Becoming HIS Tapestry

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ARE YOU MY ENEMY?

Hey friends, How are you doing? We’ve enjoyed beautiful weather, here, in our neck of the woods.  In previous years, we would have perhaps complained that it’s a bit hot (our temperatures have been in the 80°(s) and 90°(s).  

This year though, there has been a significant lack of complaint, more just gratefulness for warm weather, the year has certainly been different. But then again, usually the only thing that brings the attention back on the Lord is change.  Drastic and unexpected changes force a few of us to look up, which is good. 

 But for others, the change can cause depression because instead of looking ‘up’, we look ‘at’… at the situation or problem or trial.  We allow it to overwhelm and consume, when that was never the intention of the change.  Look up, friend, look up to the Author and Finisher of your faith.  Look up to your Anchor and your Fortress.  Our God Is God enough, He is big enough, He is strong enough, wise enough, loving enough.  He is more than enough.  Believe that because He is God, He can be trusted to be good.

At our church, we have had a few weeks of reconciliation based on the Word of God, especially in light of the recent protest.  It has been very enlightening and enriching to my soul.   As a professed task-oriented person, when trials come my way, I try to fix it. My initial instinct is to annihilate the problem, but unlike my husband, I very rarely take the time to assess the situation. Usually I jump right in and take care of the problem, sometimes God’s grace allows the problem to be solved, but most times, by the time we actually get to a solution, the process is too convoluted to be effective. 

I thank the Lord for our girls.  Sometimes, kids force you to slow down, to think before you make that decision; to asses the situation. At the start of this protest, I was angry and upset and frustrated, the emotions couldn’t be named, because they became an amalgamation of all the emotions clamoring for first place.  Can you truly understand a parents’ loss, unless you’ve too have lost a child? Can you say racism does not exist because you’ve never had a racist encounter?

These questions became part of my frustration, when especially among the Christian realm, instead of ‘weep with those who weep and mourn with those who mourn’, some attempted to justify and explain away an injustice.  But God…. the beauty of being a Christian is our access to the throne and presence of the Almighty and Faithful God.  In His presence, I complained about those who failed to understand, to even desire to understand and He listened.  

He allowed me to talk and perhaps rant a little and when I came up for air, then He showed me; me.  He showed me that I too,  did not always stand against injustice. I too, at times, tried to explain away unfairness. See, the Word of God does not do ‘causes’, our God works on our character.  We are in the process of becoming… We can allow the ‘cause’ to draw us closer to the Lord, because we care about the things, He cares about; or we can allow the cause to become our god and draw us away from the Lord. 

I chose to draw closer to the Lord.  He is more than capable and mighty and strong and wise to fight my battles, which leaves me with the ability to say I love you, even if you don’t see this my way. You’re not my enemy, my battle is not against you. We both know who wins if we do not allow God to be GOD.  God bless you, my friends.  Have a wonderful day. Who do you need to forgive?

Let’s continue the conversation over on Instagram. Follow my Instagram and I will follow back, just let me know in the comment section. I would love to meet you 🙂

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57 responses to “ARE YOU MY ENEMY?”

  3. So thankful for you to speak up, sharing your thoughts and pointing to Christ for overcoming the trial…praying people would seek peace and Him, realizing judgment is for God alone!

    Liked by 2 people

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  6. The turbulence that has been plaguing our nation concerning racism definitely deserves a conversation. God is not pleased with the racial acts of injustice towards our black men and women. He never intended division among his people. It was and still is his desire for us to live harmoniously together in the earth and to delight in the inheritance given to us through his blood shed on the cross. When God asked Cain ” Where is Abel?” Cain replied, ” Am I my brothers keeper?” God is asking us that same question today? Where is your brother? Where is your sister? We are all brothers and sisters through Christ regardless of our race or ethnicity!

    Liked by 2 people

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  8. Thank you so much, Brenda, for this.
    Frustration abounds everywhere across the board.
    It doesn’t help that media fuels the fire and fans the flames of discord. Why wouldn’t it? It profits from it, grows richer off of the fury and suffering.
    Our division is a product sold to us that we seem to be buying.
    They tell you that I’m your enemy, am oppressing you in some way, the cause your every trouble… They tell you you will never succeed because me…that I will victimize you, never understand, have empathy or extend love to you…because my skin is white and your is brown.
    They tell me that I am no longer free at all. I may not dislike a person because they were mean to me, be leary of them because they are acting aggressively, I may not disagree with the ideas or opinions of others…if their skin is brown because I’ll be a racist if I do…because my skin is white.
    How did this become acceptable, to place the weight of all woes upon something that none of us ever chose for ourselves….our skin color, to whom we were born, who or what our distant ancestors may or may not have done?
    Who made this an us vs them war of skin tones instead of the us vs Them of good people vs evil ones?
    Look how we ate all suffering.
    It’s further complicated because I don’t know how to explain what’s happening to my family members of color. How do I explain what is happening to my young niece who loves me as deeply as I love her, when all are telling us we must be enemies?
    You, and those like you, the us, who choose faith, trust God, know the truth of our race, one race, the human race with one Father….speaking spiritual truth, wisdom, peace and continuing in love for one another despite being told we are enemies.
    He is the only answer and we, conversely are the answer by following Him.
    You lift my spirit and gave me renewed hope today.
    Thank you, Brenda

    Liked by 3 people

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  10. The Lord is so good and His peace is what keeps us sane most days. I can’t say that I fully get the pain that comes from racial injustice, but I have seen injustice in every area from children that are silently suffering sexual abuse to young, homeless adults that spend months in jail because they have no money to pay the bail, and they did nothing to be in jail other than asking what they did wrong to the police. I have seen the injustices that cause victims of domestic violence to have to live in fear and torment when their abuser is not jailed. I have seen the injustices that occur when single mother’s get hooked on a drug that causes them to lose their children which in turn destroys them completely. I have seen the injustices that occur when lawmakers and judges have no understanding, yet they get to decide the outcome for millions of broken individuals. I have seen the injustices that come when a child is murdered and no one is charged with the crime, because their wounds were too severe to determine who and when the wounds that killed them were inflicted.
    This is what I learned from God, the devil seeks to kill, steal and destroy every person with no regard for their age, sex, gender our social status.
    We are here to help each other escape and keep out of the devil’s path of destruction. When we let go of our blaming and hating, and see that it is all a deception the enemy has used since the beginning to cause man to destroy self and others.

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  12. Thanks for the encouragement to look up to the Father, rather than being overwhelmed by the change. I think I’ve often been overwhelmed.

    Liked by 3 people

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  13. Always happy when I come by your blog and hear the heart of God. Call me simplistic. I believe the Scripture. It says we are all descended from Adam and Eve and have the same Father. Doesn’t that make us family? Disagreements and broken relationships sometimes, but still family.

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  14. My heart breaks at the lawlessness and hatred we have been witnessing these past few weeks. And yet, I know that there has to be revealing before there can be healing. In light of this, intercessors know much better how to be praying for the heart of our nation.

    Look up to God instead of focusing on the problem; He is in the business of changing hearts. Very good advice, thank you.

    Liked by 4 people

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  16. Wow, thank you for this bucket of comfort and peace! Great verses.
    And this: “See, the Word of God does not do ‘causes’, our God works on our character.” Zeroed-in-on-target! What a great point.

    Liked by 5 people

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  17. Proverbs 31 gives us a biblical mandate to speak up against racism and any other form of oppression.

    “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
    for the rights of all who are destitute.
    Speak up and judge fairly;
    defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

    Liked by 4 people

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  18. Thank you for a heartfelt post. You’re right. I have not experienced racism. I’ve only seen friends and co-workers experience it. It’s hard for me to understand what it’s like, but I don’t like it when others have to go through that. This is a time of huge change as others have mentioned. I feel that huge changes in the past came with a lot of turmoil, but the end result was a better world in some way. God is allowing some very tumultuous times for a while, but His goal is always to free ALL of His children. I believe that will happen and look forward to the day.

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  19. I probably don’t deserve to comment. I have learned so much, mostly thanks to my oldest son. I’m trying to stay on God’s team, not the social media team. It’s easy to get swept up.

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    • I’m happy that you’ve commented, my friend. The beauty of life with the Lord is that He brings knowledge to us, when it is needed. These ‘aha’ moments are desired to bring us closer to the Lord. God bless you, my friend. Forget about the timing of the knowledge and see the beauty in the fact that now you know.

      Liked by 1 person

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  20. been reeling a little too thru it all but He is steadfast n so are we in Him…He alone can save deliver n heal…n im holding out fa His move in this with gr8 expectation…because we need His healing…deep deep healing…beautiful post…thx fa sharing…

    Liked by 3 people

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  21. I had two big changes occur yesterday. One was such a drastic change, it left me reeling, in tears, and there is some residue left from it. HOWEVER, my mantra for the year and these times came up as I push my day along…FOCUS, and FEAR NOT. Also, CHANGE and FEAR NOT came into my spirit. I said to myself, “Yes Nicole. Focus and Fear Not. Change and fear Not.” It’s so many changes going on in the world and in our own lives. Some small…but some so BIG it can take us seemingly by surprise.

    Liked by 6 people

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