I thought it might be helpful for you to hear of these challenges from one of our new legislators. The following is by Delegate Josh Stowers, a new lawmaker from Lincoln County. Delegate Stowers has a wife, Jennifer, and a daughter, Riley who is 11 years old. He has been an educator for six years and is currently service as Assistant Principal at Horace Mann Middle School in Kanawha City.
"Being a new legislator is such a mixed blessing. You’re filled with the enthusiasm that you can make a quality difference for those back home, yet you must sacrifice time with your family, friends, and job to transition this enthusiasm into to positive action.
"I’m extremely blessed in the sense that I am able to commute to and from the Capitol every day. In that respect I have my wife and daughter to keep me grounded and who allow me to put all this work into perspective. However, most nights I am not able to return home until they are already in bed. This requires a lot of focus not to become discouraged as the grinding work that we face at the Capitol causes the lack of time I have with them.
"Recognizing these sacrifices would be required when I signed up to serve allowed me to prepare myself and my family. They have been no thing but supportive. Knowing that I am new and obviously not nearly as aware of the many challenges that others face, has prodded me to seek out advice and counsel from those that have gone before me.
"Understanding the sacrifices but recognizing the opportunities to do good, has kept me focused on the positive aspects of legislative service. Hopefully, I can simply continue to grow in this attitude as I continue to serve."
I hope this will help you pray more effectively for Delegate Stowers and the rest of our legislators as they face the challenges of serving our state.
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