Cruise Control

For the many times I have taken road trips, I have never used the Cruise Control system because I have been told that using it makes one burn more gas. I will have to look into that claim. One of the advantages though to using cruise control, is the fact that you allow your feet to relax, provided there is no traffic slowing you down.

Having seen Leah use the system as she drove, I figured I would use it when my turn came. Driving twenty hours from Virginia Beach, Virginia, to Carthage, Missouri, was an adventure. Leah, and her two kids Hanna and Trevor, had invited me to spend Christmas with them and her family. I was excited, looking forward to the trip and meeting up with her family. Twenty hours did not seem like such a big deal, especially if we would be taking turns helping each other drive.


The roads and the weather were clear. The speed limit was 70 miles per hour-perfect. As I took over to drive, I ventured to set the cruise control at 75 miles per hour. What I experienced right after was not what I had anticipated. I felt like I had lost control of my driving. My right foot felt like it had no purpose. The temptation to step on the gas paddle was so strong, even though there was no need to do so, the car was in cruise control mode. On a few occasions, allow me to be honest, I succumbed to stepping on the gas or break paddle because I thought I was losing my mind not having control of the driving. This went on for a good twenty minutes as I tried to be comfortable with the cruise control. At one point in those twenty some minutes, I was so tense, I could feel my shoulders tighten and my neck hurting, I wondered if it was worth using the system. Regardless, I stayed with it until I become comfortable in letting it take over and the journey become more delightful.

Me being me, I try to learn lessons from things I go through or encounter whenever I can and this cruise control was becoming a lesson in and of itself. The lesson of control and letting go was evident...thanks to a technical system. A part of me wanted to let go to allow myself the luxury of letting the system take control, but a part of me wanted to control the system because that is all I knew to do. Sounds like the battle I have with Lord most times, the feeling of Him telling me to let go and let Him take over, and me fighting to hold on to stuff because that is all I know to do. In the process of these battles, I tense up because I know God knows more than I do, but the idea of letting go is so foreign that it is borderline frightening.

But I have to let go for my own benefit. Proverbs 21:24 states, "Man's ways are ordained by the Lord, how then can he understand his ways?" God is the one who understands us and knows what is absolutely beneficial and He is relentless at wanting us to know that lesson. He will go the extra mile to drive that point across-case in point, Matthew 11: 28-30
states:

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

John 7: 37 states, "... Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink."

God is relentless and He will continue being such until we get comfortable with Him running our lives.

My perception of God sometimes is what makes it difficult for me to give Him full control of my life. I sometimes look at Him as a fellow human being:

1. It feels like I am burdening Him with all my problems and I do not want to come across needy to Him.
2. He cannot fully help me out because when I needed Him to "come through" the last time, He did not and that kind of left me hanging and hurt.
3. He is not really that concerned about what I am going through right now, so I might as well do it myself.
   

The list can go on about why I struggle giving God control of my life, and with every excuse I have, whether it feels legitimate and all, it does not justify the reason why I cannot trust God to lead my life. He is the one who "leads us to green pastures." He is the one who says, "Cast all your cares on me because I care for you." He is the one who declares, "He who comes to God must believe that He is and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." Life is full of ups and downs, and there will be times we will NEVER understand why things happen the way the do, but that does not take away from God being God and Him wanting to lead us on the path of abundant life.

As I got comfortable with the cruise control, I prayed a simple prayer to God. "Lord help me be comfortable with you leading my life. I pray that I let go of the gas and break paddle in my life as you drive me. Please open my eyes so that I can enjoy this journey because I am utilizing what has so freely being given to me, your lead. Please cruise control my life Lord."

God Dreaming Through You

I once heard Oprah Winfrey say, “God has bigger dreams than you have for yourself.” For some reason, that statement sparked something in me that I have not been able to shake off. I have known that God wants to use me, no doubt, however, something about “God has bigger dreams that you have for yourself” did something for me. A few months later, one of my professors, while teaching in class said, “God is dreaming through you.” That did it for me-my quest for needing to know what God is dreaming through me and how He will fulfill those dreams has been my passion.

I believe each one of us has a dream. One of my greatest dreams was to come to the USA to go to school and I remember telling God, “If you open doors for me to go to America, I will believe you for ANYTHING and it will come to pass;” I will have to live with that confession because God knows I have had my share of struggle when it comes to believing Him for anything! A week in the States would have satisfied my curiosity of believing in my dream-11 years later and counting, I am still in awe at how God “came through.”

Being a sports fanatic, I have dreams I want to see fulfilled (Going to an NFL, NBA, MLB game…preferably to all games of my favorite teams). The list can go and on. I remember when my friend surprised me and took me to an NBA game, I was ecstatic. At my age, you would have thought I was 3 years old who had just been given the best candy in the world. The excitement, the atmosphere, seeing the players at American Airlines in Dallas, Texas was amazing. I could not believe this was happening. My NBA dream was realized...well, a part of it because I am believing to go to an NBA finals game.

What I have described above are dreams that in the long run do not have an effect on eternity (other than the plans that God has revealed and allowed me to walk in while living in the USA). God is awesome in that He honors our dreams, from the smallest non-essentials, I call them, to the greatest essentials. Therefore, if He can honor our dreams that are “non-essentials,” how much more does He have dreams in Him for us that He wants to see fulfilled that have eternal value?

The first glimpse we see of God dreaming bigger dreams for us is when He declares, “I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out; plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” (Jeremiah 29:11-The Message Bible). God’s dreams for us are centered on purpose that translates to eternity, which brings about fulfillment.

What kind of dreams does God dream through us?

¨ Being the instruments that He will use to bring men and women to the saving grace of God:
“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, ‘HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS.” (Romans 10: 14-15 NRS)

¨ Being instruments who will see people who are bound, heart broken, prisoners in the spirit, being set free from the bondage of Satan:
“…He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed. To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” (Luke 18-19 NRS)

¨ Being instruments He will use to see the fabric of our society flourish and become what it was meant to be and not be destroyed by lawlessness and disobedience:
“…You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem (you can replace it with your own city name) is desolate (physically and spiritually) and its gates burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach.” (Nehemiah 2:17 NRS)

¨ Being instruments He will use to bless people in every way imaginable, from the least act of service to the greatest act of service:
“And I will make you a great nation, and I will you and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessings; and I will bless those you bless…and in you all families of the earth will be blessed.” (Genesis 12: 2-3 NRS)

Two dreamers come to mind when I think of men and women who allowed themselves to dream on behalf of God; Martin Luther King Jr. and Mother Theresa.

Martin Luther King Jr., a civil right’s activist, known also for his, “I have a dream” speech dreamed of a different kind of America for his Children for America: An excerpt from the speech:

“…Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream…I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight…”

Mother Theresa also dreamed:

"We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing."

Both individuals chose to believe in the power of the dream God gave them for a better society and humanity. Against all odds, difficulties, challenges, oppression, to mention but a few, they fought to see their dreams realized because their dreams were birthed by God and grew in God!
Again, I go back to the question I asked earlier: What kind of dreams does God want to dream through us? If we know, may we cultivate those dreams until they become a part of us, a dream so strong that nothing will stand in its path. If we do not know what dreams God is dreaming through us, no need to panic-He promises that the work He has began in us, He will be FAITHFUL to complete it. If we are discovering what the dreams He has for us are, let us continue praying to get clarity and not get destructed. God is dreaming through us because He is just that kind of God-and why not dream through us? Are we not made in His image? We are, and all the reason to dream just as big as God dreams-in and through HIM!!!!

Guess Whose Coming to Dinner

Guess who’s Coming to Dinner?

“Have you watched this movie before?” My roommate asked, as she came in with a bunch of movies from school. “What movie?” I responded, sitting on the couch, watching Jeopardy. “Guess who’s coming to Dinner?” “Yes I did, a while back.” “Is it a good movie?” “I liked it because Sydney Poitier is acting in the movie.” I responded. A Communication student, my roommate had brought the movie from the Library to watch as part of her assignment, but did not have the time to watch it right there and then because of other pressing issues.
A few days went by and there was no mention of when the movie would be watched, well, up until my roommate asked me if I had taken the movie because she needed to watch it. The due date for the assignment was fast approaching. I told her that I had not taken the movie, but had “seen” it the day before exactly were she had last placed it-or did I? She “looked” through the pile of the six movies but still could not “see” it. She called friends who had stopped by to see if they had taken the movie by mistake. Each friend said that they had not taken the movie. She turned her room upside down trying to locate the movie, but to no avail.
A few days went by and she still could not find the movie. On the fifth day, she came back from work frustrated because she could not understand how the movie went “missing.” I offered to go through the pile of the three VHS tapes and three DVDs just to make sure. I mean, six things to go though…it cannot be that complicated now, can it? As I began looking through the tapes, I heard my roommate say, “The movie is a VHS.” I had initially picked up the DVDs, but when I heard her specify what kind of format the movie was, I quickly turned my attention to the three VHS tapes stirring at me. “Guess who’s coming to Dinner” was not there.
At that moment I heard my roommate utter another sentence, “Oh my gosh, it is a DVD, not a VHS.” She had just seen the movie when I placed the DVDs on the floor. “What?” I exclaimed. “You are kidding me right?” “No,” she said. At that moment, I looked down again to make sure that she was not pulling my leg, and sure enough, “Guess who’s coming to Dinner” had been there all along, not as a VHS, but as a DVD.
My roommate had spent about five days looking for a movie that was there all along. Wasted energy, wasted emotions, wasted time, frustration, anxiety about the pending assignment and library fees, name it, looking for something that was there all along. Her mind, and up to that point, mine, had been “trained” to look for a VHS and not a DVD...go figure.
How often do we look for a “missing item” when in actuality, it is not missing, but our minds and eyes have been trained to look for something else? The Pharisees and the Jews, anticipating the coming of the Messiah, missed the Messiah because their eyes wanted to see the kind of Messiah that fit their perception.

“And the multitudes were amazed, and began to say, ‘This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?’ But the Pharisees heard it, they said, ‘This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.’ (Matt. 12: 23-24, NAS)
“The Jews were grumbling about Him…and they were saying, ‘Is not this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?” (John 6: 41-42, NAS)

Not to be hard on the Pharisees, how about the Prophet Samuel when he was told to anoint one of Jesse’ son to be the next King of Israel in I Samuel 16: 1-13?

“Then it came about when they entered that he looked (Samuel) at Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’ (Vs. 6-7, NAS)

Could it be that we are looking for that “missing” ministry, when in actuality it is right there in front of us? That “missing” job, when it is right there in front of us. That “missing” time of rest, when in actuality it is right in front of us. That “missing” help, when in actuality, it is right there in front of us. What is it that our minds have been trained to look for when in actuality God wants us to look for and see the ‘DVD’ and not the ‘VHS?’ We could save ourselves five days of looking for something that was already there in the first place. May our prayer be that we have the eyes to see what God needs us to see. May our personal perceptions not hinder us from God’s perceptions.

Needless to say, my roommate and I laughed at what had transpired. I was happy that she found the movie. Right there and then, we decided that it was time to watch it, considering all the drama that we, actually my roommate, went through “trying” to find something that was not missing J -it is, after all Sydney Poitier-a class act. I know who’s coming to Dinner!!!

I should Have Caught The Ball

I Should Have Caught That Ball

I am not one to brag about my “luck” when it comes to winning door prizes or any such rewards. Whenever I attend events that have prizes, I normally disqualify myself before I give myself a chance because the record of accomplishment speaks for itself-almost a zero. Who wants to go through all the pain and disappointment of losing?

Therefore, it was no surprise when, one Wednesday evening at church during a champions rally, I did not fully engage in the action because I KNEW I would not win any prize.
Now do not get me wrong: the desire to win something is always there. I long to be the one to stand and scream and say, “I got the tickets to go watch the Colts play NE.” It has NEVER happened. I stand in awe at people who always win and sometimes I reason with myself and think, “These people are in with the Maker because they are always winning something. As for me, maybe God will look upon me in heaven.”

Back to the Champions Rally: The instructions were clear-two beach balls would be tossed back and forth within the crowd as the music played. Whoever had the ball when the music stopped won a prize. One of the conditions of getting the prize though was to yell as loud as you could in the presence of about 800 people and say, “I am a champion for Life.” When that whole scenario of going before the people played out in my mind, I really disqualified myself and decided just to watch the fun.

Robert, a good friend of mine sat next to me at this rally and as we saw how the ball passed us by more than 7 times, became frustrated. He turned to me and said, “If that ball comes to our section, I will make sure that we will get a prize. I will hook you up with the ball.” My response was a laugh of nervousness: what if the ball did come or direction, will I catch it? “No,” I said to myself, “It will not come this way-please.” However, as surely as the sun rises from the east every day and sets in the west, that ball came in our direction and the whole scenario played out like a script. The music had been playing for a while as the ball was being tossed back and forth. The ball somehow found its way exactly above Robert’s head. He caught it and then passed it on to me. The music stopped while I held the ball and without thinking twice, I threw the ball back in the air, to the chagrin of Robert, and let someone else have the ball.

I cannot begin to tell you how the people around me were shocked at what I did. Disbelief was the foundation of that occasion at that point. Robert did not even want to hear my explanation, which was a cheap shot, “I thought you would hold on to the ball. I did not think you would give it to me.” To which he responded, “I told you I would, what changed?” As we went back and forth, I trying to assign the blame on Robert, I could hear someone shouting, “I am a champion for life.” There goes my prize I thought. Frustrated with myself beyond measure, I pondered and for the life of me, could not figure out why I let that ball get away from me. So close, yet so far.

As I wrestled with my thoughts as my spirit quietend, the heavenly father stepped in. I could hear that small voice as though someone was sitting right next to me telling me:

“That ball was meant for you, but you let fear rob you of it. If you are not careful, you will let things in life that rightfully belong to you slip away. Put aside fear and the fear of perception and grab hold of that which I have for you.”

I tried to prove God wrong and defend myself. Unfortunately, that did not work. I gave up!

How bad did I want that door prize?
How willing was I to work with the conditions that were set in order to win the prize?
My desires spoke one thing. My actions spoke the loudest though.

A look at the Word of God helped me understand the reality of what fear can do:

Matthew 25: 14-29, “…And I was afraid and went away and hid the talent in the ground. See you have what is yours.” God had given the man what was rightfully his, but because the man did not “understand his master heart,” he let fear control his action and miss the very thing that God wanted to use to bless him.

I Samuel 15: 1-34, “…Then Saul said to Samuel, ‘I have sinned, I have indeed transgressed the command of the Lord and your words because I feared the people and listened to their voice…” The Kingdom of Israel was given to Saul. It was his, approved by God, but he let fear and the voices of people deter him from his rightful place and God stripped him of the very thing that was rightfully his.

Proverbs 29: 25, “The fear of man brings a snare, but he who TRUSTS in the Lord will be exalted.” Trusting and fearing God is what makes the difference. Trusting and fearing man is another story.

In as much as I lost out on the door-prize which had not eternal consequences, God used that scenario to awaken a part of my life that has held back pursuing the things of God, or dreams I have because of fear; what will they think about me? How will they judge me? How will I look in front of them?

Have we ever considered how God feels when we disrespect Him by not trusting him? Is He not the God who said:

“Fear not, for I am with you.”

I John 4: 18: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

II Timothy 1: 7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and discipline.”

Am I suggesting that we live a life without fear? That is unheard of. What I am suggesting is that we live our lives with a healthy fear. We need to Fear God. This kind of fear for God, translates into an “awesome respect” for God. All other kinds of fear are detrimental. When God called each one of us, He knew what kind of baggage we came with, but that did not stop Him from calling us. We can have every excuse of why we fear, but at the end of the day, God will not hold us accountable based on how we felt, but on how He Himself felt because He gave us a manual of how to live in His Word.

I did not catch that ball, but as I wrote in my journal of August 8, 2007, “I learnt a lesson that will propel me-I pray from now on…not to let fear stop me. I would rather fail having tried, than not trying because I was afraid.

Let your Neck Stick Out

“If the creator had a purpose in equipping us with a neck, He surely meant us to stick it out.” Arthur Koestler made this statement in reference to taking risks in life. Right about now, Gloria’s neck is sticking out.
It is 12:52AM on Saturday, June 23, 2007, and I am still awake. Unless I am at a prayer meeting, watching the NBA finals, with the Pistons in it, or watching the World Series with Boston Red Sox in it (shows you how often that happens). I am normally in bed by 10PM. Today, none of those things are happening. Today, Gloria, a close friend of mine is keeping me up because she is driving from Virginia (VA) to Connecticut (CT), with her three children to go see her parents.
You see, Gloria is from Haiti and her parents flew into CT from Haiti earlier this week because Gloria’s mother needs medical attention. Gloria is taking her three children to go see their grandmother who rarely visits the USA, unless for medical reasons, such as in this case. Gloria has never driven this distance before with her three children. She is afraid of driving alone, at night, being stuck in traffic and getting lost. As I write, she just called me to tell me that she missed her turn to get onto the New Jersey Turnpike. Her voice is cracking, “I am lost and I do not know what to do.” All I can say is, “keep driving, you will see a sign.” I have to be calm for her and not be nervous myself. I hear a sigh of relief from her voice because she tells me she sees a gas station. She stops and asks for directions-I can hear the man say, “Keep driving till you see route 3W. Make a left on 3W and it will lead you back to the Turnpike.” Thank you God! We hang up.
Almost an hour later, Gloria calls me to tell me that she is stuck in traffic as she enters New York. She is on the Upper Level of the George Washington Bridge. It is 1:08AM-Traffic at 1:08AM? Then again, it is NY. Her children, ages, 7 years, 3 years, and 8 months are sleeping, well, with the exception of little Jeremiah, the 7 year old, who is trying to keep mummy company. She still has at least another 2 hours left on her trip, depending on traffic. Her cell phone battery only has 2 bars left-no need to begin to say, “I wish I had a cell phone car charger” at this point.
What is my role on this journey-I am giving her the directions on how to get to CT because she is nervous doing it herself while she drives. I am riding with her on this journey to keep her calm, if possible. Through it all however, I am admiring my friend at how courageous she has been the last 8 hours on a journey she was nervous to take from the very beginning. Her neck is sticking out. She loves her mother and she wants her children to spend time with grandma. Even though she is afraid, she is still driving and her destination to CT is getting closer and closer-though it may not seem like it.
She is about to lose her mind, but when she gets to CT, the joy of seeing her parent’s face will be priceless-though right now they may be nervous for her until they see her and the children. She maybe second-guessing her decision about the entire trip, however, she took the first step earlier to get on this journey and drive-her neck is sticking out. What I see in Gloria is courage, strength, tenacity, desire, compassion, and passion covered up in fear. Regardless of these emotions, what is keeping her going is the will to see her mother and giving her children an opportunity to spend time with their grandmother. She has risked it all to see Mum.
As I ponder on these events, I begin to ask myself, what am I willing to stick my neck out for in reference to life and what God has called me to do? Am I afraid, nervous, but still on the journey? About to lose my mind, but still on the journey? Getting lost a few times, but still get back on the journey for the people I love? What am I willing to risk?
Let us consider a mother who was willing to stick her neck out for her daughter:

Just then, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." But he did not answer her at all…." But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table. ”Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly. (Matthew 15:22-28 NRS)

She stuck out her neck, ignoring her status for the sake of her daughter. She turned to Jesus, but was turned down by the very man she needed help from? How bad did she want this for her daughter? She stayed on the journey until Jesus commended her actions at the end by healing her daughter.

What about Jesus? How did He stick out His neck? Hebrews 12: 1-3 gives us an idea:

“…Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God…”(NRS)

Jesus saw a redeemed people, but He had to be willing to go to the Cross, to be shamed and rejected in order to reconcile man back to God-Thank God He did.

Gloria could have given up on this journey, but she was willing to let her neck stick out. Talking about Gloria, she just called me. It is 2:21AM and she is about 61 miles further to seeing her parents. She is down to one bar on her cell phone. She cannot talk long…but she is excited. She just said to me, “I got it…I can do this.” As she hangs up, I say to myself, “You got it before you even started the journey-You stuck your neck out”

I am about to close my eyes for a few minutes until the next phone call. It is 3:36AM. Gloria just called. She made it to CT safely. I can hear her family in the background excited. We hang up. I am finally at peace. I can go to bed hoping to stick my neck out tomorrow for what God is calling me to do-Gloria just gave me extra motivation.

The Little Dirty Radio

The Dirty Little Radio

It is often said that, “one man’s meat is another man’s poison.” Could it be also said that, “one man’s little dirty radio could be one boy’s newfound treasure?”
I found that out to be true. Jeremiah, the first-born son to one of my closest friends, is a delight. Every now and again when I have a chance, I go pick him up from school to give his mother a much needed break. On one of the trips where I had to pick him up, we came across one of my friends who was moving. This friend asked little Jeremiah if he wanted a radio because he had an extra one to give away. With little hesitation Jeremiah agreed. I was tasked to go get the radio from our friend’s garage for Jeremiah.
While driving to this friend’s house, I envisioned a small, shinny, clean, state-of-the-art radio for my little excited Jeremiah. I could picture him listening to his radio in the comfort of his room. As we got closer to the house, our excitement grew for our newfound treasure.
When we arrived, I went into the garage and looked for the radio. I searched around, but could not see it, or so I thought. Then I saw a small, black, scratched, dirty radio in the left corner of the garage. I showed Jeremiah the radio, but he was too excited to notice the condition of the radio.
Our fifteen-minute ride home was filed with excitement from Jeremiah because of his newfound treasure.
When we arrived at their home, Jeremiah showed his mother his “new” radio. His mother, like I, saw that the radio was old and dirty, and the time one would spend cleaning it would translate into the same amount of time it would take to buy a new one from Wal-Mart. The radio would have to be thrown away.
I was supportive of the decision. Jeremiah was heart broken. But after much convincing, he gave in because the idea of getting a new one seemed great. "Good for him," I thought, as I said my goodbyes and went my merry way.
Two days later, I went to baby sit Jeremiah’s little sisters and lo and behold, the old, dirty radio was still there. I wondered why they had not thrown it away. I figured that on my way out I would do them the favor and put it in the garbage.
I had an hour to spare, and for some reason, while the little ones slept, I picked up that old, dirty radio and placed it in the sink.
I thought to myself, “Let me clean this radio.”
As I began cleaning, I sensed the Lord ministering to me -- shockingly enough, using the dirty radio. The word "potential" came to mind. The radio still had the "potential" to function like a brand new radio, even though it was dirty.
"Potential, HUH?" I thought to myself.
How often do we disregard “someone” because they are “dirty” and they do not seem to have potential? How quick are we to cast them away because we are so accustomed to the “clean and shiny?" The potential for the radio to play was intact. All one had to do was to spend some time and wipe it down for it to do the thing it was required to do.
Granted, if the radio was not cleaned, it would ruin all the tapes and CDs that came into its path. It had to be cleaned in order to operate at its highest level.
Jesus took the time to identify and clean up people because He saw their potential. Such an example is seen with the woman at the well in John 4: 1-44.
Having lived a life that was marred with loneliness, heartache, and judgment, Jesus took the time to minister to this woman -- this was His ministry and His passion. "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work.” Because He took the time to want to see her clean, her testimony changed an entire city when she became clean.
Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I have ever done." So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.’ (vs. 39-41, NRSV)
As I took my time to clean the radio, I saw how God takes the time to clean us up when we are dirty. He never gives up on us. He is forever getting out His sponge and cleaning every particle of dirt because He loves us and knows that when clean, we can operate to our maximum potential.
When cleaned, we can affect a generation, change a life, bring about transformation in a community, and do the impossible. However, it is the dirt that stays in us that prevents us from operating at our fullest potential. Galatians 5:19-21 identifies some of the dirt that can hold one back from operating in their fullest potential.
Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21, NRSV)
May we allow the Lord to clean us up each day and may we never give up on people when they are “dirty” because they have the same potential like a brand new radio. All they need is someone to believe in them -- because we know that God does.
Suffice it to say, when Jeremiah came back that day and saw his cleaned up radio, he was very excited; he went to his room and took out his favorite CD and played his music as he danced along to its tune!!! WOW!