Free Writing: Day 6

Dear Hurting Friend,

I know that the pain you feel right now seems like it will last forever. The shock has worn off and all of your emotional nerve endings seem twice as sensitive.

Do not despair. God is still there. Though you can’t see Him, know that He is touched with your suffering. Refuse to turn to anyone or anything else for what only He can give you. Don’t close yourself off from friends and family either. Solitude is the devil’s interrogation room where he hurls questions at you that you are too weak to answer right now. One word is all you need for now—one name, the Name: Jesus. It will send him running. He hates that name.

Don’t do anything rash, don’t make any important decisions while you are in this state of mind. You cannot be trusted to see clearly because you are feeling so deeply. Tread water for now.

Maybe you are grieving the loss of a loved one. Maybe you are disillusioned with someone who was supposed to be there but wasn’t. You may be boiling someone in the oil of your anger. You may just be sick and tired of yourself. No matter your cell block, allow the Lord to come sit with you in it.

How?

Open your Bible and read it. It’s OK if you are too upset to believe it will do any good. Even if you have to read through eyes blurred by tears or through eyes slitted with anger, I dare you to READ! I cannot explain how it works, but it does. It has to do with positioning yourself in the presence of God. even when you are mad at Him, it’s a way of saying in the language of the heart, “I am here. Help me. I am not sure all You said in the light is true in this dark place, but I am willing to let you show me.” Sometimes it’s not the reading of the words that bring healing, but where the thoughts of those words lead. Give God a chance to show Himself to you. Don’t rush it either. Stay there until He blesses you. Sometimes you come away with an answer, sometimes with a resolve to not give up just yet, sometimes with the reminder that although the clouds may be blocking the sun, the sun in still there! Either way, it’s hope!

Another path of breadcrumbs that will lead you out of the valley is to sing. If your heart is too heavy to move your lips, let the song hitch a ride on the cadence of your breathing. Pick any God-song and sing it. Music has a way of reaching crevices in the heart that words alone cannot. I’ve been there. The memory of His love for me that my emotions try to tell me isn’t there comes flooding back. Sometimes the sweetness of it sizzling against my hot anger, sorrow, or frustration emits an aroma that takes me back to my first love. Yours too.

The point is this: reach out to God when everything in you wants to pull away. It’s a decision you have to make. In response, He will take your hand and your heart and lead you in the way everlasting. Bless His name!

Free Writing: Day 5

Today I saw the movie, “Hidden Figures,” about three black women who played key roles in the United States space program in the 1960’s. When I saw the previews earlier last year, I couldn’t wait to see it.

I was so proud of those women, especially the brilliant mathematician. It reminded me of the day I taught our boys how God got the last laugh against racial prejudice when Jesse Owens won the gold for our county in the Olympics and Hitler would not shake Owens’ hand. God is in the business of breaking stereotypes and making fools of people who erect them.

As an African-American woman, I was especially proud because, according to society, I have two strikes against me: my color and my gender. I am thankful my parents made us girls aware that people think that way, but that it had nothing to do with what we could achieve.

Allow me to ramble a moment. I have noticed that in some circles of the black community, there is a defeatist mentality. There is the expectation that the answer will be no before even posing the question. There is the idea that whatever one is trying to attain, there is a loophole designed to disqualify them. I have seen people outside that mentality get mad at people inside it. They roll their eyes and shake their heads and accuse the insiders of being lazy or unwilling to try for whatever negative reason. May I suggest that sometimes, many times that negative mentality is attained honestly? One can get so used to being turned down that it is self-preservation to expect it so as to soften the blow. Those who have not experienced the no as many times assume it’s just in the insiders’ heads. It’s not—at least not all the time it isn’t.

I am thankful that my parents were believers that we could be achievers. Whether one is an insider or outsider, he or she can choose to look to their Creator to carve out a path that fits their feet. God can open a door no man can shut. This belief can make a body brave and encouraged to venture out against the odds. That goes for you, too, Dear Reader. Whatever you feel your disadvantage is, God already has an app for it. Your background, your insecurities, your shortcomings, your age, your credit score, lack of experience or education or any other lack--stack them all up on the scale together, put the God Who is for you on the other side and you win EVERY time!

One part of the story in the movie was intriguing to me. A Caucasian woman in authority told one of the characters that she really had nothing against “them” to which the black lady replied, “Yes, I am sure you believe that.” I, too, have run into people who pride themselves in being open-minded and unbiased, but they’re not. It does no good to point that out to them unless they are ready to change it . I believe they have a blind spot that was given to them by their parents and others who didn’t know any better or didn’t care to change it if they did know. Nobody is as pure in thought or motives as he believes. It’s an area that needs growth like any other part of our character.

I believe I am in a unique position. I am an African-American woman who has spent most of her life with white friends and church members. I understand things that the average black person doesn’t about white people. And vice-versa. The hackles and defenses are up on both sides and only a genuine desire to see things from the other side’s perspective will yield significant results. It’s happening in some pockets of the world, but it needs to be more widespread.

Free Writing: Day 4

Today’s writing prompt is to write about writing. What do I love about it? What do I hate? Where do I struggle?

Here goes:

I love writing because it is a world in which I feel understood. When I am writing, I am initially writing to myself. I always understand exactly what I mean. It is my home turf, a place where I feel I belong and am always welcomed. It’s a canvas on which there is no wrong color to paint. Even if those words are ugly or selfish, they are what I feel at that moment and so no judging is appropriate. The attitude or emotion behind the words may be wrong, but the words themselves are honest and are not asking for anybody’s opinion. They are mine.

I love writing because it is the stage God provided for me as a young girl to express myself on when speaking my feelings were not allowed or were too scary to say aloud. I could write and vent and hide those words so nobody could see them. There was no scolding or chiding or ridiculing when I wrote. It was an outlet that was God’s way of letting me relieve the pressure of anger, frustration, fear, or even the overwhelming infatuation I had for a ninth-grade boy who didn’t know this seventh-grade girl thought he looked like a Greek god as his lanky figure floated to his locker each day.

I love writing because it gave me a sense of worth before I had time to learn Who Jesus is. My seventh-grade creative writing notebook always had an A+ along with a “Good job” or “excellent,” or “very imaginative,” or some other word of encouragement. In my world where I was daily reminded I didn’t fit in, writing was the one thing that made me feel special-that I could actually do something well.

I love writing because it is an opportunity for the wind of the Spirit to blow and a tune with colors that are uniquely mine grace the mind. I can show His workmanship by just being who He created me to be in Christ Jesus or out.

I love writing because it is a wonderful chance to be of help to somebody I may never meet or to someone I love or anyone who needs encouragement. It’s a chance to kiss a soul without their feeling violated. My dream is to write something that will scratch an itch that many have; to meet a need that God has chosen me to meet.

What do I not like about writing? That there are “higher ups” who have to use red pens to judge what I write. That there are rules for writing that I find confining and send me into hiding sometimes, most of the time. I gotta get over that if I am ever going to publish.

 I don’t like that the journey to publishing has to be so long and arduous and can, if I don’t fight it, suck the fun right out of writing.

 My struggles with writing? Feeling alone like nobody cares or has time to read what I have to write. It is their prerogative, I know, to read or not, but I struggle with feeling I should lighten up and know people are busy and don’t have or want time to read what I write. Writing has a way of revealing insecurities I have and lies I believe. Uncomfortable, but good for me—like spinach and exercise!

But I am thankful, though, for the gift of writing God has given me. It’s my friend that I neglect too often. I love it and pray God puts it in front of the eyes of people who would be encouraged, inspired, comforted, challenged, and moved to consider and love and know God better.

Free Writing:Day 3

  

Somewhere in the wee hours of New Year’s Day, I awoke with a single word on my mind: diligence. I choose to believe it was God’s challenge to me for the year. There are several projects I need to finish that I have lagged in my enthusiasm to complete. I have been asking God to do some things in my life, and I sense Him saying He won’t answer those prayers until I complete what He has already told me to do. 

I had a word another year that I forgot before the year was over. I did not want that to happen this time, so I had a friend make some reminders to display in key places at my house and job. 

An interesting thing started happening in my endeavor to be diligent. While I felt God’s favor in the efforts He had spoken regarding the things I must complete first before He gave further direction, I sensed Him shaking His head, “No,” at other things I thought He wanted. In a way only He can, He showed me I had made inaccurate assumptions about what He deemed worthy of my diligence. I thought working toward a spotless home was surely part of His call to diligence, but I felt Him gently say, “That's not something I want you pouring excessive energy into. Instead, exert more energy into intentionally  praying for the lost people in your life. Open your eyes to the needs of people in your circle of influence and devote energy to meeting them according to My promptings.” Now, you know God is not saying to keep a dirty house. He values cleanliness, but He knows that any effort can be done to excess to the neglect of more important pursuits. 

What about you? Where is God calling you to de-emphasize? Could it be in the area of keeping up outer appearances at the expense of spiritual calisthenics? Perhaps rushing through everything is your weakness. When we rush, we miss platinum opportunities to change someone’s day or even their life. Maybe it’s a call to cease the draining exercise of trying to please everybody or of pretending to feel or to be something that is not real or true. 

For years now, Jesus has been opening my eyes to the fact that what a successful life looks like can be much less draining than the one I thought He wanted of me. I am increasingly aware that the enemy is a hard slave driver. He keeps adding to the list while brow-beating me “in the name of Jesus” for not  being good enough in what I am already doing. That is nothing like the way of my Meek-and- Lowly-in-Heart Jesus Who said His yoke is easy and His burden is light. 

Diligence has become my friend and in just these few days of this new year, I am discovering a different pitch and tone of love in God’s voice I never knew was there. 

Free Writing: Day 1

Hello Friends,
Some days I think it's time to pull the plug on this blog. Other days, it's the thrill of my day to publish something. I really do love to write, I just wish I was disciplined enough to do it regularly.
I have joined an online writing group that encourages its members to write at least 500 words a day by following writing prompts. It's been great!
Know what I discovered? I make writing harder than it needs to be. I am a perfectionist and the desire to polish every sentence and deliberate over word choices has kept my postings meager.
So for the remainder of this month, I beg your indulgence as I send out less-than-perfect posts. Don't judge me if I miss a day or two. Also, know that my topics may be random, but that's why it's called free writing, right? (That last sentence was for my benefit. The struggle is real, people! )
Thanks in advance for taking the time.
Most sincerely,
Georgia

You Are Beautiful!

How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news...." Isaiah 52:7

A hungry little girl doesn't  care if your nails are chipped when you hand her a plate of food.

A homeless woman won't refuse your help because you missed your hair appointment and your roots are showing. You look beautiful to her.

Ashy legs and a wrinkled top won't stop a hurting soul from finding relief when you listen as she pours out her heart to you.

 Writing a small check you can send is better than the dream check you can't.

Your hoop-dee is Cinderella's chariot when it brings meals to an elderly man who otherwise wouldn't eat that day.

Your life may be a  mess, but you still have the power to bless. 

Take your eyes off all that is not yet perfect in yourself and your world. Shine what light you have in the direction of someone's dark place.

 Don't wait until your rich uncle gets out of the poorhouse before you give to foreign missions. He may never get out, but others will remain imprisoned in hunger, hopelessness, ignorance, loneliness, and ultimately Hell if you keep your treasures to yourself waiting for your planets to align.

You are needed, what you have to offer is valuable, and to those you serve, you are beautiful.



Happy Repentance Day!

"Produce fruit in keeping with repentance." Luke 3:8

John the Baptist didn't mince words, did he? Imagine the stream of people coming to him to be baptized and his palms facing them as he shook his head saying, "No, you're not ready for this. You're skipping the step that comes first: Repentance!" Can't you hear the soldier speak up, asking what he must do? John the Baptist explained that he was not to take money by force and to be content with his wages. What?  Same with the tax-collectors who were notorious for overcharging and pocketing the excess for themselves. It would be like a drug dealer or a prostitute getting an honest job. What about a politician deciding to tell the truth or a child molester getting help? That's what repentance looks like. It's a change of direction, doing the opposite of what one was doing before.

 What does your fruit of repentance look like?

Not engaging in your addiction?

Stop flirting with a married man?


Showing favoritism? 

Watching what you eat?

End an affair?

Stop running from the truth…face it?

 Loving that unlovely person at work or in the family?

 Biting that gossiping tongue?

 Exercise?

Walking in forgiveness toward yourself or someone else?

 Not living in the past?

 Sometimes it's not the repentance that's the challenge but the repeating of it.

 Repentance is an installment plan, not a lump sum.

It's a good thing God's mercies are new every morning  (Lamentations 3:22-23).  He will show up every day to greet your made up mind with strength to live the life of repentance.   His divine power has given you everything you need for life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3)

Today may be Repentance Day for you. It may be Repeat Repentance Day. Either way, it looks beautiful on you. Happy Repentance Day.