COME HELL OR HIGH WATER
This year has been a year filled with joy and pain, highs and lows, peaks and valleys, and the list goes on. I have been tested on most every hand – my faith has been tested, my sanity has been tested, my patience has been tested, and my endurance has been tested. There were days when I scratched my head in wonderment of how I was going to accomplish the mounting tasks. My ‘to accomplish’ list was longer than my ‘already accomplished list’. Like many Americans, I have faced and conquered many economic woes—unemployment, foreclosure, indebtedness – you name it but I AM STILL STANDING and I am standing TALL!
One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is Isaiah 43 that states:
But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
As many of you know, my play, “A Change Is Gonna Come” made its national debut at the Lincoln Theatre this year. The challenges that I faced were insurmountable from disgruntle cast members, the naysayers who said that I would not succeed, slow ticket sales, logistic issues, budgetary issues (actually I did not have a budget – just blind faith) and other self-producing, self-financing issues. But I was determined that come “Hell or high water” I was going to fulfill the mandate that I had been Divinely inspired to accomplish and that was to raise awareness to the growing incidence of domestic violence in the church. My friends, the end justified the means. Our opening night was glorious in attendance and in splendor. The cast gave a superb performance, the technical flaws were at a minimal, the audience reception and feedback was inspiring, and we walked away with “a smile”. All the hell that I endured was well worth it to experience a taste of heaven. Through it all, God assured me that He was with me every step of the way. Just think, if I would have thrown up my hands and walked away in the middle of the flood, I would not have experienced the rainbow at the end of it!
This week I received a profound revelation of the role pressure plays in our life. This past weekend, I rented a truck to assist with my relocation. During the move, my son spilled some paint in the rear of the truck. We took it to a self-service car wash to utilize the pressure washer to remove the paint. Though the paint was a “tough stain”, it had to succumb to the pressure of the water from the pressure washer. The regular water hose was no match for the paint, but the paint was no match for the pressure washer. In my opinion, the pressures of life wash away the tough debris in our life that stands in the way of the glorious blessings of God that are waiting on the other side; therefore we must not give up. Galatians 6:9 validates, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” No matter what you are facing at this stage of your life, make up in your mind that “come hell or high water” you are going to make it. Winds can’t shake you! Breakers can’t break you! Storms can’t quake you! Come hell or high water, you shall survive it all!
One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is Isaiah 43 that states:
But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
As many of you know, my play, “A Change Is Gonna Come” made its national debut at the Lincoln Theatre this year. The challenges that I faced were insurmountable from disgruntle cast members, the naysayers who said that I would not succeed, slow ticket sales, logistic issues, budgetary issues (actually I did not have a budget – just blind faith) and other self-producing, self-financing issues. But I was determined that come “Hell or high water” I was going to fulfill the mandate that I had been Divinely inspired to accomplish and that was to raise awareness to the growing incidence of domestic violence in the church. My friends, the end justified the means. Our opening night was glorious in attendance and in splendor. The cast gave a superb performance, the technical flaws were at a minimal, the audience reception and feedback was inspiring, and we walked away with “a smile”. All the hell that I endured was well worth it to experience a taste of heaven. Through it all, God assured me that He was with me every step of the way. Just think, if I would have thrown up my hands and walked away in the middle of the flood, I would not have experienced the rainbow at the end of it!
This week I received a profound revelation of the role pressure plays in our life. This past weekend, I rented a truck to assist with my relocation. During the move, my son spilled some paint in the rear of the truck. We took it to a self-service car wash to utilize the pressure washer to remove the paint. Though the paint was a “tough stain”, it had to succumb to the pressure of the water from the pressure washer. The regular water hose was no match for the paint, but the paint was no match for the pressure washer. In my opinion, the pressures of life wash away the tough debris in our life that stands in the way of the glorious blessings of God that are waiting on the other side; therefore we must not give up. Galatians 6:9 validates, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” No matter what you are facing at this stage of your life, make up in your mind that “come hell or high water” you are going to make it. Winds can’t shake you! Breakers can’t break you! Storms can’t quake you! Come hell or high water, you shall survive it all!
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