When Freedom is Staring You in The Face

[Original Photo gotten from Picfor.me edited by @ayostephens]

Opened Prisons.

I once heard a story about a King who was overthrown by his brother. He was captured by his brother and kept in a prison with open doors. Ever wondered what a prison with open doors would look like. Anyone could just walk away, why call it a prison? Yes the King was kept in a prison but the doors were left open and I would tell you how. 

The king was known for his unhealthy eating habits. He ate too much which made him overweight. So the prison was built around him and there was a normal sized door made at the entrance and every day his brother would have his servants deliver the choicest food and wine to the door. The king had choices to make. In fact, his freedom was his choice. He either ate more fine and delicious meals and got bigger or denied himself and got out after a while.

When I first heard this story, it spoke to me in a deep way because I saw myself and all the ‘good things’ I didn’t want to forfeit for the ‘better’ in the words of the story. And a lot of people are in such situations, in our face stares freedom but instead of embracing it like a long lost friend we stare back at it like a stranger. We all know the places in our very own lives freedom keeps calling, it could be saving and making wise choices for a desirable future, getting debt free, breaking an addiction or in fact knowing where you are going to go when you leave this earth. Freedom calls, freedom stares and most of the time whether we experience it is dependent on the choices we make.

A wise friend once told me this ‘the future, you might not know or are not certain about, it seems ‘uncontrollable’ but you can make controllable choices right here in your present to control a future that seems uncontrollable’. I think that’s some good advice we could all use. No matter where you are right now in your life, today’s choices can be the catalyst for your tomorrow’s wishes.

One thing I would like to leave you with, all things might appear ‘good’ but not all things are necessary for you. Do not be caught under the yoke of the good things thereby being hindered to getting to the better. Freedom calls and embracing it is always for the better.

Antsy

[Image from Flickr]

Antsy: n. a state of being eager or nervous. Origin: From the phrase have ants in one's pants;

Hello, where are you and how are you? Are you waiting for something big in your life, about to make a major decision, maybe about a relationship? The worse thing we can do to mess up everything is be in a hurry about things working out. Hurry sounds like worry and trust me, they are sometimes the same thing.

Today I found myself asking thousands of 'reasonable' questions about a particular situation in my life. What if. . . What if? They were all good questions and sensible in counting the cost about the situation but a good question asked at the wrong time is still a wrong one.

We must trust God with our situations and the way He plans on bringing them to pass. Sometimes yes they could cause us to be so excited and eager till we fall to the nervous side, to the worrying side. God would help us cross our hurdles when we come to them. He has an answer for every question we might want to ask but there's a right time for every question.

You are a young lady waiting for your knight in golden armor? Stop asking when he would come when God has told you to make yourself ready and beautiful for him (the knight of course) in deeper ways. A more appropriate question is: Lord, what areas am I currently ugly at?

Or maybe you are a guy asking God for a wife, God shows her to you, and you know deep down and you are already asking 'what if I get tired of loving her?' or maybe you are asking 'what If I she says no?'. Now you see how dumb your question is.Before asking her anything you are already assuming 'no'. Brother, she can't say no to no proposal. You've got to step out with the answers you've got first.

And it all ends like this. God is faithful and true to himself. We must believe his already given answers they lead to the other answers. But when we choose to be antsy, and throw our 'good' questions out at the wrong time, cross our hurdles before we get to them, please do me the favor of looking for a man whose gotten (soldier) ants into his pants, that's how crazy we look.

Whitney Houston : When Death Exhales Life

Life Lessons We Can Learn From Her Death

18th of February 2011

11:05 P.M.

Honestly, I had cold feet about doing this. Apart from one of my pet peeves being people saying all that were wrong with a celebrity's life at their death and this blog not being a gossip, I really don’t know how to tell other people’s stories well. And in fact sometimes when I try in all sincerity to draw another man’s story from my mouth, it falls flat like gossip, like hard peas boiled half way in the mouth, unoriginal is the best word. I have chosen to tell this cause I found my own story in it. Yes, I’m talking about Whitney Houston and it’s not just my story, but OUR story I find in this woman’s story. Let me tell you how.

Whitney passed on the 11^th of February and at first I was shocked at the news. Can I make a confession right here on my blog? I cried, I literally cried. The news couldn’t have caught me at a more vulnerable time than that. Waking up at 4 am to hear that someone whose voice had put smiles on your face on bluesy days wasn’t here anymore has got away of opening up something deep in your heart.  I got up and put on her song ‘I didn’t know my own strength’ one that really spoke to me during a very hard time. It was then the hot tears came, I thought she was gonna make another record; I thought she was gonna come back stronger, bounce back like they say when people got overwhelmed by the weight of the world we live in. I thought so many good things for her and it just pained my heart that she left just like that. I said some prayers, hoped she was in a better place and had some reflections. I couldn’t make any conclusions on why this happen, so I picked up my devo and moved on into the day. That was a week back.

Tonight as I watched her funeral, I saw a good in all the bad, I saw the hand of God moving in all that had happen even a week back. I saw how God was taking the painful things the enemy meant to harm the hearts of her loved ones and was using it to bring forth his glory and praise. Yes, she wasn’t going to make another record, yes she was gone and I and lot of people were so sad about that but her funeral was held in a church broadcasted live via CNN to approximately 170 million people. Now that was a miracle, people who didn’t even know her were watching her funeral. And I’m wondering the number of people who would have come to the knowledge of Christ through this one broadcast. I’m wondering the number of people that this drove to pursue a deeper intimacy with Christ. I’m wondering the number of wayward humans whose heart broke at hearing her eulogy. I’m wondering the number of those who had gave up on the Christian faith before but had an opportunity to see it in new light that very hour. I’m wondering and still wondering.

A friend of mine on Facebook of whom I’m sure didn’t know what was going on quoted the pastor referring to him as #TheBlackManOnCNN. Someone also said this (which I really loved) ”There is finally GOOD NEWS on CNN #JESUS #HOPEOFTHEWORLD”

The point is God used one modern, relevant and broken woman’s story (who was trying to comeback stronger after a setback) to show forth his glory. Last week I thought her story was ended and I was so sad and sorry but I am not God and I don’t see as he sees, His ways, far higher than mine. When I only see the rough back side of the embroidery on the clothing, he sees the beautiful pattern on the outside.

And this is where our stories come in. where are you, how are you doing and what are you going through? Do you think it’s the end? Have people told you that your situation is ‘dead’. Please remember the faithfulness and sovereignty of God through the death of beloved Whitney Houston today. 

As I write this, playing over the air waves is my favorite of hers ‘I didn’t know my own strength’ and I’m asking myself ‘What can God not do?’. As I leave you with the lyrics of the song from Whitney Houston I hope we come to learn and realize day by day that God sees parts of the scene we aren’t seeing and I also hope this thrusts us into trusting him . . . with everything, Yes EVERYTHING.

P.S.- I was actually meant to post a different post today but I had to change at the last minute. I would be posting 'Antsy' on Friday. I can't wait for you to read it, it would bless your heart :)

I Didn't Know My Own Strength by Whitney Houston

Lost touch with my soul I had nowhere to turn, I had nowhere to go  

Lost sight of my dream Thought it would be the end of me
I, I thought I'd never make it through I had no hope to hold on to I, I thought I would break

I didn't know my own strength And I crashed down and I tumbled, but I did not crumble I got through all the pain  

I didn't know my own strength
Survived my darkest hour, my faith kept me alive I picked myself back up, hold my head up high I was not built to break I didn't know my own strength

Found hope in my heart I found the light to life my way out of the dark Found all that I need here inside of me
Oh, I thought I'd never find my way I thought I'd never lift that weight I thought I would break

I didn't know my own strength And I crashed down and I tumbled, but I did not crumble I got through all the pain I didn't know my own strength
Survived my darkest hour, my faith kept me alive I picked myself back up, hold my head up high I was not built to break I didn't know my own strength

There were so many times I wondered how I'd get through the night I thought I took all that I could take

I didn't know my own strength And I crashed down and I tumbled, but I did not crumble I got through all the pain Oh, I didn't know my own strength
My faith kept me alive I picked myself back up, I hold my head up high I was not built to break I didn't know my own strength
I was not built to break, no, no I got to know my own strength

Your Efforts Are Seen

[ Image via Pinterest]

Imagine with me for a moment, you just arrived in a city, let’s call it FabulouCity. And you have an appointment at the city’s central mall. You have an appointment but no directions. So here you are trying to find your way through the city to where you want to go and you are asking people ‘Hello, please where is the FabulouCity central mall’. Blank stare and they walk past you like you do not exist. Some even walk straight through you, collide with you and find out you aren’t invisible and do not even utter a 'sorry'. You are trying all you can to get to where you want to but it seems like it’s impossible to get through.

Far-fetched right? But a lot of people are in real situations like this today and they are trying all they can to get to where God has shown them. First thing I would like to tell you if you are reading this is,

Your efforts are seen

God sees how much you desire his will and how much you are putting in to get there. God is your judge here and be careful on how fellow men tell you how much you are under-working or over-working. That’s the first part, now on to the second.

Be still, when you do not know what to do

Everyday I’m coming to realize that the only necessary work required from every child of God is being still. Run a thousand miles, without God, relative advancement equals zero. We must learn to lean on God to chart the course for us before we go out on the course. So really next time you don't know what to do, Be still. Do the only work that would save unnecessary work.

So remember whenever you find yourself in FabulouCity, your efforts are seen, God knows how much you are putting in and He loves you. And always remember, He rewards every love labor. Also, when you do not know what to do, just be still. Do the hard work of being still to relieve yourself of doing the harder work of being stressed, random and confused.

Back to Fabuloucity, you sit down by a side walk bench to breathe in and just be still, your eyes glances a purple pamphlet on the floor just beside the bench you are sitting on. It’s an advert of a Ford exhibition, it’s dated yesterday but it took place at the FabulouCity Central Mall.