Whitnee's journey with Christ

Shortly after sitting down to partake of my first meal of the day I looked around the house and a bright smile illuminated the room. Rico and I had this thing where I would fix our food and he would always carry it to wherever we would eat a meal together. I quickly told him today we should change it up and since I cooked the meal, he should fix the plates and to change it up, I would take the plates for us. Low and behold it didn’t work out that, and his smile signified things wouldn’t be changing just yet.

After blessing the food we ate, laughed, and were so full we could barely move. I had cooked some comfort food that would stick to your ribs (baked pork chops with onion and bell peppers smothered in gravy, Italian string beans, yellow rice, macaroni and cheese, and cornbread). It was one of those meals you would normally go right to sleep afterwards if you weren’t careful.

By the time we finished eating lunch Micah came scrolling in from school. We greeted him and listened with excitement as he did a recap of his day at school. I told Micah that the internet was down and how he responded, you would have thought someone pulled his heart out. Kids these days are so addicted to their phones, games, and electronics period that they don’t know how to react or function without it.

Micah finally got over the “horror” of spending the day without the internet. Rico and I had to remind our son that there are folks who don’t ever have the internet for one reason or another and that he should be grateful. You see, often we have to talk to our boys about being content, being appreciative, and being grateful for all that God has blessed them with.

To keep them humble we often talk about the time when we couldn’t afford to pay rent and though both of us worked it wasn’t enough to pay market rent so after sleeping in the car for a few weeks we got a bed at the family shelter. I tell that story over and over so they know how far God has brought us. I tell them all the time “don’t ever forget where you come from.” Out of all of them, William seems to be the one who truly gets what I’m trying to say.

So after our little talk, I sat back and thought to myself. I wondered how it was that though we have come so far as a family, the kids wanted more. It’s greed I tell you, pure greed!

To make matters worse, if I can be honest with you, they got it from us. As humans our eyes can be so big, too big if you ask me!

I’ll give you an example, I wanted an iPad because everyone in my family had one so I brought one and I can count on one hand how many times I’ve used it and it’s been in my possession for over a year. I have a closet full of shoes but keep wearing “old faithful” until the soles give out because they are so comfortable. I get all these pretty earrings and no matter the price, I’m in love with the pearls I got from Kings Beauty that costed me a whopping 99 cents.

That’s just a few ways I can admit how I can be greedy. Though I’m grateful and appreciate everything I have because it was given to me as a gift or Rico and I worked hard and were able to purchase what we wanted. But at the end of the day- do we really need it? Does all that stuff really matter?

Take a second to think about you and all your worldly possessions. Does it help you sleep better at night knowing you have all the clothes, shoes, gadgets, toys, cars, money that a man or woman could want? Does it make you happy knowing the designer shirt and pants you wear daily cost more than the average meal some people can afford?

I mean really take a moment to think and reflect…….

I’ll wait!!!!

It dawned on me that everything we need my God supplies. Because His grace and loving kindness He will allow us to have some of our wants as well though His word says He promises to supply our needs.

Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

Ecclesiastes 6:9

Drawing from the experience of being temporarily stranded in Pennsylvania it has me looking at life much differently. It has given me a great respect and deeper appreciation for the little things. I’m not a materialistic person but after sitting back and doing a self inventory I saw flaws in my mindset and my actions. God knows I don’t intentionally take anything or anyone for granted- but here I was sitting on the couch thinking of all the “small things” I’ve taken for granted. Here I was thinking about how unappreciative my actions or neglect of certain things was obsolete.

You know that saying “you’re gonna miss me when I’m gone.” Well that’s how I felt about certain “little things” that I was just too blind sided or ignorant to say “thank you!”

As children we are taught to say yes ma’am, no ma’am, no sir, yes sir, please, and thank you but as we go into adulthood though the manners and everything mommy and daddy taught us are embedded in us, we still forget to use our words. We still forget to say “thank you” even if that is our duty or our roles in relationships, positions, careers, etc.

We will tell the cashier thank you and have a good day but fail to tell our children and spouse that. We may compliment the lady who sits on the front pew at church and tell her how nice she looks on Sunday morning but fail to tell our spouse or children how beautiful or handsome they are. We may get so caught up in day to day life again we forget to use our words and give thanks in all things.

Not just giving God thanks for the food and clothing, for health and strength, for shelter, etc. I’m talking about thanking Him for your spouse, your children, the dog, the cat. I’m talking about going the extra mile and thanking your spouse for “putting up” with you and loving you over the years, telling your children how blessed you are to be their mother or father, or telling your neighbor thank you for waving good morning everyday.

It’s time for us to redirect our focus and realize what really matters in life. It’s time for us to think about what is truly important to us. It is time for us to take inventory on just how blessed we are even if we don’t have the latest Jordan’s on our feet or we not rocking the latest trending fashion of the week.

There is a song my dad used to listen to by Lee Williams and I know I’ve mentioned it before in a blog a few months back but it is talking about “another blessing.”

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:11-13

Though today’s scripture focus on being content, the purpose of today’s message is shed light on being appreciative in every situation, of every person in your life no matter the level of significance, manifesting that relationship with Christ, and just to be satisfied.

God allowed me to suffer long enough to realize how my actions (unintentional or not) were causing me to self destruct. I focused so hard on being “the perfect wife, the perfect daughter, the perfect mother” that God showed me just how sucky I’ve been in all areas and how through His love I wasn’t being the person He created me to be. I wasn’t responding how He wanted me to. I wasn’t displaying all the love, care, and passion I had for people in a physical way because I was so caught up mentally and psychologically.

It’s so easy to look at what other people are doing wrong but it takes much prayer, honesty, and courage to look in the mirror. And even while looking in the mirror, one could be in denial. I’m no longer in denial of my wrongdoings and my shortcomings. I don’t have a problem displaying my faults if it will teach someone a lesson on appreciating everything, especially the small things.

I used to get so aggravated with my mom nagging me about asserting myself and speaking up, until I lost my voice. I used to get so aggravated with her “nit picking” with me until she no longer had the ability to talk and definitely after her death. What I would give to hear her say “put those fries down, “put some makeup on”, “don’t talk to the boys in that tone”, “did you pay your tithes already”, “or I love you!”

Prioritize your relationships, fight for those things in life worth fighting for, don’t be afraid to let go of what God wants to loose from your life, be thankful in all things, trust God in ways, show gratitude and appreciation to everyone your encounter, and most importantly continue to build a more intimate relationship with Christ. We are nothing without Christ. We don’t know love if we don’t know Christ- God is love!

My heart is overflowing with thanksgiving. My soul yearns for God to use me in the way He sees fit. Forgive me of my sins dear Lord. Please allow whom I’ve hurt or caused pain to forgive me as well. Use me Lord to show someone Your love, Your grace and mercy, Your Word, Your way. Lord it my prayer that me sharing today’s message it blesses someone to realign their lives and focus on what truly matters whether it be their husband or wife, children, parents, grandchildren, or simply their relationship with You.

No more complaining folks, focus on your blessings. You can’t miss what you never had. You can’t be lost with someone or something that wasn’t yours in the first place. God is all we need, and if we have Him, we have more than enough!

With a humble heart I end today’s message with Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.