I have always marveled at the people God chooses as vessel for his use. Not just today but all my life. From a child reading the Bible as given to me I found it to be true that while man looks at the outward appearance God looks at the heart.
I have a confession to make. I never knew in 2005 and in 2010 that losing elections was so painful. I guess God shielded me from such deep and lasting emotional and psychological wounds. Maybe I should thank him for Hubert Hughes because losing to Hubert Hughes was expected so the two losses I had were expected and accepted. So the scripture do not think of yourself more highly than you ought to think was very instructive for me. I had no congregants, no uncles, no aunts, no first cousins, no financial backing, no Godfathers, and nothing to encourage me in the way of victory when I started in 2005. I ran because I simply wanted to humour God.
So armed with an agreement between my Maker and I in 2004 I resigned my job with a young family. It was agreed I would invest ten years and if I could not win in three consecutive elections I was a free man. I agreed in 2005 that if I got 200 votes or more I would have to run again knowing quite well it was impossible. But I found out with God all things are possible. In 2005 I got 217 votes.
It was agreed I would run again in 2010 setting the contiinuation figure to 350 knowing quite well I could not get it. God again proved strong with 354. I watched those ten years pass and in my soul I felt light. The closer I got to 2015 the more I delighted in the years. Soon God and I would have reached a place where I could say to him I tried and failed. It just was not to be. You did call and I did answer. Now set me free!
When April 22nd, 2015 came I never felt so relieved. There was no set number of votes to get this time. God either had to come through with a victory or release me from active duty. He has chosen me for duty. April 23rd, 2017 I repeated
Isaiah 6:5-8 New International Version (NIV)
5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips,…………., and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.
7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
I honestly always say that had I known that winning in 2015 would hurt so deeply and for so long I would not have ran. I have asked the question many times “Who can stand against the Lord? Everytime I have had to answer “No one can!! No one will!!
Psalm 91 verse 3.
Curtis Love
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)