Tag Archives: Encouragement

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

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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.

Whitney’s Help

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When I was 12 and a little less than carefree I had big dreams. I wanted to be a writer and a magazine owner. That fashion magazine would be for black girls like me, fun and funky and for those who wanted to talk about black girl issues, like what to do with kinky hair and when, if ever, we should shave our legs. I had these big dreams because I had great parents who encouraged me to dream and I had Whitney Houston.

She was the first black girl I saw grace the pages of Seventeen and she did so more than a few times. When I saw her I knew there could be space for me, that I wouldn’t have to push as hard to make it into a business that focused little on girls like me. Though Whitney Houston was a great singer, my memory of her is of a fashion-industry barrier breaker and seeing her giving me the courage to do the same.

As the world mourns the of death Houston, this woman so often called a strong black woman who wrestled with many issues, probably some we will never know, I wonder who Houston had to encourage her. I wonder was the pressure of all her ‘firsts’ just too great for her that she had such a hard time seeing and trusting the God who made those firsts possible. Though gospel singer Kirk Franklin tweeted that he “knew” fame killed Houston, we may never know. But what I want us to remember as we are teaching our children to be excellent in Christ is that our children need our constant encouragement so that even before their excellence manifests they have something to hold on to when their trouble comes. Let us do whatever the Holy Spirit leads us to do to help our children remain hopeful in the midst of their disappointment, in the midst of their trials and pain. I am thankful that we have a God who is there to give us the guidance that we need. Read more about encouraging our children in my latest EEW article.

My One Thousand Gifts List

#441-450
Swinging with Justus
Hearing Justus say “wee” as I pushed him in the swing
Flynn hearing my heart about him needing to cut out something in ministry
A full, informative blog post
A half hour nap
Being on a guest list
Seeing all black women in the Black Women Rock band
Not having to hear anyone call me and enjoying being alone at the concert
Sharing my faith comfortably at a gathering with several non-Christians
Connecting with an artist and seeing her joy at receiving my First Year of Motherhood book

Beauty Among Ashes

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What Do You Think? Wednesday

I’m a smells and sights girl. I absolutely love scents and beautiful looking things. If it weren’t for the bees (and the fact that I don’t have the time) I could sit in a garden and sniff and spot out flowers all day. Nature’s beauty is the best and I find it a lot in my historical Detroit neighborhood. But like with many challenged urban areas, there are rugged enclaves in refined neighborhoods. One sunny day I wanted to take the boys to the park, but didn’t feel like driving to a nicer one. My neighborhood park is in the rugged area. I knew the children needed to run around more than just in the backyard so I decided to make the trek up the street. Since I hadn’t been in a few years, I thought the park had changed, some improvements had been made. It was the same, maybe worse. The swings were still broken, the grass was too high, the playground equipment was burned, trash was everywhere, and I frowned at it all. All I could see was danger and doom. My sons saw delight.

They sat and swung

And climbed, and crawled and ran in the field, on the jimmy-rigged swing, around the melted stairs, and through streams of glass. And I looked at the blissful children and wanted to claim their bliss, to be ignorant to the blight and see the stronger light of beauty. Their minds were on fun and they looked and saw it and didn’t let the obstacles stop them. I looked back at the grass then saw a meadow of daisies and observed the children and saw some maneuvering kids, making fun with little, close to nothing. I see they have the key. They focused on the expectation, not the presentation and were able to see beyond what they faced.

“The Lord hath sent me…to give them beauty for ashes” (Isaiah 61:1, 3).

Jesus says He came to give us beauty for ashes, but sometimes we miss the beauty that is yet among the ashes. We miss the present good clamoring for the coming great (1 Timothy 6:8). This happens to many of us and we need an encouraging word to remind us that even though in our sight there might be a lot of trash, a lot of negativity, hurt and pain, there is beauty all around us, even if it’s just the beauty of knowing someone in your circle cares. We need to be encouraged. Encouragement is a powerful thing.

In addition to smelling and seeing beautiful things, I love giving and receiving well-written cards, particularly those that have a Christian message. Among my favorite are DaySpring cards. I keep boxes of them tucked away to pull out and share at someone’s critical point of need. Most of us know someone who is having a hard time seeing beauty among ashes. Why not send them some encouragement with a DaySpring card? I have the Hope and Encouragement Premium Card Pack of 10 cards, some perfectly specific for certain situations and others general enough to cover any situation without being shallow. They are well-written and pretty, too.

Perhaps my favorite five of DaySpring's Hope and Encouragement Premium Card Pack

These are my personal favorite, but I had a hard time selecting which ones I wanted. Encouragement is the June focus on the (in)courage inspired deals page, where you will find these DaySpring cards and other featured products to strengthen you and those you know are going through.* Check them out and let me know what you think.

*DaySpring gave me the Hope and Encouragement Premium Card Pack for free to review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Copyright 2011 by Rhonda J. Smith