Who Loves You And Needs You To Live?
On day 54 of this unpredictable “year of firsts,” please give any person you consider to be a loyal, trustworthy friend a big hug and kiss if appropriate. If they don’t live close by, take the time to pick up your phone, or Blackberry, to personally thank your compassionate champion for loving you enough to speak the truth to you in the spirit of God’s love openly and honestly.
While living in Los Angeles, God gifted my soul with the honor of experiencing Ms. Sheila Walsh, speaker, singer, and former co-host of the 700 Club and author of the book HONESTLY. All I can say to describe the experience of personally meeting such a great woman who courageously stood “naked and unashamed” while honestly sharing her great weaknesses is unforgettable!
Only God knows all the reasons why “Time and Chance” happens to all who dwell under the sun. It’s only by the grace and mercy of the Almighty that I’m still alive today. Only God knows all of the eternal reasons why I’m still living to see another day when so many of the great people I knew in high school are dead now. For reasons now known, my heart’s desire today is to breathe life into somebody’s emaciated soul today because you never know who needs to hear the truth that God isn’t the only one who still loves you and still needs you to live instead of choosing to die high for nothing. Before Time and Chance happens to any of you, ask yourself the following question,
“Who loves you and needs you to live to see another day?”
I’ll be the first to admit that the media’s insensitive coverage of both Ms. Britney Spear’s and Ms. Anna Nicole Smith’s tragic dark night of the soul appears disingenuous, self-serving, and motivated by a need for ratings. Yet and still, is God using their cries for help to speak to us and give a second chance to get it right after our country’s leadership failed to respond to the cries for help after the levy’s protecting New Orleans broke? As evidenced by the deplorable conditions still in existence along America’s storm ravaged Gulf coast, our nation’s leadership is still failing its Ethics and Political Science classes. Only God knows how long it wil take before the bad wind that’s blowing in America will change directions.
Nevertheless, can it be that the God is still speaking to us and attempting to get America’s undivided attention by using the ”apparent” emotional, spiritual, and mental meltdown of Ms. Britney Spears for the good of us all? How many of America’s political leaders act like they honestly love all the hurting mothers whose children also need them to keep living long enough to see another day? If subjected to a slightly altered doll test than the one Ms. Kiri Davis chronicled in her insightful documentary film, A Girl Like Me, how many of our country leaders will choose to save the “white dolls” by sacrificing the “black dolls” if only given the choice to save one? Who would you choose to save?
Can it be that God still speaks in a diversity of unexpected ways out of the mouths of the little children birthed by imperfect, culturally diverse people? As evidenced by our government’s repeated failure to love all God’s children, only a few, if any, of our national leaders are choosing to effectively respond in a meaningful manner at a meaningful time to our desperate cries for help. What if God answers our prayers with somebody else’s desperate cry for help? How many of us will recognize God’s voice and respond by letting the person who’s crying out for help know somebody still loves them and still needs them to live?
Imagine how many of us are still too busy dealing with the daily distractions of life to hear God’s speaking through another person’s cry for help until after too soon becomes too late? How many great people besides the celebrities make a fear-based decision to “give up, give out, give in to the pain, quit, and commit suicide?” How many of us have survived a spiritual darkness so thick that our spiritually illuminated eyes have the God-given ability to recognize the early warning signs of Despair before hopelessness manifest can manifest itself as Depression?
Are you one who honestly believes that listening to God is such a critical and crucial part of the prayer process that extends long after we end our quiet talks with God on bended knee? Yet another celebrity mother appears too sick to care whether she will live for her children or die for nothing? Is anybody except God listening to the elderly and the poor whenever they cry out for for help? Can it be that God is still trying to get our attention by using the same frenzied celebrities and wealthy public figures the paparazzi stalk for the love of the money they’ll make for capturing the stolen photograph they’ll take without first asking for permission to do so?
As evidenced by the personal testimonies of award winning singers, Ms. Mary J. Blige and Ms. Whitney Houston, and all God’s children have share many of the same great weaknesses. No wonder so many of us can also share each other’s painful moments until Wisdom and Understanding enable each of us to transform our life experiences meaningful moments. Can it be that God is using the widely publicized lives of heart-broken, heart-breaking celebrities — who suffer a great fall — for the greater good of us all and not for the lesser evils of the few who appear to control the entertainment industry? It saddens me that we still have to wonder if the non-stop, national media coverage afforded to two wealthy person with blonde hair and blue eyes would be as extensive for a poor person with dark hair, brown eyes, and skin that’s darker than a brown paper bag.
Have many of you have experienced the joy of listening to the Gospel song, “I Need You To Survive,” by Pastor Hezekiah Walker? There are dark days and lonely nights when all God’s children need to be reminded that God loves us just because, despite our great weaknesses. Matters not what happens next, please know that God needs you to survive and thrive. To ensure that you will survive, I’ll pray for you. Please pray for me. Why? Because I love you, too. All God’s children need you to survive. We love you. We also need you to survive. Matters not the colour of your beautiful skin.
As a writer and image-maker, I’ve learned to respect the power of the ”two most powerful forms of communication we know — the written word and visual images. In the song “I Need You To Survive,” Mr. Hezekiah Walker says, “I won’t harm you with words from my mouth.” Neither will I. Why? I love you. I need you to survive.” I’ve loosely paraphrased Pastor Walker’s wise words to inspire those of you who may just need some encouragement on what started out as a “sunny-side-down” day. God isn’t the only one who loves you and needs you to survive. Matters not the color of the doll your child is hugging.
If any of you honestly believe I’ve harmed you with words from my mouth, please don’t hesitate challenge me to see if I need to check myself before I wreck an opportunity for us to reconcile. I can’t fix what I don’t know is broken. Can you? But if I meant to harm you with my words today, maybe it’s because the truth still hurts. Better the wounds of a friend who loves you and needs you to live than the kisses from an enemy who hates you and needs to see you die. For reasons now known, you know at least one person who still loves you enough to tell you the truth because I’m not the only person who still needs you to help us all live to see another “sunny-side-up” day.
© Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.
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2 comments February 23rd, 2007
