I love when the Spirit connects the dots for me …
Yesterday, during morning prayer at Cornerstone Baptist
Church, my heart was heavy for our youth. It grieves me to witness them dying –
physically, spiritually. Over the weekend there was an incident
in East Flatbush (the neighborhood I grew up in), which left a young man, Kimani
Gray, dead. This is right on the heels of the anniversary of the slaying of
Trayvon Martin, the death of Hadiyah Pendleton while she was seeking shelter
from the rain, and just prior to the shooting of 6-month-old Jonylah Watkins when she was
getting her diaper changed by her father. In addition, our young people deal with some challenges these days that we didn’t have to encounter until
adulthood – it is taking a harsh toll on many of them.
So we prayed. And then I felt like when we bring our
concerns to the circle, yes, we have corporate prayer and God hears our cries,
but we also plant seeds. At some point we will work together to find ways to address the issues that
are on our hearts ... we pray, listen for the response and follow up with
action.
But, I still
felt as if there was something I should be doing, right now … something I
should be doing to effect change in the lives of our young people (other
than the two I birthed). Yet, I’m not … I’m not a teacher … I’m not a
social worker … I don’t run a program that keeps youth off the streets or
positions them for later life … I don’t mentor or facilitate workshops … I
barely even engage children I don’t know personally …
Yet, they
are still weighing on me. Then, I was reminded of something that was spoken to
me, nearly 20 years ago. I was told that God knows my heart, He knows what I
want to do for the children and it will come to pass. At the time I was like, “What
is she talking about? What do I want to do for the children?”
Here is
where the good part comes. I was reminded of my ministry, formal and informal,
which is to mothers. Although I am still
an ever-learning, work in progress, during my 24 years of parenting, I have
experienced a few things, read a lot and conversed with many people. I’ve
accumulated quite a bit of information which I readily share. Within the
church, I have led a ministry to women with children. My online presence began
and flourished in groups geared toward mothers such as Baby Center’s Parents of
Color, MSN’s African American Moms Online and Café Mom’s Domestic Violence
Survivors.
That’s when it hit me that I am doing something to help the
children. How? When mothers are physically, mentally, spiritually, and financially
healthy, the children thrive. When mothers are safe, the children thrive. When
mothers are engaged in joy-filled and productive relationships with fathers, the
children thrive.
What’s my
point? While there is always more work to be done, don't discount
the work that is already taking place. Everyone is not meant to have a worldwide
platform, but what we do in our circle of influence has value. We must remember
that there are numerous ways to accomplish a task, and we each have unique
talents that equip us to achieve our goals.
Be
encouraged. Don’t grow weary of doing good. This world needs you. Even if you
can’t see the fruits of your labor, know that they will develop. Remember that
the work that God began in you will continue until completion.
