Voters change abortion rights in Louisiana and Colorado: What are you paying attention to today?

While the race for the White House has understandably dominated headlines and the collective attention of the nation since the polls closed on Tuesday, the presidential election was not the only important issue on the ballots. 

Largely lost amidst the chaos surrounding swing states were the decisions rendered on abortion in Louisiana and Colorado.

In Louisiana, voters decided by a 62 percent majority to amend the state’s constitution so that it “expressly states the document offers no protections for a right to abortion or the funding of abortion.” The move was made in anticipation of Roe v. Wade possibly being overturned by the Supreme Court, in which case they would be free to limit or even eliminate abortions within state lines.

Colorado voters went the opposite direction as 59 percent rejected a proposition that would have banned abortions beginning at twenty-two weeks of pregnancy. As such, the state remains one of seven in the country that do not place any restrictions on when an abortion can be performed.

The impact you could have 

Given the number of issues people voted on across the nation that have largely taken a backseat to the question of who will reside in the oval office for the next four years, it’s understandable if something like the news out of Louisiana and Colorado went relatively unnoticed. To be honest, I was aware of these issues before the election but forgot to check on the results until I saw the story while searching for something else. 

As such, they served as a good reminder that the presidential election was not and is not the only important event going on in our country. The world doesn’t stop just because our collective consciousness becomes fixated on one particular event. 

So take some time today to ask God to help your attention be more evenly distributed amongst the rest of what’s going on in our world. 

Ask him to make you more aware of where he’s working around you in ways that might have slipped your notice. 

And ask him to help you go forward with a broader understanding of how you can join him in meeting the needs and taking advantage of the opportunities that are so often going overlooked amidst the chaos of today. 

While the outcome of the presidential election will invariably impact our lives for years to come, chances are good that God has other opportunities in mind for you to make an even greater impact for the kingdom than anything pertaining to what’s going on in Washington. 

Don’t miss them.