To Pastors, Public Speakers, and Teachers

To the hometown heroes, our pastors, public speakers, teachers, and those who voice their opinions. Empiricism is a great way to learn and sometimes vital to survival, but you’ve taught me that the people who teach leave a lasting impact on society. Everyone’s perspective of the world is different but you’ve shown me that the brightest people learn from other people’s mistakes.

You’ve taught me that we don’t have to live out terrible circumstances in order to learn. People can learn by listening. You’ve created ways to protect the children of today and promote family life while the enemy wants to tear families apart. Teachers raise up the next generation while parents instill love and compassion in their children. Once again the children learn by listening to their elders and respect develops through a sense of protection and well-being. You’ve shown me that throughout a world of chaos I can still love. I’ve learned to love through learning about Christ and even in my darkest of times, my foundation of who I was always remained with me. I only hope for my daughter to learn by listening and that she would be smart enough to make wise choices even if people try to lead her astray. The world is very influential and it’s easy to fall. Even when listening can’t protect us enough, may the values we learn to develop from others, keep us from further harm in the world.

Today I thank you for discussing the issues. I used to hate listening to politics until I learned that you can learn a lot by listening to people’s opinions. People who are brave enough to speak up can change the world. Many times they already have a lot of life experience that enables them to be confident about what they talk about. This is why I know you are highly respected because if people choose to pay attention they can save other people’s lives.

I understand the world differently now, and after having a child of my own, I understand the importance of having a church and influential leaders to guide us. We have separation of church and state but both shape our society and the roles individuals play in society. Education remains at the forefront of politics, and the truth is it takes a village to raise a child. So I am thankful for the public speakers and pastors who have influenced my village.

Many times debates consist of arguments in regards to life and death. Pastors and public speakers discuss topics like the sanctity of life, abortion, health and wellness, and more. I used to listen to inspiring podcasts to drown out the noise of the world and you guys saved my life by educating me about what's happening to the world.

I’ve learned a lot by living, but there’s something to be said about the ear. Our senses control the mind. We read, listen, and learn.

So God bless the world of public speakers and pastors. May we fight off attacks and keep the peace through listening and understanding while preventing wars and protecting the children of the world. I want you all to know how much I appreciate what I have learned by listening to you. You express love, kindness, and helped to guide me to a place where I could literally survive in a world I didn’t know how to face. I've lost my mind a few times, but I'm still kicking. It was the leaders, the teachers, the pastors, and those who care about the human race. The people who strive to make a difference will always and forever hold a special place in my heart. From a young age, I learned about right from wrong. I was scared of wrong choices and learned that people who teach only hope that children gain wisdom to face what can be a beautiful yet terrifying world. We can't always control what happens to us, but we can choose how we respond.

God Bless.

Caitlin Crawford