Are You Listening

Recently, in my Disciple 5 class we were studying the kingdom sayings of Jesus Christ. The class is focused on painting a picture of who Jesus is and for us to have a better understanding of his ministry. To that end, we not only read about Jesus in the New Testament, we also read the Old Testament, which pointed towards Jesus' coming and what his ministry would be about.

As I was reflecting about the kingdom sayings, the following scripture kept playing over and over in my mind, "And he said, “Go and say to this people: ‘Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand.’ (Isaiah 6:9, NRSV).  This scripture was referenced by Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels as well: "You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive".  (Matthew 13:14, NRSV).

This scripture intrigues me because I hear some folk saying they don't understand a certain sermon or don't like the style of preaching of a pastor, or they comprehend because of the way someone speaks (it could be the person's accent or intonation).  It got me to thinking, "are they listening?, are they really paying attention?, "Are they even trying?" 

I feel revelation is given to some and others, as stated in the above scripture, will listen, and not comprehend, will look and not understand.  Some folk are not where they need to be in their Christian walk. As stated by the Apostle Paul, they may be on milk and not meat ("I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready" 1 Corinthians 3:2). Jesus' Disciples certainly didn't get it immediately. They didn't understand when he spoke in parables. Jesus had to die on the cross for his words, his kingdom sayings, his actions to be understood by his Disciples. The cross became the symbol of the price Jesus paid for (their) our salvation. When Jesus died on the cross, and was resurrected, his words became real; understanding and revelation was like a switch being turned on for his Disciples and those who followed him.

Some people have to endure trials and tribulations: the loss of a job, or sickness; the death of a loved one; falling into addiction of some sort and feeling as though there is no way out. These are all crosses some must bear and it is in the carrying of the cross that we experience what it means to lean on Jesus. It is in the carrying of our cross that we cry out to God for help, for release, for strength. When we reach a breaking point in our struggle and surrender completely to God and invite him into our lives; when we seek him through his Word, and develop a relationship with him, it is then that revelation and understanding will slowly begin. It is not instant. It is day-by-day. It is constantly seeking and doing his will. It is following in his footsteps: loving the unlovable, seeking the unreachable, by our witness to God's grace and mercy in our lives.

The recent decision of the Grand Jury in the Michael Brown case in Ferguson, Missouri is one such example of what it means to live as Jesus did. Despite our anger and unbelief at the injustice carried out against our black men (and boys) and the rampant racism that still exists in America, Jesus is calling us to do things his way. To turn the other cheek, to not allow anger to take hold of us and lead us into sin, to love and pray for those who persecute us, yes, even officer Darren Wilson.

Today, on a day when most Americans celebrate a day of giving thanks, it is my hope that the words Jesus spoke, which are recorded in scripture, will come to life in your mind and you will experience the revelation of being able to listen and comprehend what Jesus is calling us to do.

I pray that as you celebrate this day, you will remember the one who paid the price for our freedom from sin. Blessings for a Happy Thanksgiving!

Vulnerablity

“The cry of the Israelites has now come to me;”

Exodus 3:9 NRSV

To be vulnerable is to open ourselves up to hurt. Yes, hurt. You ask, why would I want to be hurt by anyone or anything? Trust me, it is not easy to be vulnerable; it is not easy to expose our innermost feelings to others! We won’t take that risk! Revealing vulnerability to others is showing weakness. Better yet, it makes us seem like children. Yes, children. We hear words like, “You baby”, “cry, cry baby”, or “act your age”.

When I was young, I never wanted others to see me cry when they hurt me with their words. Why? Because in our culture, crying meant you were a baby. Instead, I hid behind an angry face and would lash out at my tormentors. That is, until my older sister took hold of me and started speaking words of wisdom to me. She would say to me not to become angry at people’s words, to remember that, “sticks and stones may hurt my bones, but words would never hurt me”. Those words formed me in a way I cannot describe. They were a reminder to me that it did not matter what people said to me or about me; what mattered is how I handled the situation. Do I lash out or ignore? Many times, ignoring meant crying tears of hurt, which allowed others to see me in a new light, no longer hiding behind a face of anger or an attitude of “don’tcarishness” (an “I don’t care what you say about me!” attitude).

When we become vulnerable, we allow others to see our hearts. We allow them to enter into the most private space in our hearts, that space occupied by ourselves and by God alone. We become, in fact, like children, open to the wonders of being carefree and innocent. When we become like children we are dependent on others to take care of us, i.e., our parents. Without a father or mother, we cannot survive as children.

In Exodus, when Moses saw the burning bush and heard God’s voice, he hid his face for fear of looking at God (Exodus 3:6). But God had work for Moses to do, for he saw the vulnerability of his people, the Israelites, and Moses would be the tool he would use to deliver them from Egypt. 

The Israelites’ childlike quality or vulnerability is what called to God.

Carol Kent and her husband Gene, in “A New Kind of Normal,” allowed their vulnerability to shine for the world to see when they allowed the cameras of Dateline NBC into their lives and into their story. What happened next was a surprise for them – the outpouring of love and support they received from friends and people who they did not know was an encouragement to them during their darkest moments. That is what happens when we open up and become vulnerable, when we invite God into our innermost thoughts (which he already knows) and cry out to him for help. He sees our need for him, for his love and protection.

On another note, this blog is mainly for me to showcase my cards and art, however, oftentimes I get so busy with my work and ministry that I neglect to update you readers with what I have been up to. On occasion, I make cards or art work and forget to take photos (yikes!).  Since my last post I made these three cards and all of them were for special persons or events.  Enjoy!

For a Sistah in Christ battling Breast Cancer

A couple at church who celebrated 29 years of wedded bliss!

This is a couple getting married next month.

Shake Well Before Using

I was listening to a sermon preached by Pastor Tim Dilena this past Sunday at the Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York. The sermon is entitled "My Pain Needs a Word".  In it he gives an analogy about reading the label on a medicine bottle, which says "shake well before using".  He went on to say, and I paraphrase, "sometimes God needs to shake us a little bit so he can use us".  What does he mean by this, you ask? I'll tell you what it means for me. 

November 2014 will mark the 10th anniversary of my being shaken up by God.  I went through a very painful situation that changed my life and shook me to the very core of my being. At the time I was left without a safety net and felt as though my whole world was crumbling. I had no way to turn and was desperately grasping at straws. I felt as if I was drowning -- literally. 

Though I was involved in church, I had just a fleeting knowledge of God and his Word. I knew I loved him; I knew I needed to follow his commands and live a life devoted to doing his will, but that was it, only knowledge. I had no feeling for his Word and no desire to do his will. That is, until November 2004. 

When I could turn neither left nor right, I only had one option: to turn to God and his Word. I grasped his Word and began the slow process of rising out of my pain and despair.  The more I read the Bible, the more I held on for dear life. His Word became my lifeline and I began to devour it to keep me floating.  I started listening to teachings on his Word; I joined a Disciple Bible Study class to learn his Word. I was already singing in a choir, however, it took on a new meaning as the words we sung spoke to my fragile heart and gave me hope that I would come through what I was going through.

God shook me up to get my attention and he succeeded. That experience could have broken me; it could have derailed my future and put a stop to my dreams.  But he wanted me to know the way I was living my life was not what he wanted from me. He had to pull the rug from under me so I would turn to him and not depend on myself or others, but solely on him.

Pastor Dilena used the following Psalms in giving his sermon and they really spoke to my heart.  Psalm 119:67, 71, and 92 state, "Before I was humbled I went astray, but now I keep your word... It is good for me that I was humbled, so that I might learn your statutes...If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my misery."  God had to shake my world and turn it upside down so I could learn his ways and follow his laws! 

Through my pain and the uncertainty of my future, I drew closer to God and learned to trust him for all my needs. I learned to call on his name in my darkest hour and watch as he came (comes) to my rescue; I learned to submit to his will for my life and allow him to use me to accomplish it; and more than anything, I learned to listen and to these words: "be still and know that I am God".

God wants to use us in mighty ways to bring glory to his name.  We are his ears, his eyes, his feet, and his pocket. We have been placed on this earth for a specific reason and he will have his way, even if it means to "shake well before using".

One of the ways God uses me is by utilizing the talents and gifts he's given me.  I love making greeting cards and I allow the Holy Spirit to inspire me to make cards that speak to those receiving them.  Today I will share a card I made for a church member who recently celebrated her 103rd birthday. I used MTC to cut the cover created by Bird from www.birdscard.com,  The background digital glitter paper is called Autumn Splendor Gold Rush and it  is from Scrapbookgraphics.com.