You Are WONDERFUL!

I included this piece in At the Table: Words of Faith, Affirmation and Inspiration for LGBT Believers of Color (www.lulu.com)
 

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

Take a good look at yourself in the mirror. Look at your facial features; your forehead, your eyes, nose, lips…look at the complexion of your skin, your shape, your height. Take in everything that you consider to be an imperfection; what you wish was bigger, smaller, smoother, more defined. Next, think about all of the talents and abilities that you possess that you can do especially well, things that you required no training in, you just know how to “do” them. Focus on this for a minute, and then smile :o)

Check you out with your unique self! You stand out, you are set apart, and you are special! No one on this planet looks like you, no one can do the things you do just like you can! That’s because God made you an original, and no two of His children are alike! When God looks at you, He sees a good thing. He sees perfection in everything thing about you, because you are made in His image, and He is perfect. And when you’re operating in the gifts He has given you, I can imagine His face lighting up with pride as He turns to the angels saying, “That’s MY child, that’s MY workmanship right there!”

Whosoevers, we all have days where we feel less than perfect; where we struggle with low-self esteem and low self worth. This is simply a tactic of the enemy to keep us from realizing our true potential and worth in Christ. Today, I urge you to tell the enemy and yourself that you are beautiful, you are special. You are unique, and you are perfect. Your Heavenly Father made you, and in every sense of the word, you are WONDERFUL!

Hey Whosoevers!

I've missed you! Gosh so much has happend in the last three months! It's been a whirlwind, a little bit of good, a little bit of bad, but all necessary! I thank God for it!

Recently, (as in over the past week or so LOL) I've taken to writing short devotionals to post on my Youth & Young Adult ministry's page. Since they really aren't "age specific," I thought it would be a great idea to post them here, which would also help me keep this thing up to date! Here are the one's I've written so far, the most recent on top. Going forward, I will post here each time I write one for my "kids"....

July 29, 2011
“And now, Lord, what do I wait for and expect? My hope and expectation are in You.” Psalm 39: 7

Have you ever witnessed a child ask something of their parent or other caretaker? The joy that lights up their little face when the answer is “yes” is so contagious; one can’t help but be happy right along with them! However, when t...he answer is “no”, it elicits a very different response. Not understanding, the child makes the request again. Then, they begin to question the adult as to the reason for the “no”, and when he or she has been thoroughly convinced that the answer is not going to change, a wave of emotion ensues, oft times resulting in crying and in some cases a full blown temper tantrum.


Those of us who have either raised or cared for young children would peg this type of behavior as being “spoiled,” but let us consider another reason, one we can learn from; the child simply does not anticipate the grown-up saying “no”! They ask with the expectation that their request will be granted, and are perplexed when it isn’t, particularly if had been granted before or if it was something that was promised (which, as impatient children can be, they will wait for, because they know without a doubt that it is coming.)

We should be no different. When we go before God, we must go as a child, petitioning Him with the expectation that He will grant our request. He has shown up for us time after time and has also made us a promise that He will do whatever is asked in His name (John 14:14 ). Once we have asked, we must then wait for His perfect timing, having faith that what we have asked for will come to pass!


July 27, 2011 
“Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.” Luke 12:7

Have you ever wondered why an artifact or a painting that you’d find in a museum is worth so much? If you’re thinking that it is because the piece came from an ancient civilization or that the artist was a genius, you’re wrong. That old vase was just an old vase and that painting was just pigment on paper until someone saw the value in it and paid a hefty price to acquire it. It’s the same thing with God. He saw the value in what He had created and sent His only son to pay the ultimate price, ensuring that we would be with Him once again! So here’s a question. If God values us so highly, why do we believe the lies that have been told to us by others? More importantly, why do we diminish our own worth by telling ourselves that we are no good, we aren’t smart, we will never be successful, we will never get that degree… the list of things we tell ourselves can go on and on! Today, I challenge you to stop devaluing yourself! Change your thinking to God’s thinking! Begin to see yourself as God sees you! Know that you are worth more than anything money could ever buy because the ultimate price was paid, for YOU!

July 22, 2011
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6

I know there are things some of you have been praying for God to do, but it hasn’t happened. Well, what are you doing in the meantime? Are you worrying that God won’t come through? If so, that might be the very reason He hasn’t yet! In Philippians 4, Paul reminds us to “be anxious for nothing” and later in the chapter verse 19 states that God will “provide every need according to His riches in glory.” So why are you worrying? We know that God cannot lie. We know He keeps every promise He has ever made. He has told us we are more valuable than the “birds of the air” (Matthew 6:26). Worrying is like a slap in God’s face! It is basically saying, “Father, I know you’ve shown up for me time and time again, but I don’t trust you for this one!” Today, I charge you to stop praying and worrying. Replace your fear with faith. Thank God for what He has already given you and watch what you are waiting for come to pass!



July 21, 2011
"I have told you these things, so that in me (Jesus) you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.] " John 16:33

Let's face it; in this walk we will face many instances where we’ll find ourselves frustrated and overwhelmed, ready to give up on the very thing God has called us to do. However, Christ tells us that in Him we will have peace and confidence to face our trials. He wants us to “be of good cheer,” because He has our back! He has already overcome the things of this world so that they no longer have the power to hurt us! Our trials come to help build our character and to make us stronger in Him! So whatever you are going through today, remember that there is absolutely nothing this life can dish out that our God can’t handle!



Until next time, be blessed!

Vengeance: Whose Job Is It Anyway?

On Sunday, May 1, 2011, President Obama announced to the country that Osama Bin Laden, a man who was the very definition of terrorism in the eyes of the American people, was fatally shot by U.S. troops during a raid on his hideout compound. Within minutes, social networks lit up with status updates, singing the President’s praises, a natural response for a nation plagued with the memory of the countless lives lost on 9-11 and in the ensuing war. Then, something else happened. People took to the streets, rejoicing in Osama’s death.

al Qaeda once rejoiced, too. For days, even weeks after 9-11, photographs and videos flooded the internet of the terrorist organization’s supporters singing and dancing, burning the American flag while raising their own. Back then, bile filled the mouths of every U.S. citizen at the spectacle; how could they dance when over 3,000 of our people had perished? What if it had been their mother, their father and their children whose lives had been snatched from them?

Ten years later, we find ourselves a mirror of the thing we detested. We now revel in what we once found appalling. What does that say about us as a race when the death of another human being is celebrated? How dare we hold ourselves higher than the terrorist, when we have engaged in and perpetrated the same act? We should be careful when judging others folks; our garbage is much more rancid.

Furthermore, when God is the giver of life, who are we to take it? (Personally, death was too good for Osama; cutting him off from humanity would have been more fitting, but that is only my opinion, as is everything else I have shared on my blog).

So this whole thing got me to thinking about what God says to us about vengeance. Admittedly, when someone has wronged us, our carnal instinct is to take matters in our own hands. We start cooking up ways to “get back” at the person, scheming on how we can inflict the most harm. We become consumed with the thing, so much that we can get little else done. Meanwhile, they aren’t even thinking about us, having gone on happily with their lives. Over the years I have learned that it never, ever works out the way we planned it. Our plot to exact revenge always backfires, and most times, we make the situation worse than it was in the first place!

In Proverbs 24:29, we read that we are not to repay wrongdoing with wrongdoing: “Do not say, “I’ll do to them as they have done to me; I’ll pay them back for what they did.” Along with the fact that God says retribution is His to hand out (Deuteronomy 32:35, Romans 12:19) there are a few reasons this scripture is important. Here are three key ones:

First, the need for “revenge” keeps us emotionally and spiritually stuck! It prevents us from being able to forgive the offense as Christ commanded, and in turn, being forgiven by God for our own offenses. “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Mathew 6:14).

Next, we are also commanded to love and to pray for those that persecute us (Mathew 5:44). Not a prayer for God to rain down judgment on them, but one of sincere intercession on their behalf. In this, we are trusting God to do what He needs to do in their lives so that a change can take place (think about Saul on the road to Damascus…if that isn’t a prime example of God’s ability to facilitate change in someone, I don’t know what is!).

Finally, when we strive to repay someone else’s wrongdoing, we are copying what they have done to us. In essence, we become no better than they are! Remember that we have all done or said something to offend another of God’s children. Could you imagine what your life would be like if every person you have ever wronged decided to enact revenge against you? I thank God for grace!

Whosoever, I know the ability to hand it over when we’ve been wronged is challenging! However hard it may be, despite the emotion behind it, we must make the conscious decision to let it go. Only then, will our healing begin. Believe that even when it doesn’t feel good, God is working it out for your good! So, during your quiet time pray for release from the offense, but most importantly, for the ability to live out 1 John 3:18:

“Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

Until next time, be blessed!
Sue

Loving One Another: How are YOU showing up?

Hey Whosoevers! I know, I know, it has been FOREVER!  Sometimes, even with the best intentions, life shows up and other things have to take priority! However, I am back, and it is my goal to post more often!

Let's talk about love and how we show up as followers of Christ.
John 13:34-35 states,"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

This is one of the greatest commandments in Bible (the first being to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind… Matthew 22:37), yet it seems to be the hardest to keep, especially in the LGBT community where “shade” is as common place as the occurrence of churches per block in Brooklyn. We find it next to impossible to love without condition. We love folk until they piss us off. We love them until they hurt our feelings. We love them until they do or say something we do not agree with. We simply cannot separate the “action” from the person. We stop talking to them. Avoid them at every turn, talk about them like a dog to other people…the list goes on. I can talk about it because I've done it myself! It isn't right, but it is real.

Let us ponder for a moment. What would happen if God defined love how we do? What if He decided that He was just fed up with our turning our back on Him, tired of us living outside of His Will? What if God decided that He had just had it “up to here” with our mess? Our lying? Our cheating? Our gossiping?  Our disobedience? Our not being of service to others? Our hurting His people? What if the God of “another chance” decided not to give us anymore? Where would we be? I shudder at the thought.

The second part of the verse says “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples…” Our ability or inability to love our sisters and brothers as our Father does is precisely how we show up in the world! If we say we are a Christian, then we should emulate Christ, in other words, we should strive to “equal or surpass” what He has done. We may be the only “Jesus” someone gets to see; what example are we setting by acting in an unloving way towards others? We are being watched, folks. From the minute we say we are a believer people begin to observe our every move, from the pulpit to the back pew. Not only do they watch us, they also talk about what they see. Therefore, would behoove us to ensure that we are not representing Christ falsely.  

I am so glad that we serve a God that loves without condition. Despite ourselves He has continued to provide for our every need. He has continued to open doors no man could open and close doors no man can shut. He protects us from dangers seen and unseen. He has continued to keep every promise He has ever made to us. He continues to seek after us even when we run away from Him. Today, let us make a conscious effort to follow God’s lead in the area of love. It is not enough to say that we love someone; our actions have to prove it. God proved it first by sending His Son, and He continues to prove it every day. The next time someone hurts your feelings, does something to upset you, operates differently than how you would expect, etc, take it to God. Pray for patience and understanding for yourself, and most of all, pray that His perfect Will be done in that person’s life.

Until next time Whosoevers, be blessed!

Sue