a professing Christian as President - one
  who is not ashamed to admit it!  Please take a moment after you read
this
  to  pray for him - he truly does have the weight of the world on his
    shoulders. Pray that God will sustain him and give him wisdom and
   discernment in his decisions. Make no mistake about it - the
  decisions  he makes in the coming days, weeks and months will
literally
 define
  the future of our country and the  free world. Pray for his protection
 and  that of his family.

    After you have prayed, send this to everyone on your e-mail list.
  Our  President needs Christians around the world to be praying for
him.
  As  this makes the e-mail rounds, eventually there could literally be
  people praying for him 24/7!!  He needs it .