Strength

Commercials are the best. I remember the Secret deodorant commercial that always reminded us that it’s “strong enough for a man, but ph balanced for a woman.” Women are often thought of as the weaker species, but I was surrounded by women who had strength. My grandmother was a sharecropper. My mother was one of the first black students to integrate her high school. My aunt was in the military. I have a family full of survivors. Sometimes, we have to recognize that there is strength in letting go. There is strength in walking away. There is strength in not doing. There is strength in resting in God’s grace. There is strength in weakness. This Mother’s Day celebrate the women who have taken off their cape of busyness. This Mother’s Day celebrate the women who recognize the source of their strength. This Mother’s Day celebrate all the baby weight. This Mother’s Day celebrate all the scars and all the flaws. This Mother’s Day celebrate the women who found the strength to push past their fears and insecurities. This Mother’s Day celebrate all women who have nurtured, sacrificed, stepped up, and been present in your life regardless of their title. Happy Mother’s Day!

Sustenance

Psalm 37:25 KJV I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

God uses food in unique ways. He fed Adam and Eve in a garden. He gave manna to the children of Israel. He used a raven to feed Elijah. He fed the masses with five loaves of bread and two fish. God uses food to provide strength. God uses food to provide sustenance. God uses food to increase our faith and even to inspire the miraculous. I can say that I have probably eaten better during this pandemic than I have in a long time. God uses food to heal and restore. How is God providing sustenance for you?

Grit

I have never been a quitter. I like to finish what I start no matter what. However, life has a way of presenting challenges that seem like formidable obstacles. These challenges seem to all occur at the same time to add to the pressure. Pressure produces diamonds, but it also busts pipes. Are you a diamond or a pipe? Do you have the grit to see it through? Do you have the perspective to see beyond the moment? Grit is not learned. Either you have it or you don’t. Grit is the courage to face your challenges head on and persevere.

Blessed

Today is my mother's 70th birthday. Despite everything my mother has endured, she is here. Life is a gift that is meant to be celebrated daily. It's easy to get distracted by headlines and hashtags. It's easy to take life for granted. It's easy to forget the daily blessings God continues to provide.  If you woke up this morning, you're blessed. If you have clothes on your back and food to eat, you're blessed. If you have a roof over your head, you're blessed. If you have a job and money in your pocket, you're blessed. If you have a degree of health, you're blessed. Be blessed and know that today is a blessing. 

Fortitude

I heard a preacher say that, “on the other side of your pain is success.” Most of us would choose a life free from pain and adversity. We would choose a life that doesn’t require any courage under fire. Interesting enough, it’s in the fire that we find out how much we can endure. It is in our weakness, we find our strength. It is in challenging times, we find our fortitude.

Virtue

Merit. Morals. Morality. Strength. Courage. Standards. All of these words come to mind when I think of virtue. My imagination takes me to the time of Ladies and Lords, a time when chivalry was the norm. The four classic cardinal virtues are temperance, prudence, courage, and justice. Christianity derives the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and love from 1 Corinthians. Love being the greatest of these. What virtues do we esteem? Do we still have morals and standards or is chaos the norm? Do we not respect each other? Have we lost our virtue? Has it slipped away from us under the guise of being politically correct? How do we get it back? 

"Love means to love that which is unlovable; or it is no virtue at all." -Gilbert K. Chesterton

Fervent

Fervor n.

1. intensity of feeling or expression

2. intense heat

The Bible talks about having a fervent mind, effectual fervent prayers, and possessing a fervent spirit. Our thoughts should be passionate and deliberate. Our prayers should be a profession of our faith. Our spirit should be expectant. I say should because some of us have lost our intensity. Our passionate flames are smoldering. We are still on fire, but our flames can be extinguished by disappointment. Fan the flames. Ignite your passion. Renew your strength. Change your mind. Raise your expectation. Pray effectual fervent prayers. Love fervently.