Have you really tried God?

It’s Monday and somebody woke up this morning fighting just to live. Maybe you tossed and turned all last night. Maybe the enemy wants you to think you aren’t the miracle you are. Maybe sickness is overbearing, grief is beating on the walls of your heart or hurt is all that’s spilling from your mouth. Maybe, you got more bills than money, more sickness than health insurance, more problems than solutions, more tiredness than sleep, more folk asking than what you got to give or more faults than faith.

Maybe you’re just tired of trying to figure things out.

Well, have you tried God? No, I mean, have you really tried Him? Have you fasted to fill up your faith? Have you prayed to put the pieces back together? Have you trusted that He’ll give you what you’re thirsting for? Have you been obedient to what He’s said to do? Have you sowed what He told you to sow or severed what He told you to cut off? Or are you fearful of what God could possibly do? Because you know good and well, if you fast and pray, God will do. You know, if you try Him, He may pull you out of what you’re comfortable in. You know if you test Him, He’ll prove His worth. You know if you call out, He’ll show His strength. You know, if you seek Him, you’ll find Him, and He may have to sever some stuff that feels good, but ain’t good for you.

Yeah, you may be tired of fighting the enemy, but you keep straddling the fence on whether to give God all of you because you like the perks of the world. How’s that working for you? You can’t keep playing with this thang. Stop giving the enemy power over you. Try God. No, really try God and see if He won’t do what His word promises. Bible says in Jeremiah 33:2-3, “Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it, the LORD is His name, ‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’”

Take the time.

I work a corporate job with FedEx. Those of you who are “FedExers” know you have to use your vacation time by May 31st. I didn’t because with this pandemic and working from home, vacation hasn’t been on my mind, so I had 40 hours that carried over. The only catch, the time had to be used within 90 days. Again, I forget which meant I had to take the last days of August.

Here’s the blessing, this coincided with my Grams getting sicker and I got the chance to spend the last two weeks of her earthly life with her. Y’all, I’m so glad I did. There were memories made with her, my mom, aunts, uncles, sisters and cousins that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. We got to hear Grams tell stories, there were times we’d laugh all night and others were emotional. I got to hear her say how proud she was of me, how much she loved me and I even have some videos to hear her voice.

Why am I sharing this? Truth is, in a way it’s therapeutic because I find myself wanting to scream from the pain of losing her. Understand, I’m not overly sad, but I do miss her. I don’t want you to feel sorry or think of me with pity, Grams lived to be 90 and I rejoice for that. I’m sharing this, not because I’m in a bad head space or can’t deal with my grief, but as a reminder for you to take the time.

Some of you have been contemplating whether you should take a day off, go on that vacation, spend time with family or friends, etc. Take the time. Even if you don’t leave home or have anything planned, take the time. While you’re taking the time; take pictures, take videos, take a walk, take a break … just don’t take a moment for granted.

“How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” – James 4:14