Category: Family

Revelation

I was again awakened to paws scratching at the bedroom door, which had now served as a more reliable alarm clock. Yet, the dimness of the morning light deceived me. It was already after 6:00 a.m. and the morning breeze swept through the windows kissing me like a distant lover. The swirling, russling sound and amber hues reminded me of tiny school uniforms making their way through the front doors of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic school. 

Reluctantly, and still exhausted, I climbed out of bed to lead the anxious canine out to the front yard to relieve herself. I was glad that this time she dilly dallied, as my thoughts projecting the busy day ahead. 

I reentered the large, well-appointed bedroom and flipped on the remote. My spirit was suddenly arrested as I watched bodies spilled all over the streets of the Ukraine. Ambulances and law enforcement activity was at maximum level.  Fears of future and more severe Russian attacks raised the global threat level. Talking heads opined with doomed conjecture.

Suddenly, my day’s plans to mull over case files and lament over outstanding chores seemed fruitless. Recognition of life’s blessings took over: I am healthy, free, blessed and most critically, protected and still walking in pursuit of God’s purpose for me. 

My countenance livened and I took to praising. With gratitude, I thanked God for never leaving me nor forsaking me. (Deuteronomy 31:8). I also prayed for those affected in the war zone and those with similar feelings of substantial insecurity, asking for peace to prevail. 

Almost sensing the inculcation of the Holy Spirit, the children woke up with smiles on their faces. We said our morning prayers and set out for the day.

“…But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.””

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭24:15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The Best Laid Plans

Lamentably, I stared at the reflector behind me. With my green silk blouse slightly raised, I had full view of the double cross-hairs and bandage affixed to my lower back. I strived for months with exceeding billable hours expecting my year-end bonus. The holidays would soon be upon us, I thought, and I deliberated on all that those proceeds would bear. So with intransigence, I resolved to an abbreviated work schedule and a short leave to accommodate the minor procedure needed to treat my injury. And then it happened. The solution to my equivocation: My 12-month old initiated her very first steps, meeting her older brother near his fire-red truck and quelling my fears that I would miss this monumental milestone.

As the holidays bring us closer to family and friends, let us take the opportunity to truly appreciate the moment. It is true, obligations and contingencies do abound. However, the lesson to impart today is that despite our plans and expectations, we must be present in order to capture the wonderment. All things, whether beneficial or a hindrance, occur in due time and for God’s reasons. The Bible states that there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens. (Eccles 3:1). Appropriately, this holiday allows for reflection of the eternal love that was shown through the birth of the begotten son of God. Regardless of varying beliefs, such love and joy have traveled down through many generations to encompass us now in the custom of gift exchange and cheers. As the calendar advances, let us continue the tradition of peace that is generated in this term. For this New Year of 2016, I pray for amity and triumph for you all!

John 1:14: “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Testimony

Perched in a squat, the drifter waived a cardboard sign scribbled with a black Sharpie™: “Lost Everything But My Hope and Faith. God Bless.” Homelessness in New York City has ostensibly risen in the last few years and unfortunately, displaced panhandlers clustered throughout Manhattan have become commonplace. In fact, according to the website “Coalition for the Homeless”, vagrancy in New York City has reached the highest levels since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

This particular sighting, however, was unusual. The young, blond man was fairly well-dressed and remarkably groomed. Nevertheless, it was his corrugated poster that captivated my attention, so much so that my conviction was piqued causing me to double back and discharge my last note, a ten dollar bill, from my pocket. Unmotivated by ego or indulgence, I overcame my reluctance precisely because I was called, from deep within, to donate the bill.

Forfeiting lunch due to my unexpected generosity, I returned to my office and scrounged around the pantry to no avail. Food was of no consequence; I had left my appetite at bay after having a serious disagreement with a relative the prior evening. Instead, I sought a distraction and rifled through my messy purse in search of my ear buds. Rather than thin, white dual wires, out came a church leaflet that was given to me almost 10 years ago. A decade had passed since I re-dedicated my life to Christ during an altar call and collected the booklet and I had not seen it since.

To understand the significance of this pamphlet would require some explanation. Since that fateful rebirth, I went on to graduate law school, met and married my husband, moved on three separate occasions, and also lost many of my possessions, including old books and papers, after Hurricane Sandy. Further to the point, the handbag that I carried that day had been given to me just one year ago as a gift for my participation in a friend’s wedding. Accordingly, there was no ordinary way that the brochure could have appeared in my new tote. Except, it materialize, full of biblical Scriptures and words of encouragement. In an unwitting and yet still provident state of fasting, I meditated on the messages sent in the bulletin and prayed for restoration with my relative.

Later that evening, as I curled up in front of the television, a family member knocked on my bedroom door. She explained that she found something in the washing machine that likely belonged to me. Unfamiliar with my earlier encounter, she handed me a crumpled ten dollar bill. I simply smiled and surrendered. The next morning, the recalcitrant relative uncharacteristically reached out, reestablished our connection, and made amends.

Being obedient to God’s calling requires strong discernment and will that glorifies Him on earth and demonstrates our love for Him. The test may come in the form of an itinerant roaming the city streets begging for change leading to an unforeseen testimony. Obedience can also result in answered prayers, blessings, direction, safety and restoration. More notably, it may present an opportunity for Divine fellowship.

Hebrews 13:2: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!”

Divine Restoration

After more than 50 years, the doors of diplomacy have finally been reopened between the United States and Cuba. Unexpectedly brokered by Pope Francis in Vatican City, restorative efforts by both Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro have resulted in the call to the end of the U.S.-imposed trade embargo, the lifting of travel bans between the two countries, and reinstatement of their respective embassies. Assuredly, the pontiff’s first stop en route to America was Cuba.

With words of encouragement, Castro attested to Pope Francis’s triumph, avowing that he would consider returning to the faith in which he was born. The communist leader added that he would resume prayer again if the Pope continues in this vein. In a similarly poignant statement, President Obama was quoted as saying “you don’t have to be imprisoned by the past”, noting that President Eisenhower bolstered the severing of ties with Cuba in the same year that the current American president was born. The impasse of five decades no doubt resulted in economic, social and political disorder, with industries on both sides and the Hispanic populace bearing the burden and countless families torn apart.

Have you experienced or observed close relationships or families who are likewise unduly interned by the past? Equally devastating are those long-standing quarrels and generational wars that have been passed down through the ages, the true roots of which are unknown or have dissipated. Often, at the core, there is the needless legacy of mistake and misconstruction. Yet, due to faltered loyalty, spiritual blight or mere habit, ongoing feuds persist. Thus, tragic karma such as poverty, addictions or separation is recycled again and again. Today, the Lord is calling for restoration and the rebuking of ancestral strongholds that are keeping individuals, friendships and family units in abeyance. Not all will welcome repose, however, as consequential as two contending nations coming together, in His glory, He can reestablish all that the past has stolen. Simply ask in His name with a repentant heart and with praise.

Joel 2:25: “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten…”