Unite and build

This writing was inspired by a video that is going around the internet.  In the video a Pastor is washing the feet of a young African American male.  That act of foot washing symbolizes humility.  The feet are considered the filthiest part of the body.  They are also at the lowest portion of the body.  In order to touch someone’s feet, you must kneel before them.

For Jesus, it was the display of His humility and His servanthood. For the disciples, the washing of their feet was in direct contrast to their heart attitudes at that time. For us, washing feet is symbolic of our role in the body of Christ, which is servitude. We are all servants.  It doesn’t matter your position, title, or race in the Body of Christ, we are ALL called to be servants.

Growing up in the church has afforded me many opportunities to wash someone’s feet.  As I did it, I was taught to pray for the person.  Pray God’s blessings upon them, pray for God’s AGAPE (unconditional love) to fill them and to flow out of them and to pray that they would always be a blessing to those in need.  I loved this act of humility and still love it to this day.

John 13:14–17 (NKJV), If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

One race is nor superior to another race.  As an African American woman, I am just as valuable to you as you are to me.  Society does not teach you that and history has not taught you that, but God accepts me just as I am.  HE does not compare me to you and you to me.  He says that I AM fearfully and wonderfully made.  HE took great thought into creating Debbie to be exactly who she is.

In order to “MAKE AMERICA GREAT again” we must begin to Agape (unconditional love) one another the way GOD does.  We must begin to see every race as GOD does.  We must acknowledge that we can never make something “great” again that was never “great” to begin with.

If we are going to “MAKE AMERICA GREAT again” then we must dissect that slogan through the eyes of Jesus and not through the eyes of one race.  We must understand that slogan through the eyes/lense/vision of every race.  What does that “slogan” mean to the African, Native, Mexican, Latino, Chinese, Japanese, Hindu, European, all races.

Even the Bible speaks of division.  Mark 3:24-26 King James Version (KJV)

²⁴ And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

²⁵ And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

²⁶ And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.

Mark 3:24-26 Living Bible (TLB)

²⁴ A kingdom divided against itself will collapse. ²⁵ A home filled with strife and division destroys itself. ²⁶ And if Satan is fighting against himself, how can he accomplish anything? He would never survive.

Mark 3:24-26 Amplified Bible (AMP)

²⁴ If a kingdom is divided [split into factions and rebelling] against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵ And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. ²⁶ And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end.

The scriptures above states that a “house”, the White House, the School House, the Church House, your House, your parent’s House, your work House, any house divided against itself cannot stand.  What causes a house to break down from the inside out?  I’m so glad you asked.  Let’s use a family home (house) as an example.  In the home lives a Parent(s), the child(ren) and the pet. The father comes home from a bad day at work and takes his frustrations out on the mother who had a bad day at home with the kids who had a bad day because they were busy being children (fighting, squabbling, ignoring one another, etc.) and the poor dog gets tossed out the house by the children because it’s their responsibility to walk the dog (poor dog).

The father has walked into the house and caused a ripple effect and this happens on a daily basis.  Monday he comes in and lashes out at the Mother.  The mother in turn tries to keep the kids quiet so they won’t disturb the father.  The kids start to blame one another more and more, trying to shift blame on one another about who started the fight.  No one in the house sees how the division began.  They don’t recognize or understand cause and effect or the “root” cause.  The entire family does not know that the foundation in which the house was built upon was built with illnesses in the foundation and those illnesses would one day cause the house to become divided and eventually crumble and fall.  The father and mother have secrets and the secrets are embedded in the foundation.

The foundation is built and established by the builder(s) of the house.

So, the slogan “Make America Great again” is implying that it was once great.  I beg to differ.  America was never “great” simply because it was built on the backs of deception, wars, thievery, stealing, killing, massacres, hatred, division, conquering.  If all of these things are embedded in any foundation, how can you make a statement like, “Make America Great again”? The statement implies that there were certain things that made America great.  What exactly would you say those things are? Are you seeing those things through the eyes of one race or ALL races? I am an African American woman first, so I look at America through those eyes.  The eyes that witnessed my mother that raised seven children on the South side of Chicago, Illinois, a mother that walked to work when transportation was not available to her, a mother that made sure seven children were fed and clothed on a salary well below minimum wage.  A strong mother, who at the age of twelve, witnessed her mother pass away and assisted with the upbringing of her siblings.  A strong mother that was accused of embezzling monies from her job.  She went through an investigation and lie detector test and the authorities and town manager found nothing.  No evidence of stolen or misplaced monies. You see, she was promoted to one of the highest positions in this white ran and owned town and had to suffer many false accusations because, the town manager that replaced the person that hired her, didn’t deem her worthy of having this position because of the color of her skin. Not because she couldn’t do the job, but simply because of the color of her skin.  My mother was a strong African American woman.  She went on to retire from that position.

I’m sure she witnessed so much growing up in American in the 1940’s and 50’s and 60’s and 70’s and 80’s. So looking at America through the eyes of a minority at the things that made America great is hard to see through the eyes of the person that coined the phrase.  The deception, wars, thievery, stealing, killing, massacres, hatred, division and conquering is what made America Great in their eyes.  If that is what it takes to “Make America Great again” then I choose not to be a part of your great America.

There has long been an illness in society that was built into the foundation of these UNITED States of American.  Unless the foundation of any building is built to the exact specifications of the building being erected, it will crumble.  All the right ingredients must be used in order to withstand the strength of the building being built.  The foundation must be stronger than the building, but the foundation is not seen with the naked eye.  But it’s there!

The only House that should be able to withstand the messed up foundation of these UNITED States of American is the KINGDOM OF GOD, but and however, there is more division and other illnesses within the Body of Christ that is causing it to crumble as well.

I’ve heard over and over “Sunday morning is the most segregated day in all of America.”  In the eyes of many that is a true statement.  But what are we doing to conquer the segregated Sunday mornings?  Because “Make America Great again” is being seen through the eyes of one race and all the other races are rising up and saying, “WE Matter too.” We are not the majority, but we matter.  WE don’t look like you, but we bleed like you.  WE don’t talk like you, but WE walk like you.  WE don’t see America through your crystal-clear eyes, we see it through the illnesses that you’ve built into the foundation.  Jesus has created a place where race doesn’t matter, but we continue to try and force race into HIS plan.

We have become a nation where GOD is no longer ruling over us and that’s why we are so angry at one another, fighting with one another and dividing one another, trying to conquer over one another, segregating one another and killing one another.  The fighting, hatred, killing, dividing, conquering, thievery, massacres, division and segregating are happening within every race, each family and each church body.  But if you want to take the light off of the real issues, let’s focus on something else.  Let’s blow up one race to make it appear that these illnesses are confined to one race.

You see, these illnesses do not discriminate. They’re in all races.  They don’t consume one race, they consume them all.  They are just not magnified at the height and rate that they are in the African American race.

The government can not heal this nation, they don’t have a clue as to how.  To heal this land, to “Make America Great” every individual person must begin to see that statement through the eyes/lense/sight of EVERY race.

Jesus didn’t do anything to be beaten and hung on the cross, He took responsibility for us.  He stood in our place.  He was wounded for OUR transgressions, He was bruised for OUR iniquities, the chastisement of OUR peace was upon Him and because of His stripes WE are healed.  Healed as an individual, as a family, healed as a body and healed as a nation.

Through the eyes of a 58 years old woman, the slogan “Make America Great again” has caused even more division in these United States of America.  Divide and conquer is the policy of maintaining control over one’s subordinates or subjects by encouraging dissent between them.  The opposite of divide and conquer is “unite and build.”

I am choosing to Unite and build an even greater America by seeing you as Christ sees you.

Daughters of Zelophehad

Let me begin by apologizing. I am so very sorry for staying away so long.  While I have not blogged in some months, I have been busy building.  The busy work has been necessary for me to get where I am today.  The building that I was doing in one area did not turn out as I wanted it to.  Which brings me to this question, was it my expectation or was it in the will of GOD for my life?

I also started my ministry up again, with a twist of course.  Heartspiration Chat & Chew is a place where women can come and chat about any and everything. It’s a “no judgement” zone.  We also have yummy food to chew!  My 3^rd session is set for June 2017.  I am excited that GOD still chooses to use me to help  build HIS Kingdom.

In one of the sessions, we talked about the Daughters of Zelophehad (Numbers 27).  Zelophehad had five daughters.  Five means GRACE.  So the daughters started their quest to gain what was rightfully theirs with a double portion of GRACE.  They received grace from God the Father because of their salvation package and there were five of them. So, hence DOUBLE portion of grace!

The five daughters of Zelophehad boldly approached Moses, Eleazar the priest, the chiefs and all the congregation at the Tent of Meeting. (First of all, in order to get what was rightfully thiers, not only did they have to go before the leaders of the congregation, but they had to stand before the entire congregation!!  Now, I don’t know about you, but still to this day, I get nervous standing before a group of people.  I think it has something to do with “ALL EYES ON ME.” That’s nerve wrecking in itself)

These 5 women had the courage to approach leaders and the congregation to make a desired, well thought out, properly planned and executed to the letter, change! In order for women to “break glass ceilings,” in the work place, church or wherever we are denied a right to excel because of our gender, we have to have courage.  Courage is simply doing something that frightens you but you do it anyway.  You allow the fear that has gripped you to become your fuel for the fight!

Once the leaders and congregation were listening, they made their plea.   Moses then took their case before the Lord.  Which lets me know that Moses actually heard their VOICE (Heart issue).  He took this matter straight to God Almighty, the creator of the universe!  The creator of the universe heard the plea of these women and declared them as right and gave this statute and rule for all time to Israel: “‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter.” (Numbers 27:8)  Then they were granted the inheritance of their Father.

These women were single women and they did not play the victim card.  They could have easily played that card, but instead, they planned and properly executed a plan that would not only get them what they wanted (their inheritance), but would open windows and doors for ALL women that would come after them.

These women were noble, godly women who trusted that God would provide for them and were willing to courageously step outside their comfort zone to see this happen. No where in the text did anyone address them as being weak, incompetent or money thirsty.

They women were fearless.  They trusted the leadership of Moses and God to be gracious and just and because of their faith – they were protected against fear.

These women had the courage to approach leaders to make a change!  Their faith was mighty and strong.  As a result of their faith, they were given a portion just the same as the men.  They not only gained an inheritance for themselves but for ALL women, in this situation, for generations to come!  Without faith we cannot please God. (Hebrews 11:6)

Sometimes in life, as women, we must learn to use our VOICE to gain things that are rightfully ours, but sometimes denied because of our gender.

 

 

More changes…

My last blog was on May 16, 2016.  Since then, I have relocated to the area where I grew up.  I have begun a relationship with a wonderful guy and I have taken a job at my Alma Mater (HS).

I love to talk about change and as you can see, I’ve made some changes in the last year.  With these changes came commitment.  I have committed to a relationship, a new job and relocation.  These commitments have required some things from me.  Trust is one of the things required. Trusting that things will end in my favor and for me has caused me to worry.

One of the things I’m dealing with now is worry.  While the changes were welcomed and the commitment was easy, I’m now worrying that things are going to go sour or just not work out.  On repeat in my mind are the “what if” questions.  Those questions have brought along some friends and those friends have brought along some friends. On a more hilarious note:  I have repeatedly tried to evict those tenants in my head and have been unable to.  (That’s another blog)

Why do we ask GOD for things and then worry about the outcome, the end of whatever we have asked for? Our life has begun and has ended at an appointed time, only known by GOD.  No matter how your life ends, by sickness, car accident or even if you choose to take your own life, GOD knows.  So clearly, we shouldn’t worry about the end or the beginning of anything, just the process, the middle.

The process is where I am now with the commitments that I’ve made.  The process is a series of things that will happen that leads to an expected end.  Now, it really doesn’t matter if the expected end is planned by you or GOD, it’s still an expected end. But I want to know how the story ends!!  I want to see and read the words “The End” at the end of the chapter.  Or, do I just want to know that the story ends wonderfully?  Suppose it doesn’t?  (That’s another blog)

During the winds of change in our lives, that we have made commitments to, we have to learn to let go and be ok with not knowing how the story ends.  My knowing how the story ends will not stop me from worrying about how the story ends.  It’ll just bring on another set of scenarios to worry about and those scenarios will bring a friend and their friends will bring a friend and it will go on and on and on.  So, as for me and my household (all those people that live within me), we are going to turn all the worries over to GOD.  HE said, “HE never sleeps or slumbers.” So clearly, I should be sleeping.  HE doesn’t back out on us like we do HIM.  HE said, “HE would never leave us or forsake us.”  Only we would do that.

So, in knowing all this, I know that I am just another person that knows, GOD is in control of all these new changes that have brought a commitment out of me.  I have to commit my commitment to HIM and trust that HE won’t do me like I would do HIM.

Signed,

Authentic ME

More Changes…..

It’s been a long time since I’ve written a blog. So many things have changed. One, maybe two, that I’ll share with you. The hardest thing that’s changed for me, far worse than divorce, is my Mom has become my Angel in heaven. She shaped, nourished, captured, enlightened, settled, shook, changed, pulled, pushed me into the person I am today. She used her words to create her future, her childrens and her grandchildrens. By the time most of her great grandchildren had been born, she’d began to have mini strokes. Each stroke effected her “evasive expression.” (Side bar: Isn’t it uncanny how the enemy thinks he’s taking the one gift that GOD has given you to win souls?) But because my Mom had made such an impact on our lives, we’re able and determined to not only live out her legacy of “USING WORDS TO CREATE” our future, we’re teaching  our grandchildren and they’ll teach their grandchildren and on and on and on and on……
She had a silent resilience. She was not a fighter, not even with her words. She used her words to build a legacy. She had a quiet strength. She hepled anyone she could, even if it meant commanding us to share what we had, even if we thought it wasn’t enough for the seven of us.
She’s in heaven now, watching to see if we’ll carry out her legacy. My blog is her leagacy. I pray this blog will enlighten you, not frighten you. I pray this blog encourages you, not discourage you. I pray this blog inspires you to seek out and/or live out legacy inherited.
RIH my Angel – Nancy Jean Williams Becton 1936-2016

Change is…..

Change is inevitable.  We’ve heard it and we still hear it. All the time, everywhere we go. We hear our parents say it, our teachers say it, our life coach say it, preachers say it and one day, we began to say it.

There are to kinds of changes that take place daily. One is by DEFAULT (changes that happen to us that we do not control) and the other by DESIGN (changes that we know about and can alter). Any change by default will happen whether you like it or not. These changes are sometimes tragic and at other times pleasant. Changes by design simply means that you have set goals, you have a plan and/or a mission to obtain or get something better. No one designs a change for the worst, always the better.

My Strawberry Lemonade was made up of both, default  and design change. I knew my life was going to change and was on the path to change, however, when it was time to drink that Strawberry Lemonade with no sugar, I wanted to change my mind, by design. I cried and prayed and lost weight and closed myself away and it was still there. The glass of “default and designed” change sat on my table. Looking at me, staring at me, waiting for me to pick it up and drink it.

Drinking that glass of Strawberry  Lemonade  proved to be one of the best “designed”  changes that I have ever made in my life. I accepted the pleasant and painful changes, as a package deal, and was pleasantly  surprised that it did have SUGAR in it! LOL

The Lord had taken HIS love and sweetened the cup that would serve as “my cup of changes.”

My willingness  to change, by DEFAULT and DESIGN,  was an investment in me. I made the investment and I’m still here! ♡♡

Sugar

In my last blog, I wrote about the Strawberry Lemonade I was able to make once I had been given a trash can full of lemons!!  LOL!!

I told you that I would share with you how I mananged to make the lemonade sweet!

I am a firm believer that, “you get more flies with honey.”  Sugar is the ingredient that is used to make all things bitter, sweet and for me that sugar turned out to be forgiveness.  Once I had processed quite a few things that had taken place in my life in the last 15+ years, once I had asked God to bring back to my rememberance the unplesant things that I had buried way back in the depths of my mind, heart and soul and once I had acknowledged that I had a hand in some of the unplesant things that happened to me, I was able to forgive. 

I learned that me forgiving others was not for them, it was for me.  Forgiveness is a freedom that is undescriable. It  caused the sun to shine a lot brighter in my life, it caused the rain to fall a lot fresher,  it caused my inner self to shout for joy and it caused my heart to sing a lot louder.  For once in a long time, I was experiencing a lightness in my walk with God and a laughter in my heart that no one could take from me.  I saw the sun in a brand new light.  I actually saw it through the eyes of love.  It is so vibrant and bright, so illuminating and glorious in its own right.  I love the sunshine.  I love forgiveness.  I love the way they both make me feel.

I love me!

Strawberry Lemonade!!

Life doesn’t always evolve the way you dreamed it would.    You can make lemons into lemonade and embrace changes and life’s circumstances and love it even more than what you had before.

But, you want to know how I managed to make strawberry lemonade when I was only given lemons.  Well, it all began the day I chose to EMBRACE the changes that had taken place.  I like to think of my EMBRACE as the hidden strawberry that was not given to me.  I had to become creative in ways I had never dreamt of before.  However, it really didn’t pose to much of a problem, because by nature, I am a creative person.

So, not only did I EMBRACE the CHANGES that were taking place in my life, but I also put on my big girl panties, rolled my sleeves up and moved to Texas, all by myself!! Yeah me!!

We have a choice to choose to be happy.  Life is all about the choices and changes that present themselves and you knowing which ones to EMBRACE!

Oh! And by the way, my strawberry lemonade is sweet! I’ll tell you in another blog where the sugar came from!!

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