Talent

Proverbs 18:16 Kjv  A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.

Gifts. Things you’re good at. Things that come easy to you. Something you would do for free. These are all your talents. What are you doing with your talent? Are you honing your skill? Are you burying your gift? The Bible says, “your gift will make room for you.” So, let it. Walk in it. Put it on full display for the world to see. Give it away. Make someone pay for it. Just use it, before you lose it.

Tenth

I heard a sermon about ten lepers that were healed by Jesus, and only one came back to say thank you. In college, I was exposed to the concept of the “talented tenth” by W.E.B. Du Bois. Biblically, God requires a tithe equal to ten percent. There are ten commandments. There were ten plagues. Ten is often used to symbolize perfection, harmony, or creation. Its also a number of integration, discipline, laws and wholeness. I think ten represents gratitude. Only a tenth of the lepers were grateful. Only a tenth were chosen to lead. Only a tenth is required to sacrifice. Only a tenth of the plagues were immediately fatal. Most of us follow about a tenth of the commandments. Yet still, God continues to bless us despite what we do with our tenth. What are you doing with your tenth?

Jewels

I grew up in barbershops and salons. In the African American community, this is where uncensored conversations about sex, money, politics, current events and religion occurred. As a child, I knew better than to join the conversation, but I did learn how to listen and digest what I was hearing. I learned to see things from a variety of perspectives whether I agreed or not. I learned about consequences from foolish behavior. I learned about successes from hard work. I learned that relationships are complicated. I learned that marriage takes work. I learned what men want and what women desire.

I learned to respect these "jewels" that were given. I learned that everything did not have to be experienced, and that I could learn vicariously. These men and women gave me "jewels" I still carry. They gave me wisdom and insight. I thank God for all the lessons and all the love given to this "young buck." I thank God for the men who stood in the place of my father and all the "mothers" who raised me.

I was blessed to have a host of strong women around me. My grandmother dropped domestic jewels and was my first example of a wife and mother. My mother is an enduring example of strength and perseverance. My godmother is an example of what fortitude looks like and one of my earliest examples of what it meant to truly blend a family. I have a host of mentors, "aunties", play cousins and friends who constantly shower me with "jewels" from their joy, their pain, and their triumphs.

Thank you for your time, your tenth, and your talent. Thank you for showing me that marriage and motherhood doesn't look the same for everyone. Thank you for your jewels. Happy Mother's Day.

Fruitful

"But life at its best is a creative synthesis of opposites in fruitful harmony."-MLK

What does fruitful harmony among opposites look like? Is it the "American Dream" of a melting pot? Is it religious and political freedoms? Is it gun control? Is it stricter immigration laws? Is it police reform? Is it bridging the wealth gap?

MLK was assassinated 50 years ago, and I can't help but think that his America mirrors mine with very little progress. Yes, we have had some significant historical accomplishments, but we've suffered major setbacks. What does America's fruit look like? Have strange fruit on Southern trees become bullet-riddled bodies in backyards? Have we been fruitful or are we like cursed fig trees that bear no fruit? Have we been fruitful with our passions and dreams or have we buried our time, our tenth, and our talent? Have we been fruitful or are we barren?

Contribution

I sat in church yesterday and listened to the guest speaker, Sam Collier say, "there's a difference between a moment and a movement." He spoke about the conversion of Paul being a moment that led to a movement. I began to think about all the moments in my life that could have led to a movement. I thought about the moments when fear and doubt paralyzed me. Then, I thought about all the times I moved. I thought about all the times I finished. I finished starting the business. I threw that show. I wrote those books. I sold those t-shirts. I made those cards. I wrote those poems. Those are my contributions. Those are my movements. It's easy to focus on what you didn't do, but what have you finished? What did you accomplish? What's your contribution? Maybe it's that little boy or little girl you are raising. Maybe it's that overtime you are putting in at your job. Maybe it's those ideas that are keeping you up at night. Whatever it is, you have something the world needs.