The Pledge of Allegiance - Revised

I was thinking about this in the shower after reading a few more news articles about the government shutdown. I grew up saying the Pledge of Allegiance in school -

I pledge allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the Republic for which it stands
One nation, under God
indivisible
with liberty and justice for all.

And then I realized that we've had so many fights over whether we should take the "under God" part out because it might offend people - but to be honest, there are a few phrases in here that offend me, simply because 98% of the time, they're completely untrue and, during the pledge, we are swearing an oath. A promise.

And we're all lying.

So I've revised it a bit. And now it might be quite a bit more offensive, but a bit more truthful as to America's true perspective.

I pledge allegiance to the
political party of which I believe best represents what all
United States of America citizens should believe.
And to the semi-republic for which it stands.
One nation - with fifty states that are constantly at an intellectual war with each other all the time -
Under the gods of money, prestige, humanitarianism, big business,
capitalism, and the freedom of religion (just so that it's only my religion that's free),
completely divided by race, gender,
religion, creed, political party, agenda, et cetera,
with liberty and justice for all who were either born into the privelage
or have the money to buy into it.

I think that seems to be more accurate at this point in time.

Sorry for the cynicism. The government shut-down, name calling and constant bickering (without getting ANYTHING done; I don't care WHICH side you're on, both sides are at fault) gets me cynical.

I'd LOVE to live in the country described in the first pledge. Where did it go?

Lest we forget

Expectation. Disappointment. Resentment.

This very pattern has been woven 

through our lives, yet most

are unaware. Most do not recognize that

the pain of being let down, the hatred

that bursts through when we know not what to

do with the pain, that frustration and anger

begin with us. The seed of hope, planted within

our souls, has surely turned against us.

Our world is a world of expectation.

The very words, "I hope that..." start the process.

And we forget that while we may hope

for certain destinies, we have no control over them.

Do we hope, or do we expect?

Have we forgotten that the One who gives us hope

closes doors as well as opens them?

The One who planted the seed is the very One

who tends the Garden; pruning away our

dead parts, no matter how loved those parts were,

so that we may become full-grown; 

uprooting us and taking us from the homes that we 

knew to be able to flourish somewhere else.

Is the power greater than us only Santa Claus, 

all-knowing, and all-judging, but only 

able to allow good things to happen to good people

and bad things to happen to bad people?

For most of us, I'd say that that depiction is fairly true.

And we forget that sometimes the word, "No"

is the very word that pushes us forward on to

our paths where we become more like the One

who gives us hope.

It is time to stop hoping for outcomes and start

hoping in the power that is greater than I,

that such power will work things out for my good

every.

single.

time.

It is time to stop hoping for outcomes and start

working every day IN today, feeling the joys and the

pains, allowing myself to laugh and to grieve,

to let today be today, 

to stop worrying about the big picture

and start working on what is right in front of me.

Lest I forget who gave me today.