This day has been quite something. We drove here (we meaning
the two beautiful ladies and me: Candace and Sherin--- though I like to call
them CandaNce and SherEEn) by car, and frankly, I am in love. To begin, we
broke up into groups and walked around to pray for things we felt the Spirit
has led us to pray for.
I saw women—no, GIRLS--- dressed in a way that just screamed
belittling rap video and “eye candy”. Ladies, let me tell you now—NEVER
belittle yourself to be “CANDY” for anyone. Why? Because candy is sugary and
tastes good for a while, but it rots the teeth. Don’t be the apple of an eye
either, because quite frankly…being synonymous to some fruit that was appealing
enough to picked and bitten does not suit you. You, my dears, are beautiful
gifts from a king. You deserve a prince, not boys who are attracted to you for
a mere second because their “little” brains tell them so.
Likewise, I prayed for the men--- the families, women,
girls, children, who did not have a paternal presence with them. The young boys
riding around with no one to tell them they are loved and wanted. To the boys
still trying to learn to be men, but have no one to teach them. I prayed for
them, as well.
That being said, I simply love Washington Heights. God as my
witness (well, when is He not…), every other storefront was playing Spanish
music—reggaetón, bachata, and salsa,
whatever--- I wanted to move every fiber of my being to the beat. Even better,
the smells ---sweet and fresh fruits in a street vendor’s cart mingled in with
the burn of gasoline from motor bikes and music blasting cars--- it was
intoxicating. I truly felt like JLo, walking down her street, owning, saying hi
to the little kids down my block, catching a game of checkers with the old guys
who hang around the park arguing and watching baseball. It was…the city.
Besides my enthrallment with the Spanish culture, I decided
each day I would put one thing that stuck to me on my NYCUP LOGOFF water
bottle. Today I wrote: “Does this mean I’m Spanish?”
Now, clearly after my journey around the Heights, I clearly
had a high going---but then we broke down into the word. My question now is:
WHERE IS MY VILLAGE? And WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IF EVERY WORD WERE FILLED WITH
LIVING WATER?
To explain these questions, I bring you to John 4. We all
know the tale of the Samaritan woman who comes to the well but finds Jesus who
offers her more. In addition, I’ll be brief, but what we gleamed from that was
that Jesus came to her Personally. She took that and went Relationally. Moreover,
that affected her town and people Systematically. Now, God comes to us through
all of that. He loves us personally, meaning what I get from God and what I
need from Him will not be the same as you. What I receive of Him, I need to
take to the relationships around me: my family, my friends, my school, my
workplace. And that, by the grace of God, will move SYSTEMS. What I focused on
was that though she brought the word into her town, they did not believe
because of her--- “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe,
for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of
the world.”
Sometimes, we go in thinking we need to do something
grand--- heal people, prophecy, raise the dead, but honestly it is not us that
work: it is God. Sure, we may bring the crowds, I may bring the friends, we may
find the one lost soul--- but it is when Jesus speaks and works that lives are
saved. We are simply messengers and vessels for that action!
Furthermore, we say that the Word, the Bible, is Living
Water. And these people were so very thirsty. They did not need water; they
needed living water, the Word. Therefore, words are just as powerful, and
therefore, every word we speak should be filled with Living Water. Because the
thirsty will come, whether they knew they were thirsty or not.
Powerful stuff, right? Girl/boy (I won’t objectify you), you
know it. I pray tonight that I learn where my village is. That when I am done
taking in this living water, I tell the whole world. Because Jesus knew of the
woman and her deepest secrets (her many husbands and status), but He still
wanted to fill her and use her to systematically fill a thousand more. Be
the vessel, and let your cup be filled to overflow.
Thank you for reading, Good night, and God Bless!
P.S. Video stuff is complicated so I guess you will have to
stick to my boring (NOT) words and pictures still:P
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