Thursday, September 10, 2009

Food for Thought: "Check Your Space"

Dedicated to Bunny Brown... thanks for the card, Oldgirl.

As I mentioned before, Spiritual Blogger Keisha "Kitten" Isaacs, author of the Ink on the Sheets blog, has an excellent ministry that heavily utilizes our current technology. Every Monday morning, she sends out a inspirational text message.

I had a chance to talk to her last night. We were chatting away on Facebook chat near the midnight hour. She gave me her phone number and told me to call her.

*Lee catching a crook in her neck from sitting up too quick in the bed*

It was one of them "What in the world?" moments.

I guess she sees me crouched in a corner of the city in sackcloth dumping ashes on my head and wailing inside, and wants to help a sista get up off the floor...

So she took it upon herself to talk to me and straighten me out. And to pray about some things with me.

I do appreciate that, Keisha. I felt better this morning. Thanks for the "LYLAS" moment.

I found this text particularly inspirational. She gave me permission to post it up.

I found the part I highlighted in read particulary important.

I'll give my thoughts afterwards.


Hey Queen,

Greetings from LYLAS 4 Life Ministries, "A modern day ministry, delivering the word of God through technology to unite, empower, and uplift sistahs in Christ." In addition to your weekly TextScriptz, I send you God's love, peace, and blessings. I pray we have a tongue seasoned with honey rather than spice.

My soon to be three year old nephew and I were watching The Wiz yesterday and I found there were so many spiritual lessons to be learned from that movie. However, today I’d like to focus on the Scarecrow and the self-doubt that was instilled in him by the constant discouragement of the crows.

Many people have grown up in families where negativity is as natural as a stomach growling from hunger pains. It simply was a way of life for them. In fact, positivity would be viewed as a foreign language for some. I see it daily when I speak positive affirmations to the boys that I work with. Unfortunately, they cannot see the young princes that I see when I look at them. Instead, they see what they feel or what others have spoke into their lives, and it isn’t always charming. Like the scarecrow, they are filled with so much potential but lacking confidence because of that deadly thing called doubt.

What’s interesting is that the scarecrow felt he didn’t have a brain and yet he was literally loaded with wisdom. There were powerful words stuffed inside of him that helped make up who he was and who he would be. However, the negative words from those devilish crows had deceived him for years until Dorothy came down that road bringing hope with her.

Sistah, when you skip down the road are you bringing hopeful words or hateful words with you? Do you help pull out the greatness that is tucked inside of others or do you contribute to their uncertainty about themselves, life, and God with your words and actions? Are you singing praises of a mighty God and that all things are possible through him or do you reinforce their thoughts that they can’t win, they can’t break even, and they can’t get out of the game? Are you a WORD deliverer my sistah; do you come with the gift of God’s word when you speak? Let’s be careful what we say to others because “reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Proverbs 12:18). We are surrounded by many people who are like the scarecrow in need of someone to run off the crows and bring healing to them through Godly words. So speak like sistah….speak life!

Loving You Like A Sistah (LYLAS),

http://www.lylas4life.org/
http://www.textscriptz.com/

First of all, if you are not subscribed to that text service... uh, why don't you get up on that. It is very helpful. We're quick to roll up on the blog drama... why don't you roll up on something useful?

That is, if you want courage instead of corn in your life.

(I'll take courage over corn any day. An Oldgirl needs all the courage she can get, you see).

I liked the analogy of the scarecrow. Keisha knows how to snatch the take-home lesson out of the simplest things...

That part in red, though... that got to me.

First of all, I am thankful that their is NO ONE in my personal space who personifies the negative aspects of that passage.

Ain't nobody contributing to my uncertainty about myself, life, and God with their words and actions.

Ain't nobody reinforcing my thoughts that I can’t win, I can’t break even, and I can’t get out of the game.

Ain't nobody kicking hateful words my way.

Plus, I'll like to add my own 2 cents to all this. And feel free to let me know if I'm off base on this.

People who are not in control of their own emotions have a tendency to want to try to control the emotions of others.

People who are not happy with their own lives will try to control the lives of others.


So putting all this together, I ask you a question.

And be sure to check all around you, check your pockets, check under your feet... in other words, check your personal space...

Check. Your. Space.

What kind of friends do you have around you today? What kind of influence are they having on you today?

Something to think about on a Thursday morning...

9 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:02:00 PM

    those ARE really encoraging words, thanks for sharing them with us Lee
    hope I spread good energy today- vivian

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  2. As I was reading this, it made me start to think whether or not I have people in my "circle" who are negative about life in general? I'm gonna have to really reflect on this b/c I can't think of anyone right off, but I think it's time I really thinik about my circle anyway. What I'm bringing to their lives and what they bring to mine...

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  3. Love those words of encouragement. In checking my space, it seems that there are a few that have the intent (and I believe in the power of intent) to do right by themselves by doing right by me but are influenced by others outside of the circle because their circle is either non-existent or faltering.

    Misery loves company, and that contingent is on a rather large recruiting drive.

    It took things like this last recent event of loss for those in my circle to show what kind of people they really were, and in checking my space, I realized that my circle is very incomplete, completely broken and unabashedly unwilling to allow even a shoulder when I have gained arthritis in both of mine in support of them when sometimes my experiences were overwhelming.

    It has been hard for me to even express myself and be who I am because outside influence and lack of faith had already upset portions of my circle way before I needed the support I need in this moment.

    These are dark days for me and I beg all of y'all to check your spaces now before grief, loss and recoupment visits your space because it is indeed harder to cope, understand and get over when you are incredibly alone.

    I should have checked earlier because I ain't got much. Ridding one's self of joy robbers when you need joy and support hurts like hell and just confirms that all you really did in supporting others that never supported you is waste your time.

    Subscribe. Seek out those that will actually love and support you and not judge.

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  4. Thanks for sharing Lee. I signed up for the texts. I look forward to them.
    It's past time to check my space....

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  5. Anonymous4:52:00 PM

    I can honestly say my circle is a positive group. Just last month, my friend posted a pic of a group of us out for my birthday dinner. Someone commented "why everyday look so happy and smiling so hard". She posted "because we are drama free".

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  6. Good one-- I'll sign up...need all of the positive inspiration I can get :) Thanks for the hook-up :)

    I'm thankful that since I can remember -- I've never allowed negative folks to invade my space. Some deem me un-friendly--I'm just careful about who comes in my circle...no drama for me..

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  7. Anonymous7:29:00 AM

    I needed to read this just now...evrything from the passage about doubt to the connection about checking my space. thanks for sharing.
    Aretha

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  8. Anonymous12:46:00 AM

    My circle is small, but intimate. They are good folk who are on the same journey of taking the high road, are sweet spirited, and loving life.

    I don't have time for folk who just fill my space. Life is too precious and our time here is not promised.

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  9. Goodness! That was a GREAT post!!! I'll have to remember that link when I'm able to reconnect when I get back home. WOW! That's awesome! My post today wasn't about my space, but it was on point with this one in reference to the type of life you're living..well, I'M living. I'm happy to say I don't have any friends that fit the description of that negativity. Loved it, Lee!

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Slap the *crickets* out the way, kindly step up to the mike, and SAY something!!