BE STILL: IN THIS FIRE AND BEYOND

When I was a little girl my mom told me the story of how my godsister Yulanda became trapped in a fire in their home. Even more frightful, she was trapped upstairs while her mom was apart from her downstairs. Yulanda was just a little girl herself. So, I could imagine how afraid she was on that dreadful day.

My mom told me how Yulanda cried and cried as I'm sure any child would waking up to a house engulfed in flames.  The fire would rage on as Yulanda stood there rooted in so much fear.  She stood above the stairs apart from her mom who was desperately reaching for her downstairs. I'm sure Yulanda's mom was just as hysterical as she was being separated by such a horrific situation.

But, my mom said Yulanda's mom spoke to her daughter these words.

"Listen to my voice. . ."

A tear drops my eye here because I can't remember why my mom told me the story then. There are no words I could ever write to describe how it felt when she shared it with me. But, I will always remember how it felt when she shared it.

Although I'm not asleep under a rock, I don't watch the news and I barely watch TV.  I prefer LOLs over all my tears. I laugh now because I don't watch TV anymore, but I have just bought a TV stand that I'm about to paint! Oy vey Jocelyn!  So, I guess that's why I tuned in for what seems like the 2nd time now in this time of COVID. Oh my!  After only a few minutes, I had to turn off the TV and pray for my sanity and the sanity of the world.

I understand how people are so scared and worried now and I know first-hand anxiety's "middle name, birthday, address and social security number," I just can't believe that people are protesting Doctors!  I can't believe murder hornets exist and that they are ripping the heads off of honey bees! But moreso, I can't believe that it is 2020 and still these "honey bees," Ahmaud Aubrey and Breonna Taylor, whose blood is more precious than honey, have lost their lives so senselessly (please insert all our other "honey bees" and say all their names here, even now and forever #GeorgeFloyd's).

I'll admit I had become desensitized to much of the news, numbed out, just sad, but even more sad for the world which is waxing colder. So yeah, I can't watch the news like that anymore.  At first I thought, oh no I'll be out of touch, ill informed and most definitely a whimp, etc., etc. But, I just CAN'T digest it all anymore.

So this is why I am glad to remember how Yulanda made it out of the fire that dreadful day not "digesting" or listening to her own screams and fears nor the awful flames and fires raging all around her nor focusing on the flames separating her from her mother.  But, listening to this still, small word,

"Listen to my voice. . ."

LISTEN TO HIM! 

God is so amazing and I tearfully realize this more and more as I write then pause to answer the phone. My sister and young nephews are on their way to the park by my house for bike rides and a picnic. Even in this time of COVID-19, He is still doing great things, has not failed to blow my mind and still exceeds all my expectancy!

So yeah, Yulanda heeded the voice of her mother. She made it out of the fire safely that day and her namesake Jocelyn YOLANDA which means Joyful Lighthearted VIOLET FLOWER will make it out of these fires of life, too!

Prayer: LORD, thank You for how You've kept us and for how You keep us everyday. Thank You for our family and loved ones, especially, my sister Kimberly Diane and my nephews, Michael and Justin. Thank You for my best friend Tiffany and our little angel Jenessa! Keep Your Hand upon us and let nothing by any means harm us. 

The BLOOD all over our lives and those reading here. In Your Name JESUS we pray, Amen

Ink His with pen in hand,

Jocelyn

https://youtu.be/U-Ooxpz0Eqk