As I continue in my journey with former President George W. Bush, I find myself growing in my respect and admiration for this man. And I wonder how I could have been so oblivious to the events on the world stage during the time of his presidency. While he was serving our nation as Commander in Chief, I was an obviously ignorant teenager whose priorities were anything but politics, war, or world events. As I read through President Bush's memoirs I am introduced to a president I never knew and a man I only heard about when scanning the TV channels or radio stations, a man who led this country boldly and with confidence. And I respect that.
I have finished chapter 8, where Bush talks about the war in Iraq and the capture and removal of Saddam Hussein. The events of 2003 were nothing short of intense, as President Bush made several dramatic decisions about whether to declare war on a nation that was potentially harboring weapons of mass destruction and whose leader was a ruthless dictator who had made no secret of his hatred for America. The decision to send troops to Iraq was not made lightly and after giving several ultimatums and consulting with many advisers, President Bush agreed to implement another facet of the recently begun war on terrorism. While he admittedly has many regrets about his strategy, methods, and the failure to find WMD's, Bush remains adamant that war on Iraq was essential for the protection of the United States of America. In retrospect, I couldn't agree more.
In chapter 9, as the former President speaks about leading in various aspects and arenas, I have had the opportunity to explore the faith of George W. Bush. While throughout the fist eight chapters he has made brief mentions about his faith in God and how that faith helped him make certain decisions, chapter 9 provides deeper insight into just how serious Bush was about his walk with God. As Governor of Texas, he implemented faith-based policies and initiatives that enabled faith groups to get more involved with the workings of the State. He worked with Chuck Colson, founder of InnerChange Freedom Initiative, a group that worked with prison inmates who had come to Christ. Colson and Bush decided to start a faith-based program in one Texas prison. This program provided Bible study instructors for the inmates, as well as a life lessons course. Every inmate that went through the program had the opportunity to be connected with a mentor through a local church upon his release. The program saw tremendous success.
Nine days after his inauguration, President Bush implemented the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. He made it a point throughout his presidency to work closely with people of faith to help solve societal issues. Federal funding for faith-based groups was increased, and many groups learned how to write grants and interact with government so that their organizations could benefit from the funding being offered to them. President Bush understood that the greatest way to improve a society is not to lower taxes, or reform education, or help seniors find health care; he understood that the only way to truly benefit a society and bring lasting reform was to focus on their hearts. And that is why faith-based programs were such a priority throughout his administration.
As I said, I have developed a greater admiration for George W. Bush. He wasn't just a President. He was a man of faith who understood the reality of a person being changed by the "redemptive power of Christ." He was a humble man who put the needs of others before his own, who fought to rescue a people who had no hope when he declared war on Iraq. He was a normal guy, a man with a wife and kids and dogs, a man who didn't let his title get to his head, a man who defined himself not by what he accomplished, but by who he was on the inside.
"Government can hand out money but it cannot put hope in a person's heart or a sense of purpose in a person's life."- George W. Bush
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