Whitnee's journey with Christ

I woke up early with the intentions to go to church as a family, let’s just say that didn’t happen! Thank God for the church live streaming on Facebook or we would have missed a great message.

I did my daily roll call starting with Emmanuel and ending with Micah. Micah is always the last to go to sleep and the last to get up and it is a pain trying to wake him up in the mornings. Of all mornings I wish I would have gotten Micah up first because the first one up clogged the toilet.

I laugh because I say all the time I am going to start rationing off the toilet tissue because they put too much tissue in the toilet: I mean that Charmins commercial really jacked my boys up because all of them thing it takes a complete roll just to wipe their little butts. 😆

Had I known a clogged toilet would have led to the blessings on top of blessings, I would not have pitched a fit like I did this morning.

By the time the toilet was unclogged and the shower unclogged (thanks to a strong man named Rico and Drano Max) we are back in business….but services were half way over. Again, thank God for the church live streaming it so if you aren’t able to be in person you don’t have to miss out on the Word (shout out to Amanda SHE IS AMAZING!!!!)

Listening to the guest speaker share a story of his childhood and his memories of the 6’2 pastor who stood on a step stool to deliver his message was very inspiring. I loved to hear that though this man of God (the guest speaker) doesn’t claim to be a perfect Christian, God uses him in a mighty way. It was every bit of amazing how his words of wisdom related with the message from Pastor Steven on last week.

By this time church services were over, I had a few errands to run as I collect items for sale off of FB market to help expand the family business. My boys talked about their experience at Oliver Gospel Mission and it made me so proud because they had come a long way. You see Uncle Kent graciously feeds the homeless with Teen Spirit a non profit based out of Irmo, SC and my boys will help him. Since the pandemic things have slowed down a bit but Uncle Kent aka Minister Kenneth S. will still feed the souls of many by spreading the Good News and through his precious wife Jackie, and her food business called Nana’s Kitchen.

We decided to fix plates and give out to those in the downtown and North Main community. It was a blessing in disguise that the toilet clogged and it was a blessing that my refrigerator was too full and we wouldn’t be able to start prepping for our weekly menu with the extra stuff in the refrigerator. Without hesitation I whipped up some food and by the grace of God it was enough for 40 plates. (I don’t know who I thought I was cooking for initially but let me tell you all 40 plates were gone and I wish we had more).

We had an “assembly line going!” Micah wrapped the silverware, Emmanuel cooked the hot dogs, Rico helped with the food and getting the containers, I fixed the plates, and William packaged it up. We had cookies that we didn’t need so we decided to package them up and share with others (I even gave away my chocolate turtles that I used to love but looking at the scale they DEFINITELY don’t love me so it was no sweat off of my back to pass them forward).

In my heart I knew I wanted my boys to be present because this was things I would do with my mom and dad when I was young. They were so mission driven and even out of our nothingness my parents still had the desire to help people. I mean I’ve seen my mom take off her jacket at church and her shoes off of her feet at work because someone said they liked it and wish they had something like it. (Keep reading I am getting to the part where I had a shirtless child!)

We made our first stop off of Washington Street and there were only a few people there but that was just the beginning.

Next we went to Uncle Kent’s stomping ground, Finlay Park, it was a lot of people out there. Once the word got out people were literally coming from out of the bushes. It made me sad because there were so many young people out there who were without food and shelter.

As people walked away and thanked the boys for the food, I saw their eyes smile after they read the personalized note I put on every container. We wanted them to know they are loved, they are God’s beloved, they are amazing, they matter, they make a difference and the world is better because of them. It brought joy to my heart because I want them to know we love them, I love them!

Off to the next spot we went, coming up Main there was a man who stared at me so I smiled. He was shocked to see that I smiled at him so he waved, I waved back. We pulled over and gave him and his friend a plate and then we went to our old stomping grounds, Prescott.

Rico knows everyone over there and I was afraid that it wouldn’t be a good place to drop off the last of what we had (we only had 4 plates left) and it was a lot of people out there. But one lady in particular came up the car in need of more than what we had to offer.

She asked if we had a shirt she could have and a coat because it was about to rain and instantly I thought of non-profit I started in my moms honor, Dolly’s House Clothing Ministry. We only had food and I felt so bad. In that moment I was thinking boy if I had a shirt under this one you could have mine. God heard my thoughts and he answered through my son.

My baby said, “mom she can have mine!” He didn’t hesitate, he didn’t mumble, he didn’t have an attitude…he took his shirt off handed it to the young lady and said “God bless you.” I was speechless. I couldn’t believe my 15 year old who is a young man of few words and I often call mean would do such a thing. I could see my William but Micah!!!!

We packed up our stuff and headed home, I was in tears. I felt like my mom and dad had come down from Heaven and took possession of my boys, because it was so like Ralph and Willia to help other people.

There are so many scriptures that come to mind, but Hebrew 13:16 stood out to me.

This is a moment I will never forget. This is a day they will never, ever forget as long as they shall live.

The Pastor today said we shouldn’t give our kids the option to go to church or not like we don’t give them the option to go to school, today I can honestly say it was God’s decision for us to be in the community helping our fellow brothers and sisters while allowing the Word of God to minister to us in thought and in deed.

Moral of the story: DO NOT EVER FORGET WHERE YOU COME FROM. Do not ever take for granted what you have that others stand in need of. The Bible says in 1 John 3:17, But if anyone has the worlds goods and sees his brothers in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

We could have been selfish and decided that it wasn’t the right move to give away food when we entered into the food business but how would that glorify God. I know I remember when I was hungry and I would lie to my kids that I hadn’t eaten already just so they wouldn’t worry about me and enjoy their food. Lord knows I remember when I was dealing with someone in the house on drugs who would take food from me and my kids and had it not been for Jasmine this particular time I don’t know how we would have eaten. Times like that humbled me and keep me on my knees to this day and I vowed and made my kids vow that we would always feed and cloth someone if we could. And today I realized that all the lectures, all the tears, all the long nights, all the sacrifices weren’t in vain, because my boys are walking in their grandparents footsteps.

We serve a God of abundance and it is time we as His children start helping our brothers and sisters.

I dedicate todays message to Micah, Emmanuel and William. Y’all have made me so proud and I know your granddad and grandma are in Heaven beaming down smiles on you. They would be so proud of the young men you are growing up to be. Keep God first, remember to always give and help when you can, pray and obey God, and live a life that is pleasing to God. Remember you will make mistakes, you will fall short but God’s grace is sufficient. I love you with all my heart and all my soul.

Signed a proud mama