Many people have preconceived notions about people who live in the inner city and believe all the hype that is spread through the media. We hear about about the crimes; the drugs; the violence, gang activity and poverty. However, what we do not hear is the good that take place in the city.
In my opinion, the negative publicity gets elevated and more ratings than the stories of hope, inspiration, faith, and triumph. Misery loves company. If that is the case, we must change who we have acquainted with as company.
For the past few months, I have been taking the public transportation to go to school. It's like a stage play with the different types of things that take place on a bus. What intrigues me the most are the life stories of everyday workers. Everyday people. The nameless and faceless people who make a impact in their community, their workplace, in their families, in the city everyday and no one never notices.
People do not see the young man who helps the single mother of two get on and off the bus. People do not see the young man whose pants hangs low and looks like a thug, quickly gives up his seat to the elderly and women. People do not see the single mother of four taking the bus everyday to go to school and go to work to make a better life for them. People do not see the young man recently out of prision going to work everyday to provide for his daughter. Who talks to the young people on the bus about staying out of trouble; making wise decisions that will effect their life later on; how to use their education and minds to fight their battles.
But hey, people rather focus on the stereotypes; the generalizations; the negative publicity of the inner city. By the way, in spite of popular opinion, our young are not hopeless. Most times, young people in the inner city are misguided and misunderstood.
Someone once said, "Whatever you look for in people, rather good or bad, you will find it." So why don't we focus on what is good and maybe the crime rates will change. Maybe the violence will decrease. Love have to come back into the equation. We've done the negative publicity---and I believe people are sick of it. It's time to try something else.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Stains of the Day being washed away....
You know when you have cooked something in a casserole dish like a lasagna or anything with cheese. The substance is still in the dish after you have rinsed it out----you can not scrub out all the contains because it will just ruin the casserole dish. So you allow it to soak in water for hours or even over night so that the next time you deal with that dish---you won't have to scrub but just gently use a sponge to wipe out the excess.
Just with life---circumstances happens, fire of trials, or we getting wounded by a situation or a person, and we can scrub and scrub and scrub--however the hardness of that stuff is still there. And for me, I've just been doing life. It's not that I have forgotten about God--how can I? Sometimes instead of resting in His great heart for me and trusting in His marvelous goodness of who He is--I pick up control of my life again due to fear; or frustration; or getting hurt. And that creates a lot more energy to keep up than to just let God come in with His presence and His words to wash away the stains of the day.
Right now, I am sitting at Vineyard Church, listening to live worship session. I didn't realize how much my heart was harden or even desensitized to His presence. As I sit and listen and just be in His presence....I see the flakes of residue being removed. And He is not chipping away at it---as I sit here and just acknowledge Him and allow Him to love me----things are being removed. I don't know exactly what, but I know in the days to come--all that stuff I was worried about is going to be gone. I can get so caught up with the issues that need to be fix when He is not concerned with none of that stuff. He just want me to receive His love and be loved by Him. And simply just be with Him. I feel I am 20 to 30 pounds lighter than when I first came in here. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Jesus said take His yoke upon me. Well, if I've been carrying this than I wonder what is this yoke that He would like me to take of His.
Just with life---circumstances happens, fire of trials, or we getting wounded by a situation or a person, and we can scrub and scrub and scrub--however the hardness of that stuff is still there. And for me, I've just been doing life. It's not that I have forgotten about God--how can I? Sometimes instead of resting in His great heart for me and trusting in His marvelous goodness of who He is--I pick up control of my life again due to fear; or frustration; or getting hurt. And that creates a lot more energy to keep up than to just let God come in with His presence and His words to wash away the stains of the day.
Right now, I am sitting at Vineyard Church, listening to live worship session. I didn't realize how much my heart was harden or even desensitized to His presence. As I sit and listen and just be in His presence....I see the flakes of residue being removed. And He is not chipping away at it---as I sit here and just acknowledge Him and allow Him to love me----things are being removed. I don't know exactly what, but I know in the days to come--all that stuff I was worried about is going to be gone. I can get so caught up with the issues that need to be fix when He is not concerned with none of that stuff. He just want me to receive His love and be loved by Him. And simply just be with Him. I feel I am 20 to 30 pounds lighter than when I first came in here. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Jesus said take His yoke upon me. Well, if I've been carrying this than I wonder what is this yoke that He would like me to take of His.
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