THE DEVIL'S CLOSER THAN YOU THINK

I’ve always tried to be mindful and alert when it comes to the devil. He’s a crafty buzzard well known for running to and fro seeking whom he can devour. He comes in all shapes, sizes, and circumstances; known and unknown. Usually I’m a good judge of character; staying away from that which doesn’t mean me well. However, what do you do when the devil is closer than you think?

I was shocked when I receive a phone call from a close relative sharing what they thought would be disturbing news. Long story short one relative called to share that another relative had some very negative things to say about me. Things that took me by surprise, but didn’t leave me totally shocked because I’ve learned not to be surprised by the actions or thoughts of man. Apparently this relative feels that I’ve “gotten above myself,” that “I think I’m all that,” and that “I’m living above my means.” Hmmm did you think that when you needed a place to stay, or when you needed me to get you out of the mess that you’d gotten yourself in? Did you think that when you parked your car in a no parking zone and I had to pick you up AND pay for your car to be released? Did you think that at 1:00 in the morning when you called needing a ride or when you had a flat tire, no spare & no money to get it repaired? Tell me, did you feel like that when I dropped you and your car off AND paid for that too? Living above my means…what saddens me is knowing that my “relative” feels like this and it saddens me even more that they couldn’t talk to me about it. So the more I processed this I came to the conclusion that this is probably one person that’s not in my corner of elevation. Knowing that I now have to put this person in the same corner with people that I can’t trust saddened me because this corner is reserved for those that would rather tolerate me than celebrate with me. This corner is for those that have secretly harbored ill feelings against me in their hearts; those that hardened their hearts and refused to treat me like I treat them. These are the people that remind me of the song that says, “Smiling in my face all the time they want to take my place, backstabbers.” These are the people that the devil has used to walk in my home carrying havoc on the bottom of their shoes. You see the devil knows that the only way he can enter my home is if he’s invited and what better way to enter than to come in with a “friend” and what better “friend” than a relative.

When all was said and done I shared with my informant that I wasn’t angry nor was I upset. I knew that this would surprise them because back in the day I would have handled this a lot differently. I simply asked that they let them know that I received their message; coming from me these words alone would speak volumes. Nothing else was needed because you see everyone that REALLY knows me knows that being my friend is a lot better than being my foe. They know that once I take the trash out I don’t believe in bringing it back in. To my relative and/or "friends," life for me is simply this….I don’t think I’m all that, it’s you that think I’m all that. Need I say more? TGBTG

~Stay Prayed Up!! CLICK ON THE LINK

A SERVANT'S HEART....

My daughter Shay…I’ve always known that she was special but recently I realized how precious and amazing she really is; it was the day that I stopped by her school to buy uniform shirts. As I looked for her to check the size I realized that she’d left me to go help someone chip paint off of the walls. That’s when I truly saw her heart, a heart that genuinely reaches out to help others no matter what the job may be. I used to think that Shay always had her tiny self into everything because she didn’t know how to mind her own business. Sometimes she’s so busy being involved in other people’s affairs that she failed to follow thru on her own; yet on this day my eyes were opened and I saw her in a new light. I finally saw that my Little Miss Busybody was born with a servant’s heart; a heart that reaches far beyond what’s expected or what’s needed, oftentimes helping those that most of us would turn our backs on.

A servant’s heart…. That’s the heart of a person that stays around to help after others have walked away. It’s the heart of a person that’s always giving but rarely receives. It’s a heart that will sometimes go out of their way to help only to be the person blamed when things don’t quite turn out right. Only a servant’s heart can forgive and forget, in the same hour, those that will talk about her and mistreat her. It’s the heart that will run to get lunch for a child that has a broken leg, yet is told that she can’t replace her own because she mistakenly dropped it while trying to carry both. A servant’s heart….It’s the heart that won’t think twice about spending her last dime to buy something for a sister that will think twice about spending just a dime on her. It’s the heart of a person that if hit by a car would run over to see if the driver is alright. It’s the heart of a person that may not get any academic recognitions, acknowledgements or referrals to C-5 programs, but a heart that is genuinely happy for those that do. It’s the heart of one that may never be called upon to receive a certificate in school but will offer to help carry all of the certificates to the program if needed. It’s the heart of one that’s not envious of others but says with anticipation, “mommy, next year,” after learning that she missed passing all 5 subjects of the CRCT by only a few points. It’s the heart of a person that will invite everyone to her party even though few people will invite her to theirs. It’s the heart of a person that will smile through tribulations that would make grown people cry. It’s the heart that finds the good in others that don’t look for the good in her. It’s the heart of one that waits patiently even if it means coming in second, or third, or fourth. If I, her mother, a grown woman, had Shay's heart then my life would be richer. If I had a heart that would help without complaining, one that you could always depend on no matter what, or one that would share my last with a stranger, then my world would be a better place.

Last night as I watched her sleep I couldn’t help but be amazed at how God was able to pack all of this goodness into one small, misunderstood package. It was then that a still small voice said, “You haven’t seen anything yet….” TGBTG

~Stay Prayed Up! CLICK ON THE LINK