Prayer
I looked up the definition of prayer. The words “deliberate communucation" resonated with me. I was raised to say the Lord’s prayer on my knees before I went to bed. We prayed at the altar at church. Prayer was an action verb. As I grew in my faith, I began to understand that prayer was personal communication with God. So, that could be me talking to God in the shower, while I’m driving, before a test, and even those small quiet whispers in moments of immediate need. What does prayer look like to you? Whether you burn an incense, chime a bell, bow to the East or lift up your head to heavens….commune with God. Talk to God the way you would your best friend. Express your disappointment. Express your fears. Express your gratitude. I promise you God hears your heart, and God hears your prayers.
Thorn
I remember playing with my grandmother’s rose bush. I just wanted to pick a rose without getting stuck. It became a game. I’m sure my grandmother didn’t appreciate my trying to pick her roses either. Needless to say, I was unsuccessful most of the time. I managed to get in trouble for attempting to pick a rose and ended up hurting myself in the process. How many of us find ourselves trying to pursue something and end up getting hurt in the process? We knew it was dangerous. We knew the risk, but we did it anyway.
I was even more intrigued by the theme of thorns in the bible. God didn’t remove Paul’s thorn. Jesus was given a crown of thorns. It was like God saying that pain is part of the process. You remember the pain. You remember being uncomfortable. You tend to learn the lesson when you aren’t saved from the part that hurts. Maybe God has allowed you to experience the pain of thorns in your life. Maybe you got some bad news. Maybe you lost something or someone you cherished. Maybe you are experiencing a difficult season. God has not forgotten you. He is reminding you that his grace is sufficient.
2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Good Love
I can't help but to reflect on yesterday. It was different. It wasn’t a lot of people. We all took all the necessary precautions. We ate. We drank. We napped. We ate again…but it felt different to be together. There wasn’t a lot of conversation about holiday plans. We relished in the day. We were grateful for these moments….together. We realized that tomorrow isn’t promised. We appreciated just being in the same room laughing and eating together. If 2020 hasn’t taught us anything, it has made us appreciate good love. It taught us not to take family and friends for granted. Hug a little longer. Smile a little harder. We just don’t know the next time we will be able to celebrate our victories together. Appreciate the moments to share good love!
Token
noun
a thing serving as a visible or tangible representation of a fact, quality, feeling, etc.
I am a very visual person. If I can see it, I can do it. I’m really big about vision boards. I think it’s important to create. I’m a creative. I think that there things that come to your mind when you experience certain things. For example, songs can transport you to a different place and time. Smells can trigger memories. So, a token could be a tangible example of who you are in someone’s life. It’s your brand. It’s symbolic. It’s your logo. Who do people say you are? What do be people feel after they encounter your spirit? In Matthew 16, Christ asked his disciples, “who do you say I am?” Who would people say you are? What’s your token?
Success
The definition of success is the accomplishment of a purpose. It’s crazy because most people think success is a destination, but it’s literally a process. So, everyday you can celebrate a success. Everyday you accomplish something you set out to do….you have succeeded. You are a success. I know baby steps don’t seem like much, but baby steps will get you further along than no steps at all. Celebrate your daily wins. You cleaned the house. You got dressed. You didn’t cry. You wrote that blog post. You had a date night. They are all wins. Perspective is everything. Stop holding yourself to an unrealistic tally. You are a success. Even if you failed along the way…
Hear my Cry
2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
When was the last time you cried out to God in prayer? I can admit it’s been a while for me…Maybe because I felt like God wasn’t listening. Maybe because I’ve been a little numb. Maybe because I'm waiting on the other shoe to drop. Maybe because 2020 has been the worst. Maybe because I wasn’t ready to learn this lesson or be tested this much. Maybe because I just want it to be over. Maybe because it didn’t go my way and I keep getting blindsided and disappointed. Sound familiar. 2020 is the recipe for disaster that has the potential to finally bring us to our knees. Maybe now we will humble ourselves, pray and turn from our ways. Maybe now we will cry out to God and he will hear our cry.
Fall Back
It’s that time of year again. We will set our clocks back and get an extra hour of sleep. As I think back on this year, we've all had to fall back. Things just didn’t go as planned. Life was interrupted. It was like God himself said, “fall back!” All the things that just had to happen, didn’t. Your to do list could wait. Assignments were postponed. Things were delayed. The world had to come to a screeching halt. And guess what? We survived. It wasn't that bad. We spent time at home. We refocused. We get what really matters. So, when you set your clocks back…remind yourself to fall back too.