Many of us feel we are in dark times and are searching for a sense of calm and direction.
Governor Tate Reeves shared the following message today with the hope of giving us all a little light in the darkness.
It feels like a lifetime ago, but it was just a few months ago that I was being sworn in as governor. A few days after that, before most of these crises, I delivered our first State of the State address. I was reflecting on it today, and I want to share a message from it. I didn’t realize how true it would become. Reading it today brought me some hope and joy. Maybe you will enjoy reading it as well:
“One of Mississippi’s most legendary sons, B.B. King, tells a story about the beginning of his musical career:
He said, ‘I would sit on the street corners in my hometown of Indianola, Mississippi, and I would play. And, generally, I would start playing gospel songs. People would come by on the street. And they would always compliment me on those gospel tunes, but they would tip me when I played blues.’
Now, I for one am glad that King sang the blues and sang it well. Today, I think our state needs a little less blues and a little more gospel. There may be profit in pessimism, but when we put our faith in God and in each other, we can begin to move forward to a brighter future.
We can begin to put pettiness aside and provide help to the people who need it. We can push through all that divides us and make a difference in our communities.
And so while I recognize the difficulties that lie ahead of us, as governor, I hope that you won’t hear me sing the blues. You will hear the gospel, which means you will hear the good news. You will hear the story of Mississippi’s exceptional rise in education. You will hear the story of our economic growth. You will hear about the might of Mississippi’s workers. You will hear our goals for the future, and my unshakeable belief that Mississippians can rise to any challenge.
I know that we will face trouble during our time. That is the way of the world. I also know that the people of Mississippi are resilient. We are strong. We care about one another. We have a faith that unites us. We have a common bond. We have one mission.
We know our goal, because it comes from God. In the twelfth verse of the twelfth chapter of Romans he tells us: ‘Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.’
Over the next several years, we will strive to serve with joy and hope. We will work patiently to aid the afflicted. We will act with faith, praying to God for the wisdom to do what is right. I know that all of our state’s leaders share that mission.
We won’t always get it right the first time, and we won’t always agree on everything. But I know that all of you care about the people we serve. You share that Mississippi spirit which unites every citizen of this precious state. I know that Mississippi’s best days are ahead of us. Will you join me in helping us get there?”
