My grandfather was a “yellow dog democrat.” I have childhood memories from the 1960s of him still blaming practically every problem in the country on Herbert Hoover, the Republican President at the start of the great depression. It didn’t take him long to vote: just pull the lever for a straight Democratic Party vote.

The first Presidential campaign I remember was 1968, when Richard Nixon defeated Hubert Humphrey and George Wallace. “Pa” was not happy about that. His influence even made me sad that Humphrey lost.

While Pa would not be happy knowing that his grandson is not a “yellow dog democrat”, he would be glad to know that I always vote. That was important to him.

When today’s election results are known, I’ll either be happy or not happy with the outcome. That’s how it is with every election.

Yet I’ve lived long enough to have learned that no election either brings God’s kingdom to earth or stops it from coming. Whatever the results, tomorrow I will be as optimistic about life as ever because my faith is in Jesus Christ and no one else.

My grandfather is in heaven. He prayed to receive Jesus as His Savior one evening after I shared the gospel with him. The influence of my witness to him will last forever, while the influence of his political preference has already faded. Salvation is eternal; the things of earth are not.

Pastor Steve Hogg