my friend alisha has been in jail for 45 days. she was arrested valentines day night for drug possession. i have been trying to go see her for the last few weeks and finally got to on monday morning.
she has 5 beautiful children, that i love like they were my own. kenyatta is 16, aaron is 10, amir is 5, alexis (sugar mama) is 3 and baby azaih (apple bottom) is almost 1. i could put amir and sugar mama in my pocket and carry them around with me every second of every day. i love them so much.
it is so hard to see this family and all the dynamics from the outside and not want to just try to fix it, but i am not capable of that. what i can do is love, and i try my very best to do just that.
as amy and i were in the visitation room of the jail in downtown jackson, alisha came in, saw us and you could see the despair and grief almost instantly disappear. no one has been to see her since she has been in. her family doesn't know what to do. she grabbed both phones and just started crying. so did i. the first thing she asked "have you seen my babies" i started crying more. we talked, we laughed, we cried, we prayed.
she has been sitting still for 45 days, body free of drugs, mind clear of fog, heart full of hurt. jesus is using her in there though, she is sharing her story with others. yes, she made bad choices and she has to be responsible for them. but jesus doesn't love her any less than he loves me. in fact, jesus loves her so much that he saved her life on valentines night, no doubt about that. and he loves her so much he is keeping her there until he is ready for her to leave. and he loves her so much that he is restoring her family. and he loves her so much that those 5 kids are hers. and he loves me so much that i got the amazing time to spend with her and look her in the eyes and tell her that he loves me the same way he loves her.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
better go get your armor
I have made the drive many many many times. it is my comfort zone now. leave congress street, go down lamar, right on amite, pass the bus station, pass the opportunity center, loop around by poindexter park, right on gallitan, back down capitol. it is like my daily commute. either taking someone to the bus station, going to the OC or many days, just riding around praying for my friends.
yesterday was very different. i came home and patrick and nichole were on the peach house porch. their story is a whole nother blog. patrick had his backpack with all that he has to his name now. he has come all the way out and sadly went right back in, now facing all of those consequenses. he is staying at broomfield, a mens shelter, because of the choices he made. it breaks my heart to see my friend i love so much just desperate.
nichole and i took him to broomfield and along the way - my little route - my comfort zone - the holy spirit did something in me i am still processing. i drove right into the battlefield, one that i am accustomed to fighting, but the war was so heavy. the spiritual warfare was so thick my heart literally felt the weight of the fighting. it wasn't because anyone said anything or there was chaos going on anywhere, it was just the simplicity of the war that is not flesh against flesh, but against the unseen forces of evil.
i had dinner the night before with my family at tico's. when i walked in, i felt the same way there as i did riding through downtown. the battle was the same, it may just look different from the outside. two completely different worlds, but the completely same war.
i have had many times when the kindgom that resides in me encounters the kingdom that resides in others, and it has not always been comfortable, but thankfully jesus has already conquered. when the weight of oppression from darkness hits you, it hits hard. my desire is not to help anyone get to a shelter or feed them or give them clothes, but to see them encounter the reality of who Jesus is and see them walk in freedom of that.
on this little comfort zone car ride, the king quickly reminded me that even when i think i know where i am going and what i am doing, the enemy is always there ready to attack, but because jesus had already defeated death, the battle ground has already been claimed. but we still have to fight.
God is strong and he wants you to stay strong. so take everything the Master has set out for you, well made weapons of the best materials. put them to sue so you will be able to stand up to everything the devil throws your way. this is no afternoon athletic contest that we will walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. this is for keeps, a life or death fight to the finish against the devil and all his angels.
yesterday was very different. i came home and patrick and nichole were on the peach house porch. their story is a whole nother blog. patrick had his backpack with all that he has to his name now. he has come all the way out and sadly went right back in, now facing all of those consequenses. he is staying at broomfield, a mens shelter, because of the choices he made. it breaks my heart to see my friend i love so much just desperate.
nichole and i took him to broomfield and along the way - my little route - my comfort zone - the holy spirit did something in me i am still processing. i drove right into the battlefield, one that i am accustomed to fighting, but the war was so heavy. the spiritual warfare was so thick my heart literally felt the weight of the fighting. it wasn't because anyone said anything or there was chaos going on anywhere, it was just the simplicity of the war that is not flesh against flesh, but against the unseen forces of evil.
i had dinner the night before with my family at tico's. when i walked in, i felt the same way there as i did riding through downtown. the battle was the same, it may just look different from the outside. two completely different worlds, but the completely same war.
i have had many times when the kindgom that resides in me encounters the kingdom that resides in others, and it has not always been comfortable, but thankfully jesus has already conquered. when the weight of oppression from darkness hits you, it hits hard. my desire is not to help anyone get to a shelter or feed them or give them clothes, but to see them encounter the reality of who Jesus is and see them walk in freedom of that.
on this little comfort zone car ride, the king quickly reminded me that even when i think i know where i am going and what i am doing, the enemy is always there ready to attack, but because jesus had already defeated death, the battle ground has already been claimed. but we still have to fight.
God is strong and he wants you to stay strong. so take everything the Master has set out for you, well made weapons of the best materials. put them to sue so you will be able to stand up to everything the devil throws your way. this is no afternoon athletic contest that we will walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. this is for keeps, a life or death fight to the finish against the devil and all his angels.
Monday, March 5, 2012
sweet smellin
a week ago i was walking around the farish district with a group of people picking up trash. lots of trash. beer bottles, chip bags, dirty clothes, etc...one of the kids walking with us said a few times "this stuff stinks so bad" and "there is so much trash, more trash and more trash" and we just kept picking it all up.
i have not been able to stop thinking about that. isaiah 65 is a chapter full of judgement AND salvation.
"I've made myself available to those who haven't bothered to ask. I'm here ready to be found by those who haven't bothered to look. I kept saying, I'm here, I'm right here, to a nation that ignored me. I reached out day after day to a people who turned their backs on me, people who make wrong turns, who insist on doing things their own way." God says "These people gag me, I can't stand their stench"
But. There is always a But when it comes to God. that's how awesomely gracious he is to us.
"But, just as one bad apple doesn't ruin the whole bushel, there are still plenty of good apples left. So, I will preserve those who obey me." and those that obey get this: full stomachs, rejoicing, full hearts, laughter.
what hit me that day walking and picking up trash and smelling it was .....that is the same thing God thought about me when i walked in sin. even though my sin was a stench to him, he was still there picking me up - so much trash. but he just kept right on picking me up. still does. he loves that crazy.
the beauty that comes from him picking us up and living in his truth is this, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation, an aroma redolent with life. i don't know about you, but i want to be sweet smellin.
i have not been able to stop thinking about that. isaiah 65 is a chapter full of judgement AND salvation.
"I've made myself available to those who haven't bothered to ask. I'm here ready to be found by those who haven't bothered to look. I kept saying, I'm here, I'm right here, to a nation that ignored me. I reached out day after day to a people who turned their backs on me, people who make wrong turns, who insist on doing things their own way." God says "These people gag me, I can't stand their stench"
But. There is always a But when it comes to God. that's how awesomely gracious he is to us.
"But, just as one bad apple doesn't ruin the whole bushel, there are still plenty of good apples left. So, I will preserve those who obey me." and those that obey get this: full stomachs, rejoicing, full hearts, laughter.
what hit me that day walking and picking up trash and smelling it was .....that is the same thing God thought about me when i walked in sin. even though my sin was a stench to him, he was still there picking me up - so much trash. but he just kept right on picking me up. still does. he loves that crazy.
the beauty that comes from him picking us up and living in his truth is this, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation, an aroma redolent with life. i don't know about you, but i want to be sweet smellin.
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