So, how was Africa?

Funny how we say “How was ‘Africa’?” as if Africa were a city like Washington D.C… truth is, it’s a continent with 47 countries (not including islands territories and nations). Nobody ever says, “How was North America”, or “Did you have fun in Asia?”

So, how was Uganda and Kenya (or the cities and towns we visited, at least)?

Awesome… awesome, awesome. And there is much to say, but I’ll talk about this and leave the rest up to a coffee date, friend;)- choice.

On a cool, quiet afternoon in the Northern Serengeti, a young Ugandan lady and I sat, watching the devious little monkeys play and devise plans on how to break into our tents (they were gangsters, y’all… I’m not kidding), when she tilted her pretty face from the sun, and asked me a troubling question. This is what she said (and how my crazy little mind operates):

“Jazmin, would you to put yourself in my shoes for a moment (It’s gunna be a tight squeeze, sweetie, but I’ll try…)- It’s very hard for we women here in Africa (Sweetie, need I mention that I will only be in these shoes temporarily. Then it’s back to American hardships. Continue)… we have little choice here… and in many situations, we have no choice (… I’m sorry… I don’t speak Swahili. “No choice” isn’t a word in my language… English please?)… it’s a man’s world here. They can buy what they want… even we women in most cases. So, you see, we have no choice (Sweetie, I said ENGLISH!)… we young women, at times, are a burden to our parents when we get older, or at least, that’s how they act. It’s different for those that are educated, you see, but for most of us, it’s as if we become a burden financially on our parents when we become older (…which is why my father will jump and shout hallelujah when I’m married, no doubt. And somehow, I’m still in no rush:) … so, a man, any man that desires, can go to a parent of a girl to whom he is attracted and buy her for himself… (… are those MONKEYS coming out of that dude’s tent?! If he-… I’m sorry, WHAT?!)… yes, buy her for himself. And at any moment, a young lady in this predicament could go to her own home and be told to pack her things, and obey God’s law of obeying her parents… so, you, Jazmin. If you were to come home and you had 30 minutes to pack your things and go with a man you don’t love, know or may never have even met… this man could have HIV, multiple wives, anything… what would you do?… (…umm… what are my options?)… Jazmin, you have no choice in the matter. What would you do? You have 30 minutes to pack and you must go. What would you do? ( Sweetie, clearly you’re unfamiliar with Al Green. Thirty minutes is more than enough time to invite the family, including my suitor, to a sit down, hot breakfast, featuring everyone’s favorite- hot grits. Before anyone could help me with my bags to the car, I’d have them doused and anointed in a blessing of Quaker’s brand grits… boiled in honey for extra stick. And then poof, I’m gone. Just like that. Next question?)

Unfortunately, that last word of thought didn’t reflect God’s Word, so I had to flush that ingenious idea. And listen. And remember, also, that in my experience in both Uganda and Kenya, I had seen so many with less choice than others in our country and myself. The Maasai women we met were barely 13 years of age, already with children and husbands. The choice belonged to their fathers, given that the suitor had 10 cows to trade for the young girl. Just the culture. The orphans in Kibera, Waresa and the Pipeline in Nairobi… about as much choice as any orphan worldwide. No one chooses against having loving, available parents. Or the three girls we met with HIV from birth… representing many in their city alone. Child slavery, sex slavery and every limited choice issue imaginable rose in my memory of the trip thus far. And after a beat, the Lord spoke… as he always does, when you let him. So I said:

“I’m not going to pretend like this is exactly what I’d do… because I am human, understand? That’s a hard question. And a hard situation. And in the U.S., “choice” is plenty… so it’s rough for us to even fathom what not having it looks like. But for you, here in Africa, this is clearly a frequent hardship… so this is what I pray that I would do… there’s 30 minutes to pack, not much time. The guy that’s purchased me is standing in the kitchen, waiting to add me to his collection of wives. My parents have turned on me, and on top of that, I feel a heavy obligation to obey them… and my imagination runs to the life ahead, full of dark possibilities. Dear God… and that’s just it. “Dear God.” That’s all I have. My choices are dangerously thin to non-existent. My time is limited. But my God is sovereign. And our God is my choice. So, help me, God … our God is sovereign. He sees where the Earth is in relation to Jupiter and the sun. He holds galaxies in the palm of his hand. He sees this endless war in the Middle East. And dear God, my dearest Lord sees me. He sees the tears I’m crying in that room. And as they fall towards the ground, he catches every single one. He’s there. And he sees my end. What else can I look to? What else am I to look at… the waves? Well, Peter did that, and look at what happened to him! He sank. So to hell with circumstance, my sister ( mmm… that slick curse word felt good). I choose to look at my Savior, because he is victory, solid, able, and he is beautiful. And if I turn from that, I might look at those hot grits in the pantry… are you familiar with grits?… well, pray that I keep my eye on victory that should come to be in his time, however he chooses to manifest it. Understand, that circumstance synonymous with state of being is one of the greatest lies we’ve bought as human beings… or Americans, at least. State of being is peace when resting in that truth that your being is one with Christ. So, I pray that in that situation, I’d be one with Christ in that room. And should you ever face that, I pray that for you. And whatever happens after that is in the hand of God. We simply rest. Honor him, and make him your choice. And honor him, and let all other choices be his… even those that are out of your control.”

And friends, surely most of us aren’t battling the issue of “limited” to “no” choice. Our issue lies at the other end of the spectrum. We are so overcome and overwhelmed with choice, that it’s become a burden and a stress. Our country is a great buffet with vast, endless varieties of choices, cooked in every spice, flavor and seasoning we could ever imagine, and after consuming option after choice after selection, we are almost sick with choosing… then we look around, and there lie millions more choices to make… perhaps I only speak for myself, but it seems this way. And not to make choice the enemy here (because it is far from that), but who knew that choosing between two young men as potential boyfriends could be such a troublesome, tearful trial for a dear college friend of mine, as she lied face down on my bed years ago… and I can’t talk! I was just as stressed out choosing between Honeynut Cheerios and Lucky Charms for breakfast this morning… Kellogs must make it easier on a sister…

Or maybe you, friend… you’re faced with choosing a college… is he/she the one… whoops! He/she isn’t the one, and we’re already married… keeping the baby… adoption… throw the grits on his face… the surgery… job… city… should I leave the country… should I continue in patience… loaning money… giving money… borrowing money… relocation… God, I don’t know what the choices are staring you in the face, waiting to be chosen or forgotten. But I know this- for those of us walking by faith, God’s answer hasn’t changed and never will. "Choose this day whom you will serve ... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord ... you are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord for yourselves, to serve Him." (Joshua 24:15,22) He is our choice, even when there are millions of them lying to us, saying that control is ours and we are responsible for each and every one. Honor our Lord, and choose him. And honor our God, and let him handle all else. And you will find what Jesus intended for Peter that day on the water… you walk on an ocean of circumstances, problems and waves you will never conquer alone. But you will behold beauty and find rest.

God is the same in America, Uganda, Kenya and all over the world.

Have you chosen him above the choices you face… or lack thereof?

Love you, friend.

Jazzy

We made it back from Haiti (in one piece). Many people have been asking about the experience, and of course, there's so much to tell. So, this email will address two things folks have been asking about as it relates to the trip-- 1. Experience and 2. hope (many are asking about "hope" for Haiti for some reason, and if it exists...).

1. Experience-I'll be frank about the experience in Porte au Prince...

Sight: Rubble for miles, of course. If 200 dump trucks moved in and out of Porte au Prince everyday, it would take 9 years to remove the damage. Poorly-built, cement structures from houses to orphanages climbed up into the mountains, and after 35 seconds of an earthquake, the city resembled toppled, broken dominoes spread over the hills. The UN had a presence, with representatives from Peru, the U.S. and many other countries. Mounds of garbage swarmed by insects covered street corners as fish/bread/vegetable vendors settled only inches away to continue making a living. Life still carried on for a Thursday evening in Porte au Prince, although buildings with thousands underneath still remained untouched.

Smell: The scent was a mixture of rotten garbage, exhaust and "other", which I'll leave up to your imagination. Because rainy season has begun, and it has been 2 months since the earthquake, much of the smell from decay under the buildings had weakened. We wore masks as we rode through, so it wasn't so bad.

Sounds: Our turn/stop/go/wait/slow down/ speed up signal here in the states can be communicated with a flick of a switch or the wave of a hand. Everybody just lays it on the horn in Porte au Prince. So, other than an overwhelming cacophony of car horns and motorized vehicles, there were the vendors, of course (as people are more personal and present in sales, communication, etc in foreign countries). And of all of the sound variations heard in the city, one stands out distinctly and clearly in my memory, paired with a puzzling sight... the slow, yet constant "clang-clang" of a small, iron tool against a giant heap of concrete swung by a skinny teenage boy. Only the Lord knows what that building once was, but the image and sound of his labor might be comparable with repainting the white house with a nail polish brush.

Another unique part of experience were the stories many of the children and teenagers told. There was no listening to the accounts of what happened without being emotionally involved. One guy at our camp whose mother was being treated at the hospital and whose father died in the earthquake felt a sense of guilt, simply because he survived. Another guy said that he was walking with a friend one moment, and the next, his friends bottom half was trapped under a concrete block that could only be lifted by a machine. As his friend slowly melted out of consciousness, he continued to cry, "Don't leave me." And so he didn't (by the way, if your squeamish, don't read the next sentence). He honored his friends wish by amputating the top half of his body, carrying him outside of the city, and burying him in a private grave.

2. Hope?

I (and many others) have been a little agitated at the removed sense of sympathy regarding countries, people, etc., affected by the earthquakes. I heard someone say in response to Turkey, Chile and Haiti, "Oh man... that really sucks... I feel bad for 'em... But goes to show ya- God don't like when nations become sinful." In this case... dear Lord... what will America be hit with-- an asteroid? By all means, they say we're one nation under "God", but he only comes second to the almighty dollar... These recent natural events are bigger than Haiti. They're bigger than Chile, Turkey and whatever else comes in the next few weeks. Until this shaking of the earth grabs those of us passively chilling in our living rooms, and shakes our beings with a magnitude that only God can supply, saying, "_____ (insert name), wake up!!!", then we haven't "gotten it." What has happened cannot minister to those who have died... this is for the living. What are we learning?

Oh, yeah! Hope. That's what I was talking about... so, where lies our hope? Well, we can only "hope" it lies in a solid foundation. The New York Times read recently, " We aren't facing more earthquakes; there is no demonstrable increase in natural tectonic activity. Instead, we are vulnerable to killer earthquakes for social reasons--vast cities have been built in areas to take advantage of natural features conducive for economic development, like the intersection of rivers, which tend to lie atop fault lines." So the problem is not in the frequency of this particular natural disaster; the problem is the foundation. The picture of Porte au Prince alone that is impressed upon our memories might serve greater didactic purposes. A city... a life built on weak or no foundations cannot stand strong. And lately, the earthquakes have proven that... and our scientists would agree! Wherever you're reading this email, stop and think... am I sitting on a fault line? Literally! Like me, sitting at Cafe Ecletic in Memphis, TN where we are past due for an earthquake. Where are you?

And ask yourself a deeper question (I promise, "hope" is coming:)-- my life... emotionally, spiritually, my everything. What foundation have I built everything on.. well, if it was on the grounds of economy, I'm sure you've already started building elsewhere by now. If it is a particular relationship, a job, a promise, a dream... can that foundation hold your life in it's hands, stand the shake of time and still keep you safe and secure? Think about it...

And check out Luke 6:46-49- "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."

What can we stand on? What foundation can we hope for and build on? Well, I say the very Word of God. The truth. And if your foundation is strong, every bit of hope lies there as well. We can trust, praise and hope in a sure foundation, can't we? As long as our hope is in He who holds the world and every disaster that will every happen (be it natural or personal) in His hands, we can hope for the absolute best. So, yeah. I say there's hope:) "May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope." Romans 15: 13

In her mid-forties, Isabella Baumfree had been a penniless, hurt and bitter housemaid in New York for over a year when she finally prayed a prayer of selfless, desperate submission to God, begging the question, “Where to now, Lord?” After over forty years of life, she had run fresh out of ideas (and money). As a poor, single and black ex-slave, her choices are what many would call “limited”. And after a year of spiritual silence, her prayer was answered in a simple instruction that would lead Isabella Baumfree to step out of the shadows of her past and into the narrow way ahead as “Sojourner Truth.” To the question “Whereto now, Lord” or “where will you send me now, Lord”, the Spirit answered, “Travel east.” And without a penny in her pocket, she did just that.

“Where are you sending me, God?”

…A question many of us have been long overdue to ask.

The truth is that we live in a culture where choice is so vast and abundant that we are nearly drowning in it. We don’t stop and ask, “Whereto now, Lord?” because… well, why should we? Choice is one with our rights as Americans. We can be who we want to be and when we want to be it. We can choose everything from the cereal we will eat in the morning to our respective career paths. We choose what color ipod we want to the Masters degree we will pursue within the next year or so. We are so steeped in choice that it’s becoming more of a frustration to consider each of the million choices we have than to not have any at all (ex. I become crazy frustrated when asked to which restaurant I want to go or what movie I want to see… “Geez! I don’t know! You pick! There are so many choices, I don’t want to make the wrong one!”) It is rarely the case that we are in Sojourner’s position, where the only choice is looking up, submitting in every way to the ultimate choice- to follow the lead of Christ once again and acknowledge him in every way… yes, even on a career path.

I recently had a fun, heated debate with a great friend about following our desires vs. what God desires for us. She put up a pretty good argument- “ Jazzy, think about it. God says that ‘I will give you the desire of your hearts.’ Well, my Father knows what I want to do and be. And faith without works is dead! I believe in faith that He will give me what I desire. And I’m going to work for it. “

Alright. Other than the fact that God sounds more like Santa Claus in this understanding (which she totally agreed with), consider this… Desire is a pretty compact word. Many of us desire to go into the ministry… great! Some of us desire to be writers, artists, lawyers and all of that. Some of us desire other men’s wives? Hmm… desire isn’t always a good thing. So first off, you want to check on what it is that you desire. I desired to give a guy a nice, five-fingered with palm slap to the face last week, but I thank the Lord that he didn’t grant that desire… as well as my desire 7 years ago to be a model (because Lord knows that this was not his desire for me either). The truth is that when Christ is my ultimate desire… when my every pull and want is in the cross, I become one with my Father in heaven. I begin to desire what God wants for me. And as I am one with him, I breathe for his law and commandments as it is in Isaiah 26:8- “Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.” And why shouldn’t an omniscient God know my deepest desires?! He created me! Meaning, God knows how he wired each one of us, and as we come into his truth about who he is as God, we come into truth about who we are as his children. And our desires are one. We begin fighting for the things he has programmed within us to do. And in this truth, we know that we cannot perform, act and carry out the instructions that God has given to us without the guidance of his Spirit.

If you were in Sojourner’s position, without a leg to stand on and a choice within your reach, would you choose a step in the dark called faith?

Or say you lived in my country and you have all of the choice in the world to do and be what you want to be… would you still hesitate and ask, “Whereto now Lord? Where will you send me?”

I pray that you do ask this question. I pray that you will ask him to order you steps… even if a million dollar salary job is screaming at you, “I’m yours for the taking! Take me! Take me!”… I hope you will still look up and ask, “Is this where you are sending me? Where will you send me?”

At the end of the day, your identity as a Christ-follower is not primarily, “Successful American”… nor is it mother, father, lawyer, president, teacher, doctor… your identity is servant, forever looking to the Master and asking, “Whereto, Lord? Where will you send me?” He may tell you travel east… He may tell you take to take the poor wages. He may tell you to sell all and move to Calcutta. But whatever the Lord tells you, I guarantee that if He is your ultimate desire, you will have the adventure of your life. Enjoy the ride.

And if you are obedient to his command, in the name of Jesus, I thank you for your obedience and example! And I love you, sisters and brothers. Let’s pray for one another as we do the work assigned to us by our Father. And let us pray Luke 10:2- "The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” We have work to do.

Three weeks ago, I asked, “Whereto now, Lord?” And he gave me a pretty short answer as well- “Haiti.” So, I’ll go. Pray for me, y’all!

The Spirit put it on my heart today to go to Panera Bread Co… I know… strange.

So, with my laptop and books, I went…

Within the three hours I sat in there, I didn’t get much work done, and nothing significant happened. So, I packed up my things around 2 o’ clock and went.

As I waited behind a car in the parking lot, I noticed a big, black BMW started backing out on the side of me. I was trapped, so there was nothing else for me to do but honk wildly, and hope that this dude didn’t crash into the side of my car.

Tough luck. This dude smashed into the side of my car.

The driver, an old white man, apologetically got out of his car and came over, and before he inspected the damage on my door, he searched my face to see if I was alright (I’m just dandy, of course). And I’m thinking, “What an inconvenience. I’ve had it with Memphis drivers. This is such a waste of time.” I wanted this to be a “touch and go” incident, where the police come as quickly as they can, type up that report as quickly as they can…so I can leave as quickly as I can and go to…hmm…well, home I guess.

Well, the police come, and by that time, this guy had asked me about 20 times if I was alright and apologized 20 more. And by then, I was understanding and really did feel everything would be fine. I was just ready to go! We give our insurance information to the officer, who does a double take at Mr. Crosby’s card. Then the officer says, “This is expired; do you have anything updated?” And Mr. Crosby says, “ Well,…you see…it’s about a week old, and I didn’t bother renewing it with the same company…I should have a new card in the mail today, because I changed companies when my wife died 2 weeks ago…”

The officer shrugs, and goes off to his car…and the Spirit pierces my “touch-and-go” mentality, and I am instantly affected and empathetic. I was pretty amazed at how just a minute before, I would have loved to have just left to begin the process of getting everything taken care of so I could forget this ever happened and move on… but now, I am connected emotionally to this man that I don’t even know. I went over to talk to him- not about his wife or the car situation… just to talk, and see how it goes.

A beautiful spirit. What beautiful spirit this man carried with him. And just as I opened my mouth to tell him, the officer shouted, “Ma’am! You’re free to go!” So, Mr. Crosby shook my hand, gave me his number in case I had any problems and went over to handle a few things with the officer. And I left.

But I didn’t stop feeling that I should call him to tell him that he had a beautiful spirit, and that… well, what? What else did I need to tell him? Something, I knew, but I couldn’t think of what…

Would you believe that my mom called a minute later (I called her when the accident happened), and told me, “Jazmin, I think you should call that man, and tell him…oh, I don’t know. Offer to buy him coffee, something! Just call him.”

That was my confirmation. So, I did.

And when he picked up the phone and realized it was me, he said, “Jazmin, everything’s going to be alright…you see, my son is a lawyer for the city of Germantown, and he offered to pay for everything. We’ll get you fixed up, and you let me know if you have any problems at all.”

And I said, “Thanks Mr. Crosby, but that isn’t why I called. I meant to tell you back in the parking lot earlier, that you have an absolutely beautiful, radiant Spirit…simply beautiful. And if I could ever buy you a cup of coffee sometime, never hesitate to let me know. I’d be honored…but you carry a beauty within-”

And immediately, I’m interrupted by sobs. This man was sobbing like a baby. He tried to speak, but he couldn’t…and I’m thinking, Lord please give me the words to say…I just don’t know what to tell him right now, but I know he’s hurting deeply. And immediately, God drops Matthew 10:19 on my heart, “When they hand you over, don't worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say, because in that hour what you are to say will be given to you.” And I waited…

And Mr. Crosby says finally, “ I am so sorry… I didn’t mean to lose it…it’s just that, we were married for 50 years. And I don’t know how to live now… everything is so new still. My heart hurts still…it…”, and he began crying again.

Finally, the Spirit gave me the words. “Mr. Crosby, you’re heart hurts, because that’s just it- you have one. And even in the midst of hurting and suffering, the Spirit, when present, is just as beautiful, peaceful and easily recognized. Thank you for letting that light shine, regardless of your circumstance. And I know you’re afraid, but you’re not alone. You’re never alone… God is there…wait for Him. I am praying for you, Mr. Crosby. And as you know already, you have my number. Call anytime.”

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that I was supposed to have the side of my car smashed in today…whether I ran into him in a restaurant, and he knocked my plate over by accident, or if I met him through a mutual friend- I was supposed to meet him today. And I thank the Lord I did. Friends, I pray that we don’t pursue touch-and-go lives and relationships. Yes, there are a billion strangers we see/mildly interact with every week! But what are the chances that somewhere, with someone (that you may know well or may not know at all), you are meant to be the servant used for comfort, conviction, etc? Or vice versa? I say those chances are great, so I pray we are open to receive the victory awaiting in any given circumstance. I pray that we are vulnerable and ready, because it is difficult in a world/culture where our lives are fighting to be priority. This experience has definitely encouraged my heart (thank God when we yield to His purpose…honestly, I miss the mark a little more than I’d like…). I hope you all are encouraged, and though I know this guy a little more than all of you, I hope that you will still pray for him too. Thanks, friends, for taking the time to read this and for your prayers.

Perhaps this blog should be about the MIFA and Carita’s performances. Lord knows they were both awesome experiences. God is really moving this journey where He wants it to go, and I am loving every audience and moment of it! (Next stop- Soulsville Charter School…whoop whoop!), but to be honest, something else is on my heart.

Lately, there have been “happenings”, scathing remarks, smiling faces covering scowling intentions and general negativity that have surfaced as a result of good-natured attempts on my part (expressing myself artistically, media and walking a true journey with the Spirit as my compass). My initial reaction was utter shock! How could there be opposition when I mean no one harm? How can the truths of God that we share with one another be repeated in lies and hate in an attempt to destroy the character of another human being? And what shocks me most- we live in a severely broken world, and with all there is to repair, where should we find the time, committed to destroying relationships and lives?

I speak generally, because this isn’t just my story. If your heart is in the hand of God, sensitive to the needs of others and you act in obedience and love, you’ve made enemies.

If you so much as discover you divine purpose(s) in life, you will have enemies. There will be those that have claimed a friendship with you (and you with them), but as soon as you find that divine path (what I’d like to call the “journey of truth”), the truth is exactly what shows up in your life. Whether that truth is God himself, your personal spiritual struggles and strongholds, divine purpose, true friends or real opposition, it is the truth, nonetheless. Personally, this never ceases to amaze me! If the truth, purpose and direction in life are good, if God is good, why should so much negative energy work against me and my efforts on God’s behalf? When I asked this question, God immediately spoke: Jazz, there is one enemy.

Truth is, we are not the beginning of life’s story; we come somewhere in between. There was a very real spiritual battle happening in the beginning and it is happening now. As “Christ-followers”, we like to call ourselves “vessels.” And as vessels, we are learning more and more, even in a culture that tells us that the world ought to revolve around us (The letter “i” is nearly the center of the word “AmerIca”…nearly:), that life is not about us. I used to think that making this choice to be a “vessel” for God to do what He sees fit in His kingdom was unique in that I have chosen to be a vessel. I laugh at that now, because in reality, I simply chose what kind of vessel I would be…truth is, I’ve always been a vessel. Truth is that all of us have always been and will always be vessels. No matter how much we convince a vast majority of the world that we are the center of the universe and everything revolves and gravitates around and to us, we are vessels in the end. The only choice is which one you choose to be.

There is God and there is Satan. There is good and there is evil. There is war. And the moment you’ve chosen God and goodness, you have declared war. You have told evil, negativity and sin “I will fight you until the death in the name of the most high God.” You have made a vow to fight not the person or “opposing vessel”, but the force behind them. You have made a vow to fight the enemy threatening you with your own weaknesses. In coming to the truth that life is not about “me”, you have made a vow to make a mark in the world and for God. And you may find that popularity, health, financial prosperity and family support are not on your side because God never promised that, but thank God for what you will find- victory. Victory in the name of Jesus, and that is the truth.

So, now that you’ve declared war on the scathing remark made to you, adultery, falsehood…now that you’ve declared war on the threat of defeat, a recent trip-up” by one who has called themselves your greatest supporter, and even your on flesh, what are you going to do? I remember asking myself what I should do when awful remarks had been made about my character and purpose. I remember perfectly well how quickly I came to the conclusion that I should use a fleshy weapon (my mouth) to speak falsehood and sting the person who had spoken lies about my friends, family and myself. And I also remember the Spirit…I felt much like a dog on a long leash who had seen a big steak on the sidewalk across the street and quickly runs to devour it when the leash yanks him to a screeching halt. God spoke so very softly to me: And where do you think you’re going to fight with a weapon of the enemy? I had to examine myself and my intentions. In this particular situation, it wasn’t my immediate attempt to deliver on God’s behalf; I was ready to cut up! Ready to sting and hurt someone with my words…but when the Spirit tugs, we know He’s ready to reason with us. So, He says: Jazz, I never told you not to fight it; you’ve entered into the battle. But you can’t defeat the enemy with his weapons. Use mine.

Fight with love.

Speak love, act in love, be silent in love, soften with love, meditate in love, listen in love, fight in love. Fight your enemies with love. Love your enemies. Love breaks strongholds, love pierces hate as light pierces the darkness. Love was crucified on the cross in the midst of hate and won. Love came down in spite of my sinfulness and chose me. Love loves me, and I must love my enemies. Jesus calls us to honor the greatest commandment, which is love, inevitably calling us to victory.

With that said, I love you friends, with all of my heart.

And with that said, enemies…I love you, with all of my heart.

Love your Lord God with all of your heart, and love your neighbor as you love yourself. Let’s pray for one another that the scripture becomes real in our hearts, and what seems difficult and impossible, becomes possible in Christ alone. Let’s love our enemies, and victory is ours.