Singin' In The Rain

Gene Kelly, one of the world's most extraordinary dancers appeared in the great classic movie musical, "Singin' in the Rain" decades ago. His flawless dance moves and smooth vocals set a standard of excellence that continues to inspire entertainers today. R&B sensation Usher, for example, performed a remake of Kelly's classic scene from the movie, putting his own touch on it, of course.

The scene that made the movie famous is the one where Kelly is literally singing, dancing, tapping, leaping, twirling, gliding and smiling in the rain. He has an umbrella, but he doesn't use it. He has an opportunity to take a ride in a cab to escape the rain, but he sends the cab away. It's as if he has decided that if he's going to get a little wet, he might as well go ahead and get soaked.

I know the feeling.

A rainy season started for me a few years ago when my grandmother passed away. Shortly afterward, my mom and cousin were fighting cancer simultaneously. My mom came out with victory on this side of glory, while my cousin--who is the same age as me--ended up moving on to the other side of glory, leaving three young children behind. The rain continued when I had a car accident two years ago, and the rain intensified over the last year and I've simply been getting soaked --two job losses, major surgery, the recent loss of my grandfather, followed only weeks later by the loss of my father on last Thursday, June 24, the day before my fifth wedding anniversary. His obituary will appear in the Washington Post tomorrow, July 1 -- my birthday.

Sometimes, when it rains it pours.

I know that God will not put on us more than we can bear and that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I also know that those of us who preach the gospel must live out the faith we preach about. So, how do I keep going in spite of the downpour? I follow Gene Kelly's advice,

Let the storm clouds chase,
Everyone from the place;
Come on with the rain,
I've a smile on my face!

How can I have a smile on my face? Because in between tears of sadness I cry tears of joy when I see God at work during my most challenging times. I start smiling when I think of how God took a fatal form of cancer that was supposed to take my dad's life 10 years ago and made it wait until God said it was time for dad to come home and I was able to hear him renew his confession of Jesus Christ as Lord.

I start singing when I reflect on how God took a difficult relationship with my stepfather that was so bad at one point that I would only refer to him as "step" -- leaving off "father" --to now moving beyond "father" and affectionately referring to him as "dad."

I can't help but dance when I think about how I had to undergo six months of physical therapy for my injuries from the car accident, followed by almost 6 months of recovery from major surgery last year, yet this past New Year's Eve I was able to use my entire body as an instrument of praise as the Shacah dance ministry and I danced powerfully to the glory of God.

I twirled and lept for joy just this morning when I went to settle a debt and was told that the balance would be forgiven and considered paid in full!

There are so many ways that God has been showing me that He has never left me nor forsaken me, even in the rain. I don't need to run from the rain. I don't even need to shield myself from it. I just need to keep singing and dancing between the teardrops and the raindrops knowing that I'm actually singing and dancing under the shadow of the Almighty, for as Psalm 63 says, "I think how much you have helped me; I sing for joy in the shadow of your protecting wings."

BNcouraged!

Rev. Karen

Who Are They?

"They" are very powerful people.

Almost daily I hear about something "They" said, or what "They" think, or what "They" might do, or what "They" might think. Some of us even make daily decisions in light of what "They" want or don't want. "They" are so powerful and so popular, yet somehow "They" and I have escaped a face-to-face meeting, even after all these years.

"They" have been around for a long time, stirring up doubt and fear, paralyzing countless lives, spreading gossip and innuendo, and just being troublesome, overall.

Exactly where did "They" get all of their knowledge and power? How did "They" become the experts on what people are able or not able to do? What happened to recognizing that "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me"? What about the fact that "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind"? What have "They" done to us?

Perhaps "They" are not to blame after all. "They" are able to survive and thrive only when "WE" forget who we are! When we understand that we are truly "fearfully and wonderfully made," it won't matter if "They" call us ugly. When we remember that our "God supplies all our needs, according to His riches in glory," it won't matter if we don't sport designer clothes for we will be more concerned about what THE designer has placed on the inside of us, not what we cover our outsides with.

Sometimes, however, "They" are our convenient excuse for not doing what we know we need to do with the lives God has given us. We imagine all of the things that "They" will do to frustrate our plans, when in fact "They" are not omniscient and have no prior knowledge of our plans and no real power to stop our plans once our plans are in motion. Furthermore, God says, "I know the plans I have for you....plans for a future and a hope." God also tells us, "No weapon formed against you shall prosper." On top of that, we know that if "God is for us, who can be against us?"

So, when "They" start whispering in your ear anything contrary to God's promises, just ask for a face-to-face meeting to settle the matter once and for all. Don't worry,"They" will never face you, for "They" have no face.

BNcouraged!

Rev. Karen

Call Waiting

Today, most people have phones equipped with Call Waiting, a feature that is considered a standard tool in modern communication. In fact, we sometimes wonder how we ever lived without Call Waiting. Some people would be shocked, disappointed, perhaps even offended to have a call greeted with a loud, glaring busy signal. We at least want our call to roll over to voicemail so we can have some semblance of a human response!

Sometimes, however, we take what has become a convenience and abuse it-- by either leaving others hanging on the other line for too long, or being the one who is far too impatient to hang on momentarily on the other line.

Spiritually, some of us have had a "call waiting" on us for quite some time, yet we refuse to "click over" and answer it. We are afraid of what's waiting for us on the other line--a call to a greater commitment to Christ; a call to leave some things or people behind; a call to take a leap of faith; a call to greater confidence; a call to a journey in which the only light we will have is God's Word as a lamp unto our feet.

Ephesians 1:18 tells us that God wants "the eyes of your understanding to be enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling." But, some of us continue to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to what God is calling us to do with our lives.

Do you love leading? You may have a call waiting. Do you love serving? You may have a call waiting. How about teaching, speaking, risk-taking? Perhaps these are all calls, waiting on you to allow God to take that which you are already inclined to do and already interested in and make it an instrument of service to Him and a blessing to others. This summer, whether or not you take a vacation, take some time to "vacate" your usual routine and deliberately seek God about what it is He needs you to be willing to do during these last days.

As the earth groans with relentless earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, torrential storms, flooding and man-made ecological disasters, recognize that we cannot continue to keep God holding on the line, for time is definitely filled with swift transition and the Master has need of us--now.

The next time you sense God is calling you while you're in the middle of something else (that's usually when the call comes!) go ahead and acknowledge the call, put your regularly scheduled program on hold, switch over, and ANSWER THE CALL!

BNcouraged!

Rev. Karen

Divine Intervention

The Bible is full of stories of divine intervention, situations in which God steps in right on time and redeems situations that seemed completely impossible--Daniel in the Lion's Den; Paul and Silas in prison; Jesus' resurrection on the cross....

As people of faith, we understand that God is the one behind such interventions, not luck, as some would believe. We also understand that there is really no such thing as luck, for luck implies that there is no one behind the wheel and that things just randomly occur. On the contrary, God is always in complete control and causes or allows everything that happens.

Many of us are in need of a divine intervention in our lives to restore our finances, health, marriages, homes, jobs, or family relationships, yet we continue to put our faith in "luck" instead of God, who is a "rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."

I'm certainly not expecting "luck" to know and provide me with exactly what I need in life. I'm looking for a deliberate, supernatural, personal move of God to transform some things in my life. I wouldn't dare insult God by giving away His glory to "Lady Luck."

Our lives are not random moments strung together. God says, "I know the plans I have for you. Plans for a future and a hope." Just because we don't know God's plans for us doesn't mean that no plans exist!

Let's stop expecting our miracle to come at the end of a chain letter prayer that we are instructed to e-mail to 10 people in order to "activate" our blessing. Let's get back to learning about God's covenants, commandments and care for all of creation. Perhaps we'll find that what we sometimes consider to be "luck running out" is simply God stepping in and reminding us who is in charge.

BNcouraged!

Rev. Karen

Family Ties

What is a family? Traditionally it is a group of people connected through marital and blood lines. Those lines, however, don't always flow in a straight line, making it difficult to limit the term "family" only to marital and biological ties. My extended family is no different.

As we celebrated the homegoing of my grandfather who lived 84 years on this side of glory, I looked around at my family and marveled at how God took so many long lines, loose ends and small fragments and weaved them into a beautiful tapestry called "family." Regardless of biology, we claim everyone fully in our family. You will seldom hear references to "half" or "step" relations.

Even with all of the unconditional love and full acceptance of family members, even the strongest of family ties can sometimes get tangled up into "nots" --this one is not getting along with that one; that one is not being treated fairly or; the other one is not living up to the family traditions/expectations.

These "nots" can threaten to destroy the fabric of a family, unless enough family members are part of the larger family of God. With faith and obedience to God, acceptance of Jesus' shed blood and the receiving of the Holy Spirit's power and fruit, families can weather any storm, whether or "not" they agree on every issue. When family members have "hidden God's Word in their heart that they might not sin against Him" that same word will help them to either not sin against one another, or recover better if they do.

God's Word admonishes us to "forsake not the assembling of ourselves together" and "what God has put together let no man put asunder." While scriptures like these are written in specific contexts, they are certainly food for thought when it comes to our family ties. It is important to come together in large gatherings, it is also important to come together emotionally and spiritually because God didn't allow us to be together in a family so we could be apart.

Our church families are no different. As people of faith, we are part of a larger family known as the body of Christ and, while our individual faith journey is our own to take, we must stay connected to the larger body because we are designed to commune and connect with others. Even God exists in a community of sorts--Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

When we assemble together at church, we strengthen one another and reinforce the bond of love that ties us together. When we pull away from the fellowship and live as "Lone Ranger" Christians, we miss a vibrant part of being in the family of God. We fail to realize that in God's family, "five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight" when it comes to handling the challenges that we face. There is truly strength in numbers--not perfection, just strength. The perfection comes through God as He causes all things to work together for our good.

Remember, whether at church or at home, misunderstandings, miscommunications and downright disagreements are nothing God can't handle. When we submit ourselves individually and collectively to God, we will truly be able to unconditionally and proudly proclaim about our church and home families, "blessed be the ties that bind..."

BNcouraged!

Rev. Karen