Farewell Sorrow, Hello Joy

Farewell to Sorrow, Hello to JOY

February 2012 has been a particularly challenging month for me and my family. This is the month when really all that I have been praying about seems to be going in the exact opposite direction. My son, who takes up quite a big chunk of my interceding time, seemed even further away from where I wanted him to be with Christ. My sister, who takes up the other half, had yet another car accident and is still not back to work.  Things happened that made me cry and cry. As a matter of fact, I felt like I wept through the entire month of February. 

Yet, here I am on the last day of my fasting for the month of February and I feel a growing excitement within my bosom. I should back track to say that my Pastor (one of two), felt impressed by God for the church to go into a month of prayer and fasting. He had asked us to write down three things that we wanted God to help us with; a list of wants from God. You know, I am always reminded that I have not because I ask not, so this was challenging for me. I am one of those who ask not, having already decided for myself the answers from God. I know this is a lie, and God is working that out in me as well.

Anyway, this month persisted in its challenges, and I tell you, I have felt like it has been one long night full of mourning.  Yes, it was also punctuated by the highs of feeling like God is wrapping me up in His arms and carrying me; in contrast, there were those moments where I felt that I could kill the very giant with my bare hands. I have felt like God’s strength lifted me right out of my tearful stupor and used me as a vessel for His honour and His glory. However, for the most part I felt weak and quite like weeping Jeremiah.

I am as pleased as ever to complete something I have never done before.  Now I don’t want to mislead you, I have not been good at it, but I celebrate sticking with it. Prayer and fasting. Fasting and Prayer. I truly believe that when Jesus said to his disciples, these things come not out but by prayer and fasting, He was talking to us as well. Some things are hard, and they stick better than that crazy glue my Mom uses at times to glue the most unlikely things together.

Today, I sit in great anticipation of my Wednesday night prayer meeting. I have two scheduled for tonight and I can hardly wait for the work day to be over. I feel like the best is yet to come and I can’t think of a better way to invite March into the year , than by closing with prayer the preceding month. As the very name of the month suggests, I am marching on into March. I have my banner of His love over my head, flying for all the world to see whose side I am standing on. I am clothed in strength and dignity (Proverbs 31:25 as I discovered while absorbing Beth Moore’s book So Long Insecurity via CDs).  I am ready to move past this into the month of my testimony.

Now I can hear the skeptics among us saying, what happens when nothing new happens in March?  What if you find that it is more of the same if not worse?  What pray tell is the contingency plan?  To you this is my answer.  God promised me that he will exceed my expectations (Eph 3:20-21). He also said that if I put my hope and trust in Him that I will not be disappointed.  So, I am armed with His promises that are yes and amen.  I am confident in Him to not let His words return to Him void. My reliance is not in me, but in Him. He is the one that is faithful even if I don’t believe, He cannot deny Himself. So I am holding  on unswervingly to this Hope that I have in Him.

I am hoping that you will be so like minded to expect something from Him as well. I share this with you so that you can be excited about your future that God says is good. Friends, no matter happens in March, just as it did in February, it is already working out for my(our) good as I (we) love the Lord and have been called according to His purpose.

Waiting

If you are like me you are not particularly fond of waiting on anything.  You dont like long queues, long lines of cars before you anywhere, a microwave that makes 2 mins seem like 3...you just generally hate waiting.  Well, this month I have been waiting on God for somethings.  This morning in particular I asked Him "When God?  How much longer do I have to wait to see the results of what i already know He has done for me?"

Do you know what the answer was?  I bet you already do.  Wait and again I say Wait upon the Lord.  Well did I feel good about that answer? No.  I didnt.  So as if to reinforce that word to me, I found the verse (and I was not looking for it) in Isaiah 40:31 "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint".

Sometimes I feel so weak.  I feel that my strength has been zapped totally from me.  I feel like I cant go another step much less run and walk.  Yet. here is the word that says that I shall be strenthened, I shall mount up, I shall run and I shall walk...in my waiting.  So what does all this mean? For me it says, that in my waiting I am not sitting down collapsed, but I keep doing all that God tells me to do. IN my comtinued service, I wait for Him. He will not disappoint me. They that hope in God shall never be disappointed. So I am not a fan of waiting but I understand that God knows best.

So in the words of the song by John Waller:
While I am waiting I will serve you
While I am waiting I will worship
While I am waiting I will not faint
I'll be running the race even while I wait

By Your Side

After bawling my eyes out in one of my most undignified prayers to God, I heard the lyrics to the song by Tenth Avenue North "By Your Side".  I hope I am not breaking any copy rights law when I tell you the lyrics:

Why are you striving these days?
Why are you trying to earn grace?
Why are you crying...


I'll be by your side
where ever you fall
in the dead of night
whenever you call
and please dont fight
these hands that are holding you....

Cause I love you
I want you to know
That I love you

I'll never let you go...

As the lyrics to the song washed over my soul I could hear clearly the voice of my father saying "Let me hold you".  Even now I tear up just remembering the experience.  I could see myself being held by Him, feel His hands surrounding me just as His words did.  I will never leave nor will I forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5).

I write all of this so that perhaps one person could be encouraged today. Perhaps you are that person that feels like the world is crushing you. Maybe you have met upon trouble beyond even your own imaginings or comprehension.  Maybe you feel so sad and alone right now.  I am telling you my friend that God will hold you and he will never let you go. It is so true.  It is so real. God will never let you go.  Let Him hold you, just as he is holding me. 

By the way, thank God for the writers and singers of songs that minister to people.  Tenth Avenue North, may God bless you richly, for trully God listens to your songs and uses it in his healing process. He did it for me...and maybe so many others.

I Will Always Love You

Have you heard?  Whitney Houston passed away yesterday.  I still find it hard to reconcile this news with my memories of the woman so full of life singing "I wanna dance with somebody".  I could say so many things right now; talk about her troubles, her marriage and try to reason how this came to such a tragic end.  But there has been already so much and that is not how I want to remember this woman.  I will say that God's gifts are truly without repentance.  She was gifted, possessing a God-given ability to sing like no other.  She was the Best and all others have been compared or matched up to her "note" as a measuring stick of talent.

My heart goes out to her family. I think of her mom and daughter and how they must now feel.  Here we have a mother without a daughter and a daughter without a mother. I can only pray that the God of all Comfort will give them his solace and love right now.

Whitney Houston will always be remembered by me.  I never knew her as a person but I was one of those that was rooting for her to recover and return to God; to be healed wholly and finally find that peace and love she so desperately sought.  I will always love listening to her voice - She remains the best to date.  I cant help but "get so emotional,every time i think..." of her.  My condolences to her loved ones.

What About the Children - A Skit (Feel Free to use it)

What About the Children?

Characters:

Adrianne – Daughter about 19 y/o

Jahson – Boyfriend of Adrianne

Usheress Pride – Mother of Adrianne

Rev. Deacon Proud – Father of Light/ Youth Pastor

Light – Teenage boy

Boy – Teenager, friend of Light

Pastor

Dancers

Extras for Congregation

Scene One:

Usheress Pride in living room singing and folding clothes.  Happy and talking to herself about God’s love.  Scene is very intense.  Best to avoid having children in the room.  Requires a lot of emotion to carry off the seriousness of the scene.

Ush.:  Oh, God has been so good to me.  Lord your love is so sweet.  Father the way you have forgiven a wretch like me is so amazing.  (Continues to sing to herself and show signs of worshipping).

Adrianne:  (Walks in followed by Jahson.  Both look nervous and afraid).  Mom, I need to talk to you.

Ush:  Why honey of course.  You know you can talk to me.  Jahson, why do you look as if you saw a ghost.  Have a seat child before you fall on my clean floor. (Holds Adrianne’s hands and urges her to sit).

Adrianne:  Well Mom, you know that Jahson and I have been together for five years now. (Mother is nodding agreement).  Well, you know that we always talked about getting married after I was finished with college.  Ammm, well I…we think we will do it a little sooner…

Ush: Now Adrianne that is not what I want you to do! (Gets up and begins to pace).  I don’t want you to rush into anything.  You can wait.  Jahson Joshua why are you pressuring my daughter! What is the big rush, you both have your life ahead of you.  You are only 19 Adrianne!  Where would you…

Adrianne: (Interrupts her mother)  I am pregnant mother!

Ush:  What did you say? 

Adrianne: I am pregnant.  (Looks down at clasped hands).

Ush:  Jahson, what did she say?

Jahson:  Mrs Pride, I can explain…

Ush: (Clenches fist and proceeds in his direction) You can what?

Jahson: (backing towards exit) It’s just that…

Ush:  GET OUT!  You no good piece of trash!

Adrianne: Mother you’re over reacting.  These things happen all the time.

Ush: Shut Up Adrianne!  Get out of my house!

Adrianne:  Mother it happened to you!  You should…(shuts up as mother looks at her.  Jahson runs out of the house).

Ush:  It happened to me?  Yes it did, and my mother kicked me out.  You are nothing but a good for nothing little tramp.  You are just like your father – NOTHING!  I want you out of my house!  You have shamed me!

Adrianne:  Mother please! (Sobbing now)  I am sorry.  I didn’t mean…

Ush: Sorry does not cut it.  You are in the church!  You better not even think of going there.  Your shame will not follow me. 

Adrianne:  Mom Please…

Ush:  Pack your things Adrianne.  You have until the end of this week.  Go make your stupid Jahson take care of you. 

Adrianne:  I am begging you Mom, Have mercy on me…. (Begins praying)…God please help me!

Ush: DON’T even bother to try playing holy.  God does not love you and neither do I…. (Exit stage leaving Adrianne crying in a ball).

SCENE TWO:

Loud christian rap/reggae music playing as Light is dancing in the living room.  Phone rings…music is lowered.

Light: Hello. (Pauses and pretends there is some-one on the other end).  Look man, there is no need to go to the club….Yes I know you feel pressured by Motley, but God has your back….Yeah man, just remember that we are the salt of the earth and we cannot afford to loose our flavor…Riiight!  Alright then see at Bible study later.

(Music is turned up as he continues to dance).

Deacon enters:  Listen to me Light, how much time do I have to tell you not to play this demon music in my house.  I can’t even bring somebody here for fear you embarrass me with this behavior.  I don’t know what kind of “Light” you are. 

Light:  Dad, if you just listened to the words…

Deacon:  I not listening to no words!  You young people always want to tell people what to do…it was not like that in my days!

Light:  Dad, you are being unreasonable…

Deacon: Don’t tell me I being unreasonable!  I am your father you feisty boy!  You young people don’t have no respect!  Look at your clothes!  Look at you!  And is the same you come in church with your big oversized clothes hanging off…

Light: Dad not this again!  I know Jesus not looking at….

Deacon:  Jesus!  You can’t talk about Jesus!  All you do is listen to the garbage and talk about foolishness on the phone!

Light:  (Looking defeated and discouraged) You’re right Dad…I don’t know anything about Jesus.  I am just a good for nothing.

Deacon:  Well I am glad you know that.  Just turn down the raquet, I have to prepare the Sunday school lesson for tomorrow. (Exits stage.

Light grabs jacket and keys to leave.  Pauses takes bible out of the pocket and throws it on the floor.)

SCENE THREE

Church scene.  People are piling into the seats, Usheress Pride greeting and smiling.  It is Youth Sunday. Pastor walk up to podium.

Pastor:  Good morning brethren.  We want to welcome you into the house of the Lord today.  We at the Epis-costle Church would like to welcome the  visitors. (Refer to the audience as the visitors).  Today is Youth Sunday! Amen!  We believe that children should be seen and heard!  Amen!  We practice what we preach at home and abroad!  Our youth are welcome and appreciated.  Church - they are the future of tomorrow.  We give them a voice here at Epis-costle.  Now without any further ado, please make welcome our Youth Pastor Rev. Proud.  (Deacon comes up to podium).  You know Saints, this man is very much in touch with our youth here – he is doing a great job!

(Congregation applause)

Deacon Proud: Good morning every-one.  Welcome.  Thank you Pastor for your kind words.  Saints we have a special presentation today.  Our drama team has prepared for us a dance for today.  Please give them a warm welcome.

(Use song by Yolanda Adams – What about the children? Either track or soloist and have the dance group do a number to it)

Congregation Applauses at the end of the presentation.  Youth Pastor comes back and closes the service.  Everyone begin to leave, except one young boy who runs up to Rev. Proud.

Boy:  Rev. Proud! Rev. Proud! (Proud turns to face him).  Where is Light today?  We missed him at bible study last night.  I know it must have been something major, he never misses.  Rev., can I call you Rev. (Continues without pausing), Light has really helped us.  He listens to us and he prays with us.  I know most of the guys have been dabbling in all kind of things that were ungodly, but when Light found out he didn’t judge.  He talked to us and then we eventually formed a group.  Sir, I know it must have been because he has a Dad like you.  Well, my ride is dashing I gotta run, later Rev.

Proud:  Light?  (Stands in a daze and looks in shock).  What have I done oh God!  (Grabs his bible to rush home).

SCENE FOUR

(Living room of Usheress Pride and Adrianne.  Adrianne packing her bag to leave.  Still crying. Mother walks in from church)

Ush:  Adrianne, you’re still here.  (Appears unsure of her words).  Adrianne, look I have been so wrong.  I have been so…(begins to sob) I just didn’t want you to feel what I felt, and I ended up doing just that.  (Reaches over to stop Adrianne who is still packing and not looking at her mom).  Adrianne, I am the one that is sorry now.  I handled this so wrong.  You are my child, and I do love you.

Adrianne: (Pulls away) Do you mother?  I am just a TRAMP!  A TWO BIT SLU…

USH: You are not! (Cuts her off) You are not.  Please sit with me?  Please?  Adrianne today at church they did a presentation, it spoke to my heart.  I am not happy, I will not lie about that, but I love you just the same.  We are going to work through this together.  We are also going to work on your relationship with God.  Adrianne, why did you not come to me?  Why did you try to hide how you were feeling about Jahson.  Maybe I could have helped and prevented this, maybe I could have prayed, maybe…

Adrianne:  Mom I tried to tell you when Jahson and I…and then I found out that I was pregnant…and then I was ashamed…and I didn’t want any-one to know…Mom

USH:  Adrianne, I know.  Listen what is important now is that you know that God loves you, and so do I.  You have to make the decision to repent and go back into his arms.  It will be hard, much harder than before, but I know that it is possible. We will go see Pastor together. Come on let us unpack, and we can talk about it later.

Adrianne:  Mom, I am sorry and I do love you.

(They hug and leave the stage).

SCENE FIVE

(Light sitting in his room.  No music.)

Proud:  Light, I need to talk to you.

Light:  Yes?

Proud:  I owe you an apology.

Light:  You are apologizing?  Wow, there really must be a God!

Proud:  There is no need for your sarcasm Light. (Pause and takes a deep breath).  Look, let me start again.  I didn’t try to understand anything about you, and I realize that I was wrong.  I have always given you a hard time, because of what I saw on the outside.  I wanted you to look like me, well, I wanted you to be the person I wanted you to be.  I realized that God has a purpose for you just as you are.  You can reach a group of people that I cannot.  I never appreciated that before, but the Kingdom of God has all kinds.  There is the old fashioned ones like me and then there are the ones like you.  My job is to not judge but to understand that we are all in this together.  What I am trying to say in a bad way is that I am sorry for pre-judging you.  I am sorry for not listening to you – ever.  Can we perhaps start over?

Light:  Dad, apology accepted.  You’re all right too.  You want to see the words of the trash I listen to?

Proud:  Yeah why don’t we go listen to it in the living room.

Light:  Right on.

(Music begins as they exit stage).

Adam George

The SON (sun) shall rise, and HE (it) will shine.

This morning just before 7am, I sat in my car.  I turned the ignition off and for a moment stared unseeingly through the windshield.  My favorite song began it’s melody through the sound system of my stereo “There’s a beauty to the dawn….” Here is when my eyes, washed from the blinding fog saw what was occurring before me.  The sun was rising.  A new day was breaking.  The darkness I drove into was suddenly being pushed away.

As I watched the sky being painted with blue, pink and lavender the voice of my consciousness declared light dispels darkness.  In the presence of light, there cannot be any darkness. The two cannot co-exist peacefully together, for one must over power the other one.  The darkness is always subjected to the authority of the light; it must bow to the presence of the sun.

The sun rises, whether we see it or feel its warmth.  It will accomplish its mandate – doing exactly as it was created and commissioned to do.  Its presence every morning will drive away the once reigning evidence of night and bring day into place.  Has a new day ever been missed?  Has the sun as yet been forbidden to shine, giving us light and the ability to see?

And so I thought of the Son.  He accomplished His purpose here on earth and even now, waits to return in the perfect timing of our shared Father.  His presence in my life is light.  As I abide in Him and He in me, there cannot be any darkness.  For is it possible that light and dark, good and bad, or salt and fresh can dominate the same body of matter? 

So I reasoned that I should shine where ever I go and the darkness must stand back.  I am like a flash light in the big picture, and yet my light will cut through the dark ebbs of this world – as it is powered by the Son.

I am also commissioned to live out my purpose, whatever that may be, differing from another, but accomplishing the same end. Jesus did say, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:6