Photograph by Susan Louise Davis

Peace

Last night a friend asked me for a favor and I said I would think about it.  After a few hours, I called him back and said, “No, I can’t do it.”  He asked why and I explained that it made me uncomfortable and when I went to explain why I was uncomfortable he cut me off in mid-sentence.  How rude!

I woke up in the morning feeling wonderful!  The pollen had decided to stop torturing me so I wasn’t congested.  For the first time in a couple of weeks I had use of both of my nostrils!  Finally, I can breathe!

Anyway, I grabbed my phone (I know I need to stop that) only to find that I received a 10-page text message from a “friend” who was disappointed because I would not do what he wanted me to do.  “You’re supposed to be my friend… If you had asked me, I would have said yes.” 

I repent for enough things that I do on my own, I cannot repent for things that I agree to do that I know are absolutely wrong.  Besides, I have to reserve “knee time” for real situations.

Aside from the fact that I’ve never asked him for anything, that emotionally driven and grammatically tortured text message upset me terribly!  I almost responded but in trying to be a better me I took a deep breath and closed my eyes and thought of God’s grace and mercy.

I thank God for reminding me of John 14:27 which says that he left us with a gift:  peace of mind and heart.  And the peace that he gives to me is a gift the world cannot give and I felt assured in my “no” and not troubled or afraid of losing a friend.

How does this piece fit into your life?  Do not allow people (friends or family) to guilt you into violating your peace.  Peace is a gift from God.  If I make a conscious decision to violate that peace then I can only blame myself for the outcome. 

Those who love you and will get over it – whether they understand your reasoning behind saying no or not.  It may take them time, but in the meantime... enjoy your peace.

You Must Keep Moving

Photo provided by: www.conversationrevolution.com

You Must Keep Moving

“Grandma is gone,” my mother said to me over the telephone.

Days later, as I was preparing to leave town for the funeral, I could still hear my mother’s voice in my ear.  “Grandma is gone.”

I stopped packing my bags to take a short break and stood by the patio door.  “I can’t believe I’m rushing around this apartment preparing to see my grandmother for the last time,” I said to myself.  

As I turned away from the patio door, I inadvertently knocked over a stack of cd’s that were decoratively placed in my living room.  The cd’s fell over and broke apart the 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle I had been diligently working on to keep my mind occupied from the stresses of life.  “Darn it!”  I said out loud as I looked at hours of work scattered across the bright white poster board.

As I stared at the detached pieces, the Holy Spirit spoke to me, “Sometimes things are going to fall apart, but you have to keep moving Tamika,” I sighed.  “Life goes on,” he finished.  As I turned and looked at my half-packed luggage, I knew that the Holy Spirit wasn’t just talking about the puzzle, but about life in general.  I came to realize that He wasn’t just talking to me, He was speaking to you as well – yes, you.  Things are going to fall apart, but you must keep moving.

The day of the funeral, I stood at the podium and looked out at the faces in the crowd.  I was a bit saddened by the teary eyes; the faces of those also saddened at the passing of an amazing woman.  But I was encouraged because even in her passing I knew that she would forever be a central piece in the puzzle of all of our lives.

For every individual in the room who had ever met her, they too had a piece of that puzzle.  Whether she shared a kind word or even just a smile, we all now shared a piece of the puzzle of Greeba Foster’s life.  For those who knew her better, they would never forget her laugh, her beautiful smile, her smooth chocolate skin, her silly songs, her jokes and the way she “hated to make it rhyme, but she did it all the time.”

We must keep moving because Matthew 5:4 says blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.  Even when our memories of her aren’t able to provide comfort, we must keep moving because that’s what she would have done.

So allow me to encourage you to stand up, take a deep breath, live, learn, and love – because while she was here, that’s exactly what she did to keep on moving.