CHRISTMAS 2015

While I sat in the garage looking at the boxes of decorations and Christmas tree in a box, a flood of emotions swept over my soul.  I look back and painfully remember all the people and things so dear to me that I lost.  I began to sink in my spirit because the loved ones I shared my life and heart with are no longer here to bring me joy on Christmas morning.  Christmas was always my favorite holiday.  It’s a time when memories are made and family and friends gather near.

As I drove through the neighborhoods and saw the beautiful decorations and listened to the holiday tunes on the radio, emptiness came over me.  I didn’t feel the same when I watched Charlie Brown or White Christmas on television.

Many of the traditional things that marked this season, my personal favorite, the Christmas tree, will not be observed this year.   The old traditions are no longer significant and I am forced to create new ones.  There will be no smell of peach cobbler cooking in the kitchen or that secret present to open on Christmas morning.  There won’t be a fire in the fireplace as we sing merry Christmas baby or jingle bell rock.  I asked all my loved ones to let me be alone this Christmas to seek God’s face, who alone could heal and help me this holiday.   The worst emotion to me is to be in a room filled with people but still feeling all alone in the world. 

The song, Silent Night, Holy Night came on the radio and my heart began to burn.  How selfish and blind I had been.  Christ is the reason for the season.  He is the gift that keeps on giving.  

There was no Currier & Ives setting around the manger where Christ laid and He wasn’t welcomed with opened arms.  His mother and father were on the run from an angry King that sought to kill Him and hid in a manger where He was born.  There was no smell of spices and rum cake; there was the smell of sheep and oxen in their nostrils. 

Yes, I had lost loved ones and my life is forever changed, but the real reason for Christmas is Christ who loves me the best and has never left my side.  He has shown me an undying love by giving me the gift of redemption. 

Let’s regain the real meaning for Christmas, by first putting Christ back in our celebration.   We look for gifts to give our loved ones that would enhance their lives and bring them joy.  What better gift than to give them the gift of the knowledge of Christ, their Savior.  Share with them the true story of Christmas.  When times get hard and the storms of life begin, the X-box game machines and diamonds won’t bring them peace or help solve their problems, only a relationship with Christ will accomplish this.  Deck the halls then go tell it on the mountain and over the hills that Jesus Christ was born.

THE FALL SEASON

As a native Michigander, I have learned to embrace the four seasons.  Each of them brings a certain attitude and set of survival skills.  In the summer, you must have sun screen and an air conditioner.  In the winter, you must have boots and a shovel.  In the spring, you must carry outfits for all four seasons, since the weather could go through each season within an eight hour period. 

 I love the special characteristics that go with the fall season.  Fall is the only season I know that has two titles; it is also known as Autumn.  I wonder if they began to call it Fall because the temperatures begin to fall during this time of year.  The daylight falls shorter than the previous seasons.  To accommodate for this, the time falls back for daylight savings efforts.  I seem to fall into a nesting state and become like the bears preparing for hibernation.  The leaves begin the fall from the trees after they give us a beautiful array of colors to decorate our landscape. 

In the Fall, we prepare for family gatherings to give thanks for this year’s blessings.  Wouldn’t it be great to fall back into some of our better spiritual habits?  Let’s fall in love with the Word of God again.  If you’re looking to nestle up to a good book, I have a suggestion, a long time best seller; the Bible.  It’s filled with stories of murder, illicit affairs and scandal, mystery and suspense.  Let’s fall back on our knees in prayer and seek the help of God in these trying and troubling times.   Let’s reconnect and fall in love with God all over again.

Join with me in making this the best Fall season every by reflecting on the love of God and how it’s impacted our lives.  The temperature may fall and the leaves may fall from the tress, but let’s not let our service, worship, and praise fall short for our God who deserves our best.

LONELY LIFE OF A WRITER

-John on the isle of Patmos

The life of a writer can be lonely.  Anyone who is serious about pursuing their dream of writing will quickly learn that they are in a world to themselves; you see things differently.  You have to steal away to a quiet place sometimes for hours or days until you can express a thought in your head.  Others around you are watching television and enjoying the simple things of life but you carry a burden until your piece is completed.   You become disciplined and committed to a deadline even if the deadline is in your own mind.  There are things that you write about that may be very personal, controversial or far-fetched.  Imagine the looks Albert Einstein got when he wrote about the theory of relativity in 1905.

Not everyone can sit in silence; some people have to be doing or saying something.  It is more than just not talking; it’s getting into a place to ponder the ideas that come to mind; never being without pad or a pen.  It’s a place where there are no horns, no grass cutting, and no music or weed whackers; no running water, phones, or slamming cabinet doors, nothing but the trees blowing in the wind. I love it when it’s so quiet you can feel it.  

Some suffer from writer’s blocks where they can’t fill the blank pages in front of them.  My writing has been based on my experiences with God so I have an abundance of material.  My hurdle comes when writing through pain or a heartache or the joy of deliverance; expressing it all in under 600 words. 

God has been faithful and has answered miraculously when I’ve faced adversity. That’s when I learned writing is one of my gifts, because God moves quickly on my behalf so I can get back on task.  Writing serves a dual purpose for me; it keeps me sane and I get to tell how real God is.

Now I thought the best scenario for me to write in was peace and quiet but in reality, my best stories have come while I was under pressure in the midst of confusion and stress.

I considered the writers of the books of the bible and the conditions under which they wrote the New Testament.  They were beaten and imprisoned for expressing their beliefs. They were killed all but John the Apostle.

He was the only apostle to die of natural causes. He still suffered for His beliefs and writings about Christ.  John, the Apostle was a cousin to Jesus and one of  His inner circle.  When he wouldn’t stop writing and talking about the things he had witnessed about Christ, he was put into a cauldron of boiling oil and flung in a sling shot of sorts to the Isle of Patmos where he was banished.  God kept him alive so he could write the things in the book of Revelations.

I think of the accidents I’ve faced and the tragedies I’ve survived and know that God is keeping me alive to write about His glory.  He delivers me so miraculously because He knows I’ll write about Him to encourage someone else.  He places me in the camp of the enemy so that while I suffer I will call on His name and write about how He delivered me.  I think about the family and friends that have betrayed me and turned their back on me and write about how grateful I am to have Christ on my side.   He never promised it would be easy but He did promise it would be rewarding (Matthew 16:27).

God has placed great gift in all of us to edify or encourage each other.  He says and I’m a witness that your gift will make room for you (Proverbs 18:16).  From my soul to the paper in front of me, I write about the God I love and serve.  Take up your pen and write of His goodness to you.

LET IT BE ME

Some 7 years ago I got a direct line from the Lord that first seemed as a question and over time it evolved into a statement of action.  I’d like to share part of that journey and receiving the ultimate statement so you can understand why I ask, let it be me.

The Lord awoke me at 3:30 am one morning to meet Him in prayer.  When I made it to the couch, I had notebook and pen in hand waiting for Him to speak in the volumes that He normally did.  I waited for words of wisdom to help me in my present condition; working in Egypt under a Pharaoh’s rule.  He simply said, who shall write of my glory?

I thought that because I currently wrote articles for 3 local newspapers that I was doing this, but quickly humbled to say yes Lord and continued to ponder the words seeking His direction on what that statement should mean to me. I’ve learned that God never speaks idle words.

On that very day, I was returning to my hostile work environment after vacation and I opened a CD from Donnie McClurkin that I hadn’t listened to and found myself playing this one song over and over; you are my Lord and King.  Upon arriving in my parking spot in front of the building, the Holy Spirit instructed me to shout Shammah as I stood before the entrance door before sliding my badge. 

The strangest thing happened, it seemed to me that the building suffered a matrix moment and all the windows seemed to bulge at that word.  When I went in, my enemies couldn’t walk close to me, they would start to twitch and turn the other way.  That was the day they informed me that my job would be eliminated at the end of the year.  I think I surprised them as I did myself, when I made them repeat the facts, speaking that because of their actions I was eligible for retirement and lifetime health care.   I stood up and shouted like I did when I first received the Holy Ghost.  I ran out got my purse ready to go home and they stopped me to say, in all happened in 90 days. My face fell for a minute but I still skipped to my desk.

I was happy to go from my salary to just enough to buy 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread. I was so happy to be out of Egypt that I saw that elimination as my Red Sea opportunity. I could tell that it scared my husband to have our family lose one income, but he trusted the God we served.  I can say that we didn’t suffer any visible loss and maintained our lifestyles.  He was even more blessed because I was happier than I had been in 12 years.

God gave me opportunity after opportunity and idea after idea to write the inspirational articles and do the Sunday school curriculum assignments that seemed to flood my desk.  It wasn’t until a year or so later that another revelation to the statement became apparent to me, which prompted me to write this piece.  During the following years, great trouble began by showing up on my doorstep. I saw the death angel in my home and watched him slowly take away the intended party.  Once again, I needed the Lord desperately. 

 I remembered the Lord calling me to prayer and speaking those words.   Those words were also making it clear that those who suffer and see the delivering hand of God are those who can write of His glory.  My entire life is a testament to that fact.  The scriptures say, let the redeemed of the Lord say so.  I say it in my writing.  I write about His glory when I share the miraculous ways He delivers me out of my perilous situations.

I decided to stop thinking this was a grievous way and starting to recognize the honor of my position.  When I call, the most high God comes, how marvelous is that.   I say aloud to myself and to the Lord, let it be me. 

This took me back to one of my all time favorite oldie but goodie sons sung by Mr. Jerry Butler and Ms. Betty Everett, let it be me.  I’ll share the lyrics; with a few modifications for my purpose, and see don’t you agree I’ve made the right interpretation and response to the words, who can write of my glory.

I bless the day I found you. I want to stay around you. And so I beg you, let it be me

Don't take this heaven from one. If you must cling to someone, now and forever, let it be me

Each time we meet, I find complete love. Without your sweet love what would life be?

So never leave me lonely. Tell me you love me, And that you'll always let it be me.

WHAT’S MY LINE

I really had to adjust mentally not being able to attend church regularly for the past nine months. I didn’t notice the time passing by so quickly, being busy setting order in my home as a caregiver.  I got a lot of things done, like preparing dinner while watching the service on our computer.  I didn’t have to dress up or take the rollers out of my hair if I didn’t want to. 

Then my soul hit a brick wall.  It began to miss hearing the Word in person.   I missed the faces I’d pass in the hall and the random words of encouragement I’d receive.  I missed sitting in the fellowship hall after 8am service to drink coffee and laugh and fellowship with friends.  Then the thought came that I’m not saved or a Christian any more cause I wasn’t going to church.

But I had a revelation, at least for myself, on this very concept that I’d like to share.  Is it the fact you go to church that makes you a Christian?  Attendance is not good alone; remember the Pharisees and Scribes attended church religiously and they crucified Christ.

That led me to my next thought.  If it’s not by my church attendance, how is someone to know I’m a Christian?  Many of you who are older remember the game show, What’s My Line.  There would be a contestant that appeared before a panel of judges or celebrities who would hear different facts about the individual.  After a given number of clues, they’d try to guess the occupation or special ability of the person.

If our characteristics were listed, would attendance to church be the only identifier we were a Christian?  Would the list name some of the weightier things that Christ considered important characteristics of His followers?  He showed us by the things He did in His life that mattered.  He was kind, honest, helped the needy, visit the sick, feed the hungry, encourage the brothers and sisters in Christ, and yes, fellowship with each other. We should be upright and law abiding citizens.   

Church is where we go to learn how to be a Christian and the world is our proving ground that we learned the lesson.  Church attendance is crucial to those wanting to be Christians.  The scripture says that we should let our light shine so that men can see our good works and glorify our Father which is in Heaven (Matthew 5:16).  Jesus compares the Christian to salt.  Just as natural salt has no effect if it stays in the box with other salt granules; neither will the Christian fulfill the purpose of God in their lives among the world.

Do those you meet see a character and demeanor that glorifies God or are they guessing what’s your line?  Are people glad when you leave the room rather than waiting for you to enter, seeing your presence as a light after a blackout?

The purpose of Church and our attendance isn’t to just gather or become a mere social club.  Church should prepare us to have impact in our neighborhoods, communities, and the stranger’s lives we meet.

I don’t know about you, I want it to be clear for those I meet, what my line is and that I’m a Christian.  Not just because I attend church but because of the Christ-like tendencies I exhibit from what I learned at church.  Join me, won’t you?