Transplanted to Thrive (Plus new single It Ain’t Over)

What Do You Think? Wednesday

That is a plant that I had just about given up on. I noticed its bloom today, but its beginning earlier this summer looked nothing like this. It was one of four day lilies that were in my flower beds, droopy, and no amount of water or plant food seemed to make them thrive. I decided to dig them up and check out the roots to see if they were salvageable. Most of the roots were brown, dry, dead, but some were firm, moist and still alive. I transplanted them into three pots, and in the space they left I transplanted six tiger lilies from my backyard. For weeks, about five, all nine plants drooped and the water and plant food just didn’t help any of them. I was thinking about digging them back up but decided to keep them in place until the end of the season. Still looking hopeless, I again was about to change my mind and dig them up. In the few days that I waivered I noticed the leaves on all the plants were no longer brown and frail but bright green and standing tall, firmly rooted and thriving. I was so glad I hadn’t tried to transplant them again. I would never have seen that this indeed was their season to flourish and to bloom.

Sometimes as strong black women we see our situation, don’t like it and immediately seek to make moves, our moves, to get us out of the situation. We are like I was going to be with my plants. But if we know that God has transplanted us, we have to resolve to be with ourselves like I eventually was with my plants. Even if we are floundering, weak and limping, we have to know that if we remain in place, complete the season that we’re in, we will begin to get strong and blossom. This is a promise.

For this cause, my dear brothers, be strong in purpose and unmoved, ever giving yourselves to the work of the Lord, because you are certain that your work is not without effect in the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58—BBE).

I want you to know that if God has transplanted you, things will get better. They have to. God is a keeper and never leaves us or forgets about us (Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5). If you seek the Lord, digging into His word and allowing it to minister to you, you will be “like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever (you do) prospers” (Psalm 1:2-3—NIV). To help you remember that, I share with you the new single, It Ain’t Over, by my dear friend and sister in Christ, the anointed and ultra-talented Dianna Hobbs. Listen, be blessed and as always please tell me what you think.

Download It Ain’t Over at DiannaHobbsMusic.com.

Mornings of Vacation

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This morning was glorious and right now, mid-afternoon, I’m still in its glow. I rose when God told me, got dressed and worked out like He said, and talked to Him on my bike and in the sunshine on my front porch. This is my time with Him, my mornings of vacation, a phrase He gave me when I lamented my life no longer being my own.

When I was a young mother, still trying to find my way, the Lord spoke this concept to me so motherhood wouldn’t overwhelm me. As a career woman making a good wage I was used to being able to vacation whenever I was in the mood. With a husband but no children I still was able to freely get away. My baby changed that and I resented that. But one morning on a family trip for a friend’s wedding, I slipped away to a garden on a local college campus, and among the pond teeming with fish, the potpourri of plants, flowers and grass and the warm breeze that felt like it would forever last, I felt free; I was at peace. I felt like I was on vacation. This morning, away from the baby and daily grind, I was alone with God, Him supplying me rest, helping me be my very best, for that day. Then He told me this vacation wasn’t just for this day, but for all my days. These would be my mornings of vacation.

Busy women, particularly those recovering from strong black womanhood, have to have mornings of vacation. Your time doesn’t have to be in the day and maybe your retreat won’t be in some home corner space, but you must create your mornings of vacation whatever the time of day. Decompress, by yourself, everyday so you can stay in the place where God needs you to be. We have to be good for Kingdom work on our jobs, in our homes, and when we’re alone needing to hear from God what He wants to work out in us.

Schedule what would be your day, everyday, to have your mornings of vacation. We all need a getaway, even if for just a few moments in our own home.

My One Thousand Gifts List

#711-720
The quiet morning
The crisp air
Direction for friendship
Another view of God’s longsuffering with us
Getting a blog post while gardening
Juicing
Completing Joshua’s science prroject
Flynn cooking chicken
Completing an interview for a magazine
Going Beyond receiving Your First Year of Motherhood

Say Goodbye to the Strong Black Woman

You know how passionate I am about black Christian women receiving strength through the help of the Holy Ghost. That is the main focus of this blog and I make every effort here and offline seeking to make this a reality. Tonight will be another way to do this on Your Bedtime Blessing, a Blog Talk Radio show hosted by Dr. Michelle Johnson, founder of Alabaster Woman Ministries and my writing sister at EEW Magazine. Join us tonight at 9:30 p.m. as we discuss live “She’s Dead: Saying Goodbye to the Strong Black Woman.” You can call in to make a comment or ask a question at 347-857-3974. In the meantime, check out Dr. Michelle’s blog post and comment on her blog to help make our on-air experience more interactive. We look forward to hearing from you.

Breathe Again on the (in)courage blog

I praise God for the opportunity to spread His message to a wider audience on (in)courage: home for the hearts of women.

My One Thousand Gifts List

#151-160
Spending early time with God
Being able to skin the chicken before Justus called out to me
Giving the boys a bath
Taking a shower
Cooking most of dinner before noon
Spending three hours interacting with and teaching Nate before he watched TV
Tabitha for being selfless and supporting me so
A completed Black History Month report
Getting to watch a movie
A restful evening

Give Up Your World

“..(A)nyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”—2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

The other day my oldest son asked if he could arise in the morning to join me during my prayer time. I was so pleased, but I wasn’t always this way. When Joshua was 6 God told me some things He had called Joshua to be and one was a prayer warrior. I asked God to show me how to train him to war in the spirit this way, and I didn’t hear anything from God. Suddenly, at 6, Joshua began to arise early on his own, sit quietly as I prayed and would hand me tissue so I could dry my tears. At first I thought his rising was endearing. After he kept joining me for about a week, I was upset. “Can’t I have some time to myself?” Then God reminded me that I had asked him to show me how to train Joshua. What better way than to model prayer and have him pray kneeling beside me right after me? But I soon slipped back into my selfish way, being happy a few weeks later when Joshua stopped waking up. I reasoned that the season for training him during my quiet time must be over. Truth is, discipline is part of the training, and I should have awakened him even when he didn’t get up. I did sometimes, but for the last two years that has been only a handful of times. So last week when Joshua asked to wake up to join me in prayer, I gladly agreed. I’m so glad I did. We had a rich time, and I got a chance to see a bit of what God sees every time we walk in selfishness.

When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.—1 Corinthians 13:11

Before we prayed Joshua asked, “What happens to our bodies if our spirit goes to be with God when we die?” Of course, this led to a Bible study on Christ’s return and us receiving glorified bodies and reigning with Jesus on a new earth (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 20:6). To give him a picture of what our glorified bodies might be able to do I had him read Luke 24:15-31 when Jesus walked and supped with the men from the Emmaus road then vanished from their sight. When I told him that our bodies would be supernatural, like Jesus’ body, letting us do supernatural feats like superheroes, he became sad. I was perplexed. Like his dad, Joshua loves comic book characters and he frequently asks me which ones I think are the strongest. When I asked what made him sad about getting a new improved body he said, “I want this body. I like this body. And I don’t want there to be a new earth. This earth is perfect. I want it to stay the same.” No matter how many benefits I told him about having a glorified body and reminded him of the wretchedness of this world he still wanted to cling to the old. He was determined to remain unchanged in spite of the pain and disappointment he feels in his own body and sees in the world. He didn’t want anyone to disrupt his familiar or his comfort. He didn’t want anyone, not even God, to change his world. I just hugged him and told him I understood, recognizing that he was a child and just didn’t understand how wonderful his change would be. I knew that when he grew up, his view would change. I determined that I would continue to be there for him, allowing God to disrupt my quiet time world, so I can help Joshua mature in his faith and talk the way he should.

So often those of us recovering from strong black womanhood seek to maintain our established order so that we can control our circumstances. We can’t handle a change to our world, even one that would help us create a better world or just allow God to give us a better one. Even though we know our present personal world may be in need of repair, we somehow convince ourselves that everything is perfect and fight to keep living there. Give up the fight and the temper tantrums and let God serve you a better world. This is a challenge, but one we must rise to so we walk out 1 Corinthians 13:11 and be the new creations the Bible declares us to be.

What worlds have you been clinging to that you need to let go of?

Copyright 2011 by Rhonda J. Smith

My One Thousand Gifts List

#141-150
A woman’s desire to follow God
An anointed sermon
Dinner with Stephanie
The boys making their own fun at Stephanie’s
Flynn cleaning the kitchen
Flynn putting the boys to bed
Flynn making me tea
Being able to rest
Spending time with family
My headache dissipating