I have a sticky note on my desk that says, “Encourage someone today!”  Yes, I wrote it myself so that I wouldn’t forget to not only encourage others, but to remember to encourage myself.  While you may think that it sounds foolish to encourage myself, let me ask you a few questions. 

My parents always opened our home for ministers to eat with us and if necessary, they were welcome to stay in our home. There was never a question about whether their color or culture would decide if they could stay or not.

This world is in a state of chaos. Unemployment is at an all-time high and news of the pandemic is everywhere we turn. Anxiety and depression are rampant. Hope seems nowhere to be found.

We, too, battle our own voices that cause a fierce war between faith and fear. We want our faith to be stronger than our fears of not being enough – for God, for our family, our careers, etc.…

So, here we are in Holy Week of 2020.  This pandemic has upset our world.  We will probably never have our old routine again.  Maybe that is a good thing.  What Satan intended for evil, has been turned for good.

This week I have been fighting this battle. The “what if” game has resounded in my mind and fear has been at war against my hope and faith in Jesus.

While growing up, I can remember my brother, sister, and myself “going at it.” There were days that we got along and then there were days where we argued and sometimes, fought like cats and dogs. If you have siblings, you understand completely. Oh, we truly loved each other but we too had our moments like most brothers and sisters.

In my attempt to move forward, to fulfill the destiny that God has designed for me, I too look back. I dare think that I am not alone in this. I think we all struggle with looking back - holding on to the past whether it is painful memories, words that have been spoken over us that we can’t leave behind,

Prayer isn’t to change God as much as it is to change us. Even though God already knows the words forming on our lips, He wants us to talk and share our hearts with Him.

“Everyone wants to be in ministry, in the limelight on a platform preaching; but real ministry is being in the emergency room with a family that is faced with a hopeless situation.