We Must Pray For Change

This has been a silent somber week for me! There are times when you just don’t have words right! Yea, that’s where I’ve been this week. I absolutely never ever speak out on topics as it pertains to racism. I mean I was raised in Appomattox County! I went to school in Appomattox County! I always heard people talk about racism. I never experienced racism towards me until I met and started dating my husband. People would speak about racism in my hometown and I would always say I nor my kids never had a problem. We had white, black, and Latino friends(me and my kids). We just all acted like family! And please know that I am not saying it never existed, it always has, and I know that for sure.

The reality is, sometimes you don’t think about things until you are faced with it. in 1999 I met Neal and we started dating, that's when I experienced the reality of racism personally. Neal knew that his parents would object to him marrying me and he knew the consequences of his decision to marry me. I had no idea what he would sacrifice because of this Black family that made him happy and proud. We loved him and he loved us is all that mattered. After the proposal, he told how his dad had changed his will and how he would be excluded. I remember that feeling sitting on the front steps of his house, I remember calling my mom, and I remember her asking me if I was sure we were going through with it. I remember it today as I share this with tears streaming as if it was yesterday. The pain of knowing that I was seen as less than and that my husband was considered an outcast because of the color of my skin? The pain of hearing the request from his dad for me to come to visit him just days before he passed just so he could look at me before he took his last breath to say he was sorry for treating me that way. Then after all of that, to be asked not to bring your kids to a funeral because they were not really his grandkids? That truly is the reality of what Neal and I had to heal through. Things that our kids never even knew about.

Look at us now! Look below....What you will see are happy kids, grandkids, and in-laws. You will see Black, White, Hispanic, Tanzanian, wait, did I say White? did I say, Black? Seriously, this is our family, and even going through all of what we have been through as a family, I have never experienced what I am experiencing right now with the #GeorgeFloyd death, I don't even know!

We have a son that is a BIG muscular BLACK bald-headed guy that loves his Hispanic/White wife and Hispanic/White/Black kids. A daughter, and her family that is made of a white daughter, and three black kids, another daughter, and her family, with a white daughter, two black daughters and a Tanzanian son, and then there's our white son and his family, and three white daughters. Neal and I have the best of all worlds when we all get together!

HOWEVER, this is my new reality, we live in a neighborhood and to the left…African American! To the right....Latino! To the back....White! In the front...Hispanic! We have the best of all worlds. Love everyone and get along with everyone. Have block parties and all. But now...I have never been fearful of my grandsons who choose to wear hoodies or stocking caps 24/7, skating, and walking around the block until now. I didn't even realize it until our 15-year-old grandson went ahead of us skating as we were walking and it was just after the sun had gone down and I could not see him in clear sight. At that moment I realized that not only did I refuse to watch the #GeorgeFloyd video because of getting angry. I had not watched it because of the fear that would try to come against me for our son and our grandson's and daughters and granddaughters. And as much as I love Jesus and know and trust Him completely with our lives, I knew that we still had to have that conversation with him. We did not want to have to talk to our grandson about being profiled and at the same time not being fearful. But we did and he had a hard time understanding why we felt the need to have the conversation because he's never felt like he ha ever experienced that.

Anyway, as fearful as some get, As angry as most get, we must not retaliate as many are. It does nothing of good. Let's not be silent, NO, we are to be a voice for the voiceless (Proverbs 13:8-9). But let’s know the reality of what we are dealing with too. This is a demonic force that has been around for years and it can not be solved through the natural. This is a battle that must be defeated on our knees and in fasting! We are to love. We are to teach our kids how to fight a spiritual battle with spiritual tools! Prayer and the word of God.

The problem is this, racism is LEARNED BEHAVIOR and what is being taught (via media) is that we fight evil with evil unless we teach them differently in the home. Yes, cry out for justice, by all means, don't be silent! Let your voice be heard loud and clear. Not in screaming, cursing, violence, and evilness. We are better than that! We must protect our families. We must keep our families safe as much as it depends on us. We must seek justice, I agree. Let’s seek justice and not destruction! We gain nothing from destruction.

We must remember, Never take revenge, my friends, but instead let God's anger do it. For the scripture says, "I will take revenge, I will pay back, says the Lord."~Romans 12:19~

Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly. ~Deuteronomy 32:35~

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.~Ephesians 6:11-12~

It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. ~Zechariah 4:6~

As much as I wish this was different right now, it’s not. But we as God’s children must remain light in this dark world. I want the love of Jesus to be my voice. I want to be known for CHANGE. Change that makes our world a better place for you, me, and generations to come!

Don’t let George Floyd’s death be in VAIN! Fast and Pray for JUSTICE!

Protected Not Rejected