Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Out for a Walk - Quick!
When we talked last I was 56 years old. Imagine. I'm now 58. 
Nice to talk to you again. I went out for a walk. Ahhhh! Quickly before I could prepare too much, I headed out to Lake Newport. if you don't do it quick, tentacles of doubt and suckers of distraction take hold and you sit back down in your comfort zone and wish.
So I'm out here before 9 a.m. with my first cuppa, reading the Word and writing. It must be 60 degrees in mid-July in the N.E., USA and a steady breeze is blowing. Only I and an Indian couple are out here. He in his 'sahib' turban and her in her Indian tunic & pants.
We share a bench because if I had known the red water bottle here was hers and not a forgotten gem I would have sat elsewhere. The Sahiba's I guess, since that's the name on it. Or that's her first name and they have a houseful of people, so she has to identify her own. If I had known we would have had no reason to look into each others eyes and smile, besides the "Hello" we made on the way. So I'm glad God made sure I sat here.
I bet he is a doctor. I bet they have oodles of money and very successful children. The stories we make up:)
Oh the lake. Beautiful.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
WHAT DOES GOD EAT?
Dahntay my six year old grandson asked me the other day, “Grandmother, what does God eat?” Well of course I said God doesn’t need to eat, but just as I said that the Holy Spirit said, “Tell the boy I eat his praises”. And so I complied. As any six year old he drank it in and God caused it to come out of my mouth so smooth and clear that Dahntay didn’t even have a comeback or further questioning. “God eats your praises Dahntay. When you tell Him how great He is and how much you love Him, He eats that.”I was grateful for the Lord’s intervention because I had never thought of that myself.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Where is the Breakthrough?
On a online forum recently a sister wrote, “Where is the breakthrough?” I hear you sister I’m waiting for my breakthrough too. We are wondering what is going on? How long will we wait. God has sent me out, without a purse, extra cloak, etc., as he sent the 12 & 72 in the Gospels, and He has told me to go on in faith and I did. I’m still out here, waiting on Him, like a waiter, serving Him. He gave me instructions and tightened me up even more over the last few weeks, that I should write children stories and keep writing. And as a pastor said recently, I’ve been "writing with one hand and doing spiritual warfare with the other".
But I felt for this sister who was so frustrated because the breakthrough was not coming. What I saw from the exchange in that forum, is that people don’t have patience anymore with a whole lot of words, they want some action. All kind of talking is just tiring us out. We want some action like Jesus talked about – go into all the world preaching the gospel, healing the sick and casting out demons. We’ve grown up in church that harps on going into all the world preaching the gospel, but very little miracles or spiritual warfare. We’re annoyed with our ‘shepherds’ and ourselves and now we want real answers when things don’t work out.
The only One who can give us real answers is the Holy Spirit. He’s here now. He’s here to teach us. He’s available to us and we have to reach in to Him and give up trying to figure it out and stop expecting Him to be on our timeline. When is it going to come!!!! How long should I wait? Am I doing the wrong thing? I must be wrong, ‘cos God’s not wrong. What spiritual warfare should I be involved in?
What I’ve found when I get into this whirlpool of thought, is to look up and start praising God. Even though I can feel the frustration of my sister, I am grateful she came out and expressed herself, because it sounded so much like me, that I was riveted. Those whirlpool moments do stop but it’s not over. They stop and then when I think I’m pretty well stable in faith, they hit me again when I least expect it.
One assurance I have from God is that He will not disgrace me. That I will not regret following Him. The lack that I’m experiencing now is just a hit at my pride, because I have to stay with friends and family and they have to supply all my needs. So I am taken care of, just like God said, but not the way I want or expected. I am grateful, however, for friends and family and that my lot was not to have to live in a homeless shelter, which two women of God that I know, had to go through.
I see that there are so many of us so frustrated that the Lord is going to have to use all kinds of ways to keep us on track and on our way to victory. Buckle up kids, it’s going to be like a Get Smart movie!!! Don’t miss it ‘by that much'.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Happy New Year & Praise God for Haiti
Welcome to the new year everyone! How awesome that we get to be here. Even though it's already the 13th, it is still a new year and decade. How wonderful that we still have this life. Some of us wouldn't have minded leaving Earth last year and going on to Heaven, but we are glad to be here, as to live is Christ and to die gain for us that believe in Lord Jesus Christ.
I'm writing to you for the first time in 2010 on the day after Haiti experienced this horrible earthquake. Some of us have heard the prophecies that some terrible things, natural disasters, will happen this year. The Father in heaven has told us not to be afraid as He has already told us that these things would happen and they signal the end of the times we are living in now. We can rejoice, the Bible says, because this shows that the time for the coming of the Son of God is soon. Our redemption draweth nigh!
So we pray for Haiti and praise God with them as many, they say, over night were singing hymns and praising God. Amazing. We don't include Haiti as one of those countries we should pray for regarding their opposition to the gospel. But Haiti has been inundated over the decades by voodoo and many demons of oppression and poverty and bondage. So we should have been praying for them. But look at what our Lord Most High is doing. He has His people there in such numbers and they have been having such an effect, that hundreds of people know to praise God. One eyewitness said it was so beautiful to hear through the night, of darkness and after shocks, people singing praises to God. They said the singing was loud and so beautiful. I will let myself believe that it was so loud because angels were joining them in praise.
Folks, I tell you, with all the things God is doing in my life since January 1st, this just thrills my heart. God is awesome and He's got it. He's got it people. All we have to do is rest in Him. He will tell us what to do to help, how to pray and we can rely on His wisdom and Love.
I love you Haitian people and my granddaughter, Naomi Amber Remilekun Abrahams, who is half Haitian. God loves you Haiti and the devil will not win!
I'm writing to you for the first time in 2010 on the day after Haiti experienced this horrible earthquake. Some of us have heard the prophecies that some terrible things, natural disasters, will happen this year. The Father in heaven has told us not to be afraid as He has already told us that these things would happen and they signal the end of the times we are living in now. We can rejoice, the Bible says, because this shows that the time for the coming of the Son of God is soon. Our redemption draweth nigh!
So we pray for Haiti and praise God with them as many, they say, over night were singing hymns and praising God. Amazing. We don't include Haiti as one of those countries we should pray for regarding their opposition to the gospel. But Haiti has been inundated over the decades by voodoo and many demons of oppression and poverty and bondage. So we should have been praying for them. But look at what our Lord Most High is doing. He has His people there in such numbers and they have been having such an effect, that hundreds of people know to praise God. One eyewitness said it was so beautiful to hear through the night, of darkness and after shocks, people singing praises to God. They said the singing was loud and so beautiful. I will let myself believe that it was so loud because angels were joining them in praise.
Folks, I tell you, with all the things God is doing in my life since January 1st, this just thrills my heart. God is awesome and He's got it. He's got it people. All we have to do is rest in Him. He will tell us what to do to help, how to pray and we can rely on His wisdom and Love.
I love you Haitian people and my granddaughter, Naomi Amber Remilekun Abrahams, who is half Haitian. God loves you Haiti and the devil will not win!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Hold it, hold it!
A friend put a word up on my Facebook wall. It was to the effect, don't be in such a hurry to get out of 2009 and jump into 2010 because this year has been so hard. Hold it, hold it, these last few days of 2009 may be where your breakthrough is.
Do you know that our God is mighty? Do you realize that He is right here now looking at us? Does it cause you to stop for a minute and contemplate how present He is. He is not absent or away on business or too busy for each and every one of us. He is here. The way you've behaved this morning; have you recognized that He is standing there watching you with love?
I'm telling you, this year for some of us, it has been such that we could have been tempted to believe God had left. That somehow He had got tired and taken Himself off the job. After all, this is His ministry and He should be able to shut it down whenever He wants to. Well, He hasn't. No matter how dragged in the mud we feel. No matter how hurt by family and friends. No matter how humiliated we've been in 2009. He, God the Most High, is still watching. He's intent on everyday of your life. 2009, 2010 it doesn't matter to Him - He's looking at you. He's watching you with His eye. Loving you, protecting you, molding you into the best you you'll allow Him to do.
My friend's words about not being so intent on Jan. 1st 2010 meant so much to me because Holy Spirit had just said something similar weeks before. I was jumping for joy as I thought of this year coming to an end. I was thinking about January 3rd, being the day I started moving from house to house, having no home of my own and now as it's comes around again in 2010, hopefully this year would be OVER! Holy Spirit cautioned me not to look at Jan 3rd, for the breakthrough my be any moment now, and my firm belief in that one date, may push my blessing further along.
Look up folks! Your redemption draweth near.
Friday, November 13, 2009
I Need Help On How to Get Ready for All of God's Blessings
A dear sister Ms. Retha on http://sistahfaith.ning.com/ asked this question on a forum. You’ll have to join and find me, to see this discussion. But she asked this question and it got me to thinking, back in February this year.
Getting ready for all of God’s blessings…oh my! What a thing! She has the presence of mind to think about how to get ready for them? God tells us about these blessings and how overwhelming they will be – more than you can think or imagine; so much that the ears of those that hear it will tingle; poured out from Heaven, so much that you won’t have room enough to contain it (that means, NO MATTER how much room you have now!); even if you shake it, press it down, it will still be running over; “abundant prosperity”!!!! I mean that’s a lot to handle.
Deuteronomy 28 echoes what others said in the discussion. Verse 1 says, “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all His commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God.”
When I first saw the question, I was flabbergasted because Sis Retha knows she is about to be blessed by God financially and is wondering how to get ready. I’m expecting the same breakthrough any minute.
God wants us to have everything we need and actually the desires of our hearts. “Need” we understand, but “desires of our hearts” takes us to another level and for that our hearts have to be changed, so that we can receive the abundance. I don’t know about all of you, but even though I am from an earthly royal family, we have never been rich. Our Heavenly Father knows what moving into this new realm of having more than enough, until it overflows and to be “made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion”, will mean to me and He knows how I will react in my present state. I’m sure there’s “flesh burning” needed and adjustments to my attitude about others, so that I am fit to still “Go into all the world and preach the gospel” and not be so stuck up or so heaven bound that I’m no earthly good.
Preparation is going on in and around me right now. He is humbling me, breaking me down, burning flesh, pruning, crushing…oh people, it’s something else and very uncomfortable. I’ve been known, over the last few weeks to cry out, “No more!” “This is horrible” “I want out” “I can’t serve you anymore, Lord”. But now, I’m at a quiet, do nothing place. Do nothing except this writing He has asked me to do. And it’s the fun writing you know. The children’s funny, imaginative, make-believe, joyful, soulful writing. The kind that makes you smile as you write and wonder about the creativity He has let loose in you, to even come up with this plot and storyline. Now, today, I see that where I am, though still uncomfortable, humiliating, low…is really wonderful. I see all the wonderfulness of it, the family around me, the loving relationships and closeness I would never have been able to orchestrate, the unbelievable patience and kindness of people. It is a wonderful place, and a great lovely experience, mainly because The Lord God of Heaven and Earth, brought me here. I rejoice.
I wrote this February 11, 2009, but it’s still relevant today, November 13, 2009.
Getting ready for all of God’s blessings…oh my! What a thing! She has the presence of mind to think about how to get ready for them? God tells us about these blessings and how overwhelming they will be – more than you can think or imagine; so much that the ears of those that hear it will tingle; poured out from Heaven, so much that you won’t have room enough to contain it (that means, NO MATTER how much room you have now!); even if you shake it, press it down, it will still be running over; “abundant prosperity”!!!! I mean that’s a lot to handle.
Deuteronomy 28 echoes what others said in the discussion. Verse 1 says, “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all His commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God.”
When I first saw the question, I was flabbergasted because Sis Retha knows she is about to be blessed by God financially and is wondering how to get ready. I’m expecting the same breakthrough any minute.
God wants us to have everything we need and actually the desires of our hearts. “Need” we understand, but “desires of our hearts” takes us to another level and for that our hearts have to be changed, so that we can receive the abundance. I don’t know about all of you, but even though I am from an earthly royal family, we have never been rich. Our Heavenly Father knows what moving into this new realm of having more than enough, until it overflows and to be “made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion”, will mean to me and He knows how I will react in my present state. I’m sure there’s “flesh burning” needed and adjustments to my attitude about others, so that I am fit to still “Go into all the world and preach the gospel” and not be so stuck up or so heaven bound that I’m no earthly good.
Preparation is going on in and around me right now. He is humbling me, breaking me down, burning flesh, pruning, crushing…oh people, it’s something else and very uncomfortable. I’ve been known, over the last few weeks to cry out, “No more!” “This is horrible” “I want out” “I can’t serve you anymore, Lord”. But now, I’m at a quiet, do nothing place. Do nothing except this writing He has asked me to do. And it’s the fun writing you know. The children’s funny, imaginative, make-believe, joyful, soulful writing. The kind that makes you smile as you write and wonder about the creativity He has let loose in you, to even come up with this plot and storyline. Now, today, I see that where I am, though still uncomfortable, humiliating, low…is really wonderful. I see all the wonderfulness of it, the family around me, the loving relationships and closeness I would never have been able to orchestrate, the unbelievable patience and kindness of people. It is a wonderful place, and a great lovely experience, mainly because The Lord God of Heaven and Earth, brought me here. I rejoice.
I wrote this February 11, 2009, but it’s still relevant today, November 13, 2009.
Monday, September 28, 2009
3 Years Since that Car Accident
SAVED ON THE CLIFF SIDE
As I drove along George Washington Parkway on my way to work in Virginia, I heard SCREEEEECH! The blue taxi cab next to me jammed on his brakes, smoke came up from his tires and the car swerved towards me! BAM. He got me! And…BANG. My car hit the stone wall of the parkway and flipped over the wall. Careening down the wooded cliffs like a rocket, towards the Potomac River, thousands of feet below, I thought, “Well this is it. This must be the way I’m going to die.”
The trees and bushes hit the sides of the car as it crashed through the woods.
“I’m ready for heaven” I thought “if it’s ready for me!”
All of a sudden the car stopped. Looking up through my open sun roof towards the road and seeing a man walking along, I yelled, “HELP!” Half a dozen men spilled over the crest of the hill.
They pulled me out through the sun roof, helped me to the top of the hill where I laid back on the stone wall. The shouting crowds were praising God and I joined them.
© 2006 Carroll Ayo Durodola
As I drove along George Washington Parkway on my way to work in Virginia, I heard SCREEEEECH! The blue taxi cab next to me jammed on his brakes, smoke came up from his tires and the car swerved towards me! BAM. He got me! And…BANG. My car hit the stone wall of the parkway and flipped over the wall. Careening down the wooded cliffs like a rocket, towards the Potomac River, thousands of feet below, I thought, “Well this is it. This must be the way I’m going to die.”
The trees and bushes hit the sides of the car as it crashed through the woods.
“I’m ready for heaven” I thought “if it’s ready for me!”
All of a sudden the car stopped. Looking up through my open sun roof towards the road and seeing a man walking along, I yelled, “HELP!” Half a dozen men spilled over the crest of the hill.
They pulled me out through the sun roof, helped me to the top of the hill where I laid back on the stone wall. The shouting crowds were praising God and I joined them.
© 2006 Carroll Ayo Durodola
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
I Survived
O.K. I survived the hysteria of my website & princessayo e-mails crashing. As you can see from the side margin my e-mail has changed. I had to do something quickly so if anyone wanted to get in touch with me the e-mail wouldn’t bounce. So I got on Google mail and signed up for a new e-mail. I have uiteIbadan@yahoo.com, and cdurodola@msn.com but I wanted something almost as great as cdurodola@princessayo.com . Something exciting. Something unique to me. When it was time to put in my address of choice this wonderful one came to my mind as I asked God what do you want me to be – children’s writer. Now that one was taken and so I know to add some number and I added 100. There it was childrenswriter100@gmail.com. It seems so right and I love it. No one has to wonder how to spell my name, did I really say princess and why is Ayo (pronounced I-yo not spelt with an “I”). Some words in the SnapVine voice blog have to be changed, so bear with me. No matter when I ask the Lord over these last 8 months of travels, what do you want me to do; His answer always involves "write those children's stories".
These changes go along with the movement of the wind the Father seems to have me on. (John 3:8 "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.") God is moving me from one place in my life to another. I’m not exactly sure where, but I know He’s asking me to be ready to leave my comfort zone. (I thought I had! But there must be more). Be ready for the Glory to fall. Get ready for Him to fulfill His promises made to me over the last few years. All this takes adjustments and just when you think you’ve made all the adjustments you can make for one wilderness experience, He stretches you some more, just like a great coach.
Whew! Well, I’ve survived it. As expected. All is well - you can get information about me from this blog and can e-mail and call! Check out the Snap Vine voice blog and the nifty Book Buzzr to preview the book. This is even better because you can be nosey about what’s going on in my life and then switch over to http://tundethelittlenigerianprince.blogspot.com and see what’s going on with the book.
It looks like I’ll be moving again folks. I’m not sure where, but moving looks like it’s in the works. Stay tuned.
These changes go along with the movement of the wind the Father seems to have me on. (John 3:8 "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.") God is moving me from one place in my life to another. I’m not exactly sure where, but I know He’s asking me to be ready to leave my comfort zone. (I thought I had! But there must be more). Be ready for the Glory to fall. Get ready for Him to fulfill His promises made to me over the last few years. All this takes adjustments and just when you think you’ve made all the adjustments you can make for one wilderness experience, He stretches you some more, just like a great coach.
Whew! Well, I’ve survived it. As expected. All is well - you can get information about me from this blog and can e-mail and call! Check out the Snap Vine voice blog and the nifty Book Buzzr to preview the book. This is even better because you can be nosey about what’s going on in my life and then switch over to http://tundethelittlenigerianprince.blogspot.com and see what’s going on with the book.
It looks like I’ll be moving again folks. I’m not sure where, but moving looks like it’s in the works. Stay tuned.
I sit here watching Whitney Houston on Oprah and my greatest shock is that she is older. Funny how we are, when we haven’t seen someone for some years. As if we don’t expect that person to grow up like we have.
I see a beauty in her. Do any of you know what it is?
She was an idol to so many of us around the world. American young people probably don’t know how we admired her all the way over in Nigeria, and how she made my afro I had to have, after a perm went bad, O.K. How validated we felt by having Whitney on the cover of magazines. She was younger than me, but close enough for this model wannabe teenager to live vicariously through her.
As I watched Whitney the thought came: We’re scared of our own light. That light is really part of the Lord God Most High. The light of the Lord in us and just like people could not look directly at Moses’ face when he came down from the mountain, so as we go through horrors and have time with God we are scared to look at ourselves. For that short time we’ve spent with Him and the little cleaning up that has taken place, causes a bright light to shine through the cracks.
Some of us may have noticed that Whitney isn’t finished being cleaned up. I cried like many of us who have prayed for her and are seeing the Hand of God do what we asked. That she might not go the way of other drug addicts. But we hear with the wise ears of 50+ years God has given us, that this chil’ ain’t there yet. And still we see The Light shining through her cracks. The same is shining through all of us.
Praise Him!
I see a beauty in her. Do any of you know what it is?
She was an idol to so many of us around the world. American young people probably don’t know how we admired her all the way over in Nigeria, and how she made my afro I had to have, after a perm went bad, O.K. How validated we felt by having Whitney on the cover of magazines. She was younger than me, but close enough for this model wannabe teenager to live vicariously through her.
As I watched Whitney the thought came: We’re scared of our own light. That light is really part of the Lord God Most High. The light of the Lord in us and just like people could not look directly at Moses’ face when he came down from the mountain, so as we go through horrors and have time with God we are scared to look at ourselves. For that short time we’ve spent with Him and the little cleaning up that has taken place, causes a bright light to shine through the cracks.
Some of us may have noticed that Whitney isn’t finished being cleaned up. I cried like many of us who have prayed for her and are seeing the Hand of God do what we asked. That she might not go the way of other drug addicts. But we hear with the wise ears of 50+ years God has given us, that this chil’ ain’t there yet. And still we see The Light shining through her cracks. The same is shining through all of us.
Praise Him!
On 9/14/09 I met Yoda. Her real name will be kept anonymous because she wants it that way. Yes, Yoda, like in Star Wars. I was sitting in Panera Bread and she came in with her stuff, just like me and plopped it down on a table in front of me. She was like we are when we come into a different space; looking around, fiddling, trying to get her spirit to come into the place with her body.
Finally she settled down and got her lunch, covered it and oddly enough brought out paperwork, pencil cases, highlighters and got to work…Who was this person? Someone just like me, her manner, not her look – protecting herself, careful, watchful. I smiled at her and she smiled back – especially after I noticed two senior citizen Caucasian women starring at her set up. I don’t know what it was about, but they weren’t being friendly. Was it her long graying dreadlocks?
After quite some time I went and got lunch. As I sat down, pushed my laptop away and concentrated on my lunch, Yoda said, “What are you studying over there?” All of a sudden, out-of-the-blue, without a please ma’am or thank you, with no hello (as a Nigerian would say). Used to the blunt manner of Americans and without missing a beat, I answered “I’m a writer”.
And that was the beginning of our intense, amazing, magical, conversation.I got a lot from her and it tickles me what she said she got from me and how she kept pulling out paper to write it down.
• That’s what you need to blog, she would say – a stranger at a party giving me $100; strangers who were pastor and his wife, letting me live with them in Georgia; Gloria feeding and taking care of me and then taking me to Virginia Beach;
• You need to blog! And I know I do. Some guy she read about, sad about his high powered job, quit and started writing and then started blogging, only his mother and wife as readers, but eventually had 7,000 followers. I told her about Stanice Anderson who wrote e-mails to people for 2 years and Walk Worthy gave her a contract to turn that into a book.
• God wants me not to look down on anyone. Everyone is loved by him, whether they are New Age or Buddhist or anything else. And God talks to everyone.
• Why don’t we like our names? Why do we have so many problems with these given names from parents or husbands? She wants to be called Yoda. I don’t know what I should be known as.
• People are acting like her and I and many of the friends I have and opting out of the ‘normal’ 9-5 work, for a salary the regular way, for pension and health insurance. Someone has studied this and put it together in a course about living your life thriving, letting go. What these courses miss is the spirit, the Holy Spirit, the supernatural, the magic… that which cannot be explained. Her and I began to talk and complained about the coldness of the air in the restaurant. As we talked it got warmer. When it was time to go, the cold air blew in again. This, cannot be taught in college. This is the supernatural that can only come from the Father.
• Yoda found a wonderful place in busy New York called Zen, run by a woman who charges $50. Can you believe it? And all she asks is that you leave her property nice and she has plenty of rules so you know what she’s talking about.
• Yoda also found communes of the kind I was thinking would be good for me. She said you write to them and tell them what you can do to contribute to the commune and you need to live there for 3 months or whatever. That’s what I was thinking about and as I was telling her that, I realized and said that God really wanted me to go through this time without relying on anyone but Him. He would put me in the home he had ordained and it would be obvious and other doors would be closed except the ‘door’ to the place He wanted me.
We talked about stepping out on faith and what was the reason that so many of us are doing that and that many of us are over 45, and could be thinking retirement plans. I talked about being in my third widow’s home, after stepping out in faith from my job in March 2008. Yoda asked, looking under the restaurant table, are you walking on the ground or on air. “You really are walking by faith.”
The importance of the walk I’m on is to see that I’m not writing to bring people to me so that I can eat, I am writing because God asked me to do it, so that I could show people Him.
It’s not about me. It’s about Him.
Yoda asked what is happening that we are all choosing this way. I said I thought it was because things are coming to an end. That was disingenuous. I know very well that things are coming to an end. Time is drawing to a close. The Bible has shown us and we can see it. I said things are getting wrapped up and cleaned up. So we have to shed all weights and things that encumber us.
Finally she settled down and got her lunch, covered it and oddly enough brought out paperwork, pencil cases, highlighters and got to work…Who was this person? Someone just like me, her manner, not her look – protecting herself, careful, watchful. I smiled at her and she smiled back – especially after I noticed two senior citizen Caucasian women starring at her set up. I don’t know what it was about, but they weren’t being friendly. Was it her long graying dreadlocks?
After quite some time I went and got lunch. As I sat down, pushed my laptop away and concentrated on my lunch, Yoda said, “What are you studying over there?” All of a sudden, out-of-the-blue, without a please ma’am or thank you, with no hello (as a Nigerian would say). Used to the blunt manner of Americans and without missing a beat, I answered “I’m a writer”.
And that was the beginning of our intense, amazing, magical, conversation.I got a lot from her and it tickles me what she said she got from me and how she kept pulling out paper to write it down.
• That’s what you need to blog, she would say – a stranger at a party giving me $100; strangers who were pastor and his wife, letting me live with them in Georgia; Gloria feeding and taking care of me and then taking me to Virginia Beach;
• You need to blog! And I know I do. Some guy she read about, sad about his high powered job, quit and started writing and then started blogging, only his mother and wife as readers, but eventually had 7,000 followers. I told her about Stanice Anderson who wrote e-mails to people for 2 years and Walk Worthy gave her a contract to turn that into a book.
• God wants me not to look down on anyone. Everyone is loved by him, whether they are New Age or Buddhist or anything else. And God talks to everyone.
• Why don’t we like our names? Why do we have so many problems with these given names from parents or husbands? She wants to be called Yoda. I don’t know what I should be known as.
• People are acting like her and I and many of the friends I have and opting out of the ‘normal’ 9-5 work, for a salary the regular way, for pension and health insurance. Someone has studied this and put it together in a course about living your life thriving, letting go. What these courses miss is the spirit, the Holy Spirit, the supernatural, the magic… that which cannot be explained. Her and I began to talk and complained about the coldness of the air in the restaurant. As we talked it got warmer. When it was time to go, the cold air blew in again. This, cannot be taught in college. This is the supernatural that can only come from the Father.
• Yoda found a wonderful place in busy New York called Zen, run by a woman who charges $50. Can you believe it? And all she asks is that you leave her property nice and she has plenty of rules so you know what she’s talking about.
• Yoda also found communes of the kind I was thinking would be good for me. She said you write to them and tell them what you can do to contribute to the commune and you need to live there for 3 months or whatever. That’s what I was thinking about and as I was telling her that, I realized and said that God really wanted me to go through this time without relying on anyone but Him. He would put me in the home he had ordained and it would be obvious and other doors would be closed except the ‘door’ to the place He wanted me.
We talked about stepping out on faith and what was the reason that so many of us are doing that and that many of us are over 45, and could be thinking retirement plans. I talked about being in my third widow’s home, after stepping out in faith from my job in March 2008. Yoda asked, looking under the restaurant table, are you walking on the ground or on air. “You really are walking by faith.”
The importance of the walk I’m on is to see that I’m not writing to bring people to me so that I can eat, I am writing because God asked me to do it, so that I could show people Him.
It’s not about me. It’s about Him.
Yoda asked what is happening that we are all choosing this way. I said I thought it was because things are coming to an end. That was disingenuous. I know very well that things are coming to an end. Time is drawing to a close. The Bible has shown us and we can see it. I said things are getting wrapped up and cleaned up. So we have to shed all weights and things that encumber us.
Monday, August 31, 2009
People Will Call You Crazy!
If you follow God, people will think you’re crazy. I don’t know how many of you out there are listening, but God is talking. All the time. Not only through flowers, trees, a child’s smile, the soft wind, but He is talking to you into your spirit, or with an audible voice you can hear. If you get still enough, you will hear Him talking. He has something to say about everything in your life. From what shoes you have on, to what you’re about to say now, to who you marry.
I heard God tell me to quit my job in March 2008, when jobs were hard to find. People thought I was crazy. That is humans’ greatest fear, I now believe – that people will think they are crazy. God told me not to job hunt but to write children’s stories. I did. People thought I was crazy. No money fell from heaven, God led me to no great money making venture and so I gave up my apartment, as the money dwindled. Then I gave up my car to the bank. I moved in with my younger sister and lived off of her. People thought I was crazy.
Now I am writing. I’m in my fourth friends’ home living off her. People are sure I’m crazy. God has spoken to me and I am obeying. Sometimes I try to run back to my comfort zone of a job and a pay check, longing for my own place and the ability to take care of myself. Even freelance jobs haven’t worked, or I do them and there’s no money to pay me.
Anyone else having this experience? Are you job-hunting frantically when all God has asked you to do is write and trust Him? People will think you’re crazy. Maybe you’re determined that people won’t think you’re stupid or a member of a cult.I’m researching this phenomenon:) – listening to God, following His instructions and people thinking you’re crazy.
My mother married a Nigerian she had only met three times. People thought she was crazy but she was convinced this was God’s will for her. I’ve watched her over the 53 years of their marriage, never waver from that, even through separations & rifts and joys & sickness. Whatever befell her in the marriage she stayed with, “God told me to marry this man”. People probably still think she’s crazy.
Then I looked in the Word. Jesus’ family openly called him crazy, so much so that it was recorded in the gospels. God asked Him to leave His glory in Heaven and come to Earth (imagine one day we’ll understand this). He could have been called crazy by some, especially Lucifer who had lost his glory and knew how horrible it was to be without it.I haven’t read about Jesus having any job or income generating work, once his ministry started. People must have called him crazy. We are told about his disciples’ jobs, (and even Paul being a tent maker) so I’m sure if Jesus had a job he was actively doing during his ministry, we would have been told. His ministry was his job, as is my writing. He had income or provision. We know that because he had a treasurer, Judas Iscariot. So how did He have an income or provision? His Father was providing for Him and for His disciples. It was really when Mary, his mother, heard he wasn’t eating (or that he and his disciples were too busy with the ministry to eat) that she gathered the family to go get Jesus and bring him home.
He was called crazy and even demon-possessed or under the Devil’s instruction. But He went on. The end result didn’t look good, as mine doesn’t. He kept going on to Jerusalem and there he knew he would die. Jesus wasn’t respected, as we can see the response to Him being the Messiah and God was, “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?” not “Oh, that makes sense, isn’t this the wonderful boy from Nazereth?”
Interesting that one of the Gospels records that it was when Jesus had resolutely set his face to go all the way to the end – to Jerusalem, did his family rise up with “enough-is-enough” indignation and set out to bring him home. You’ve felt it before. You saw what God could do; you resolutely set your face like flint to do what He said and now here comes your best friend with doubts and your family with indignation.
Another Bible "crazy" was young David? What did he do to deserve being called “crazy”? He was sent to give his brother’s lunch and thought he could beat up the great warrior giant, Goliath. He was called nosey by his brother.
Here’s the thing about being called by God to do something and family call you crazy - they also accuse you. If I am listening to the devil or am crazy, shouldn’t you be praying for me about that rather than being angry with me? David’s brother should have been worried about him but they were angry with him.
If they are calling you crazy, but you know God has appointed you to do a job for Him, keep going. You're in good company. Probably when you completely die to self and the flesh and no longer care what they think, they, like Mary, Jesus' mother, they will come to your cross and watch.
I heard God tell me to quit my job in March 2008, when jobs were hard to find. People thought I was crazy. That is humans’ greatest fear, I now believe – that people will think they are crazy. God told me not to job hunt but to write children’s stories. I did. People thought I was crazy. No money fell from heaven, God led me to no great money making venture and so I gave up my apartment, as the money dwindled. Then I gave up my car to the bank. I moved in with my younger sister and lived off of her. People thought I was crazy.
Now I am writing. I’m in my fourth friends’ home living off her. People are sure I’m crazy. God has spoken to me and I am obeying. Sometimes I try to run back to my comfort zone of a job and a pay check, longing for my own place and the ability to take care of myself. Even freelance jobs haven’t worked, or I do them and there’s no money to pay me.
Anyone else having this experience? Are you job-hunting frantically when all God has asked you to do is write and trust Him? People will think you’re crazy. Maybe you’re determined that people won’t think you’re stupid or a member of a cult.I’m researching this phenomenon:) – listening to God, following His instructions and people thinking you’re crazy.
My mother married a Nigerian she had only met three times. People thought she was crazy but she was convinced this was God’s will for her. I’ve watched her over the 53 years of their marriage, never waver from that, even through separations & rifts and joys & sickness. Whatever befell her in the marriage she stayed with, “God told me to marry this man”. People probably still think she’s crazy.
Then I looked in the Word. Jesus’ family openly called him crazy, so much so that it was recorded in the gospels. God asked Him to leave His glory in Heaven and come to Earth (imagine one day we’ll understand this). He could have been called crazy by some, especially Lucifer who had lost his glory and knew how horrible it was to be without it.I haven’t read about Jesus having any job or income generating work, once his ministry started. People must have called him crazy. We are told about his disciples’ jobs, (and even Paul being a tent maker) so I’m sure if Jesus had a job he was actively doing during his ministry, we would have been told. His ministry was his job, as is my writing. He had income or provision. We know that because he had a treasurer, Judas Iscariot. So how did He have an income or provision? His Father was providing for Him and for His disciples. It was really when Mary, his mother, heard he wasn’t eating (or that he and his disciples were too busy with the ministry to eat) that she gathered the family to go get Jesus and bring him home.
He was called crazy and even demon-possessed or under the Devil’s instruction. But He went on. The end result didn’t look good, as mine doesn’t. He kept going on to Jerusalem and there he knew he would die. Jesus wasn’t respected, as we can see the response to Him being the Messiah and God was, “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?” not “Oh, that makes sense, isn’t this the wonderful boy from Nazereth?”
Interesting that one of the Gospels records that it was when Jesus had resolutely set his face to go all the way to the end – to Jerusalem, did his family rise up with “enough-is-enough” indignation and set out to bring him home. You’ve felt it before. You saw what God could do; you resolutely set your face like flint to do what He said and now here comes your best friend with doubts and your family with indignation.
Another Bible "crazy" was young David? What did he do to deserve being called “crazy”? He was sent to give his brother’s lunch and thought he could beat up the great warrior giant, Goliath. He was called nosey by his brother.
Here’s the thing about being called by God to do something and family call you crazy - they also accuse you. If I am listening to the devil or am crazy, shouldn’t you be praying for me about that rather than being angry with me? David’s brother should have been worried about him but they were angry with him.
If they are calling you crazy, but you know God has appointed you to do a job for Him, keep going. You're in good company. Probably when you completely die to self and the flesh and no longer care what they think, they, like Mary, Jesus' mother, they will come to your cross and watch.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
What a man!
What a man, what a man, what a mighty good man!Daddy would say “Everything in mercy given” and that’s how we have to take this.
Dad lived a great full life. From his fathers’ farms around the town of Egbe, Nigeria, West Africa to the Christian Mission School, to having his father crowned king when Dad was a teenager, to finishing high school at Titcombe College, becoming a headmaster, journeying to America…he had already lived a lively life, but then he experienced America with her grandeur, opportunity and racism. He learned to barber his own hair when a barber shop in Greenville, Illinois refused to cut a negro’s hair. But it turned to his good as things do for those who are called by God, as his white classmates who admired him, marched down to the barber shop to protest. The barber changed his views that day when he saw all those white kids coming at him, but by the time Dad’s friends returned to take him back to the barber shop, he had already learned to cut his own hair using a two-mirror system. He often marveled in years to come at how much money he had saved over the years, cutting his own hair, and then his son’s hair, and he even did his grandson’s hair.
His exciting life was destined to continue as he met the enthralling, Lillian Winbush, my mother. (O.K. I’m going to brag on my mother for a minute because looking up this word in the Thesaurus, as she had taught me to do, to make sure it was right, there she was! Beguiling, action-packed, riveting, absorbing, engrossing, enchanting, alluring, gripping, fascinating.) Life would never be the same again and there would never be a dull moment. Their marriage produced us four – excitement all by itself. Then he went back home with all of us, to his beloved Nigeria and received a roaring welcome from his people of the town of Egbe; the journey of being a doctor in Nigeria began. He became a well-known and an often requested surgeon, studied to be an oncologist and used native herbs to research cures for cancer; being noticed internationally and getting a World Health Organization grant, brought him to the US again. (we all got to come and stay two years. And that was fun). Now at the top of his game as a doctor, scholar and researcher, with a PhD in medicine and with his research being studied around the world, all that was left, was for him to be head of something. So he was appointed the Director of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Research and Training (PIMRAT) at the University College Hospital (UCH), University of Ibadan, Nigeria. So badly did dad not want to be on show and the head of anything, that he would write on his letterhead, where it said Director of PIMRAT, Acting Director.
How could someone with this much work to do have time to be a missionary for the Lord, but he and my mother did it. Our home was often like Grand Central Station as university students walked in and out for bible studies, counseling and some of mother’s fresh baked cookies. University staff came for bible studies – one night for ladies, another for men, a third for everybody; bible study, bible study, bible study. Then he was the chairman of the UCH chapel. No real church building, just the nurses assembly hall, but he ran it like the Chairman of the Board he was. Mother, just like a church’s first lady, ran the Sunday School, sometimes 300 kids strong.
Daddy was not the type of Christian to go door to door to tell people about Christ; he instead walked with the Lord very closely and people learned about his Savior by watching his life. Whenever asked he would tell it all and loved leading another person to salvation. I can only imagine the throng that greeted him up there. That gentle man could be pushy at times and I’ve seen him push through a crowd to get something he or his family needed, so when he got to heaven, last week, he probably pushed through the crowd in heaven, because the only person he wanted to see was his Jesus.
It has been our great joy to share our dad & husband with all of you, here and in Nigeria. We hope you enjoyed him, because we did.
God bless you. If we don’t meet you again down here, may we see you in Heaven.
MY REMARKS AT DADDY’S FUNERAL ON BEHALF OF THE FAMILY
Friday, January 30, 2009
Casey - A Children's Story
Skipping along in the sun rays across her granny’s huge backyard, Casey followed the rays all the way to the big oak tree. She slid into a grassy spot as if she was a baseball player coming into home plate, just like her big brother taught her. Sitting back relaxing against the trusty oak’s wide trunk, like she was on granny’s big fancy couch, she pulled out her juicy pear. Grandpa had picked it for her, just before she left the house. “Yipee” her soul seemed to say, as she got ready for the delicious juice of the ripe fruit.
Two squirrels dropped out of a branch close to her and didn’t run away. Maybe because she was so quiet eating her pear. Then one squirrel started chasing the other who was hiding something. Casey named them, Tom & Jerry, as she started on the other side of her pear.
Tom was hiding something and Jerry acted like it was supposed to be his. Jerry was determined to get it and was not going to stop trying. Tom headed up the tree again and Jerry right after him. Casey could see what Tom had – it was a huge piece of an apple. There was no way Tom could keep running and jumping from tree limb to limb and hold on to that big piece of fruit. It was too big for his mouth and he kept adjusting it, so it wouldn’t fall out.
Tom and Jerry’s big bushy tails flicked up and down in anger. Tom was angry that Jerry wouldn’t let him eat in peace. Jerry was angry that Tom wouldn’t let him have a piece. Tom almost fell out of the tree, trying to adjust the fruit in his mouth, but he saved himself and jumped safely to the ground, Jerry ran down the trunk right after him. Both of them on the ground, Tom seemed to come up with a smart idea. He broke the fruit in two and left one half on the ground and moved off with the other. Jerry jumped at that piece and both squirrels were happy.
Casey didn’t know that squirrels could do that or think that way. They taught her a lesson. When her cousins came to play, they always wanted to play with all her toys in her toy chest. She didn’t want them touching her toys and dolls and especially Teddy, but just like Tom, the squirrel, she would have to learn to share. After all she couldn’t play with all her things at once. Tom, the squirrel wouldn’t have been able to eat that piece of apple in peace, unless he shared it.
Sometimes God gives us so much that we really have to share it, or we won’t be able to carry it. That happened to one of Jesus’ disciples - Peter. Out fishing one day, he had caught nothing until Jesus sent him out to fish again and he got so much that he had to call other people to help him bring them in. I’m sure he had to share some of the catch for all his use of their boats. Another person in the Bible who had too much was a little boy in the crowd of the 5,000, who were hungry and tired after listening to Jesus teach for days. He had 5 loaves and 2 fishes. That’s too much for one little boy since 3 loaves was for one grown man to eat a whole meal. The little boy gave his too much to Jesus and 5,000 men with their wives and children (making probably 20,000 people) ate and were full and he got to take 12 baskets home! I wonder how he carried them.
©2009 Princess Carroll Ayo Durodola
Two squirrels dropped out of a branch close to her and didn’t run away. Maybe because she was so quiet eating her pear. Then one squirrel started chasing the other who was hiding something. Casey named them, Tom & Jerry, as she started on the other side of her pear.
Tom was hiding something and Jerry acted like it was supposed to be his. Jerry was determined to get it and was not going to stop trying. Tom headed up the tree again and Jerry right after him. Casey could see what Tom had – it was a huge piece of an apple. There was no way Tom could keep running and jumping from tree limb to limb and hold on to that big piece of fruit. It was too big for his mouth and he kept adjusting it, so it wouldn’t fall out.
Tom and Jerry’s big bushy tails flicked up and down in anger. Tom was angry that Jerry wouldn’t let him eat in peace. Jerry was angry that Tom wouldn’t let him have a piece. Tom almost fell out of the tree, trying to adjust the fruit in his mouth, but he saved himself and jumped safely to the ground, Jerry ran down the trunk right after him. Both of them on the ground, Tom seemed to come up with a smart idea. He broke the fruit in two and left one half on the ground and moved off with the other. Jerry jumped at that piece and both squirrels were happy.
Casey didn’t know that squirrels could do that or think that way. They taught her a lesson. When her cousins came to play, they always wanted to play with all her toys in her toy chest. She didn’t want them touching her toys and dolls and especially Teddy, but just like Tom, the squirrel, she would have to learn to share. After all she couldn’t play with all her things at once. Tom, the squirrel wouldn’t have been able to eat that piece of apple in peace, unless he shared it.
Sometimes God gives us so much that we really have to share it, or we won’t be able to carry it. That happened to one of Jesus’ disciples - Peter. Out fishing one day, he had caught nothing until Jesus sent him out to fish again and he got so much that he had to call other people to help him bring them in. I’m sure he had to share some of the catch for all his use of their boats. Another person in the Bible who had too much was a little boy in the crowd of the 5,000, who were hungry and tired after listening to Jesus teach for days. He had 5 loaves and 2 fishes. That’s too much for one little boy since 3 loaves was for one grown man to eat a whole meal. The little boy gave his too much to Jesus and 5,000 men with their wives and children (making probably 20,000 people) ate and were full and he got to take 12 baskets home! I wonder how he carried them.
©2009 Princess Carroll Ayo Durodola
Monday, January 12, 2009
Joanie and The Angel of Parliament Ave
Slowly snowflakes slide out of the smooth clouds. 9-year old Joanie watched from her penthouse window, on the 92nd floor of the Roosevelt Towers condos. She was sure she was watching the first snowflakes. She curled up in the window seat and enjoyed seeing the flakes before millions of people below, on Parliament Ave.
Mary was busy whirling cake mix in the mixer, for Joanie’s brother’s 16th birthday.
“I’m cold” Joanie called to the cook.
“Well, put that throw around you” Mary said, “I’m not going to stop this cooking right now to fiddle with that thermometer.”
Joanie pulled the throw around her legs and went on with her snow watching. The sun began to set and it looked like it was going to be in the colors of the pinks. There was purple, some plum, now magenta. It was changing quickly. More clouds were coming in and more snowflakes were falling.
Joanie’s brother, Carl, had a birthday on January 1st. How lucky, to have your birthday be New Year’s Day. He always said it was a pain in the neck, but Joanie couldn’t see how. Every time he was asked when his birthday was, he got a lot of attention because people said “You were born on New Year’s Day!!!”
As Joanie turned back to the window, she thought the sun was in an odd place. It seemed to be higher in the sky, not going down at all, but at her eye level. It should have been so bright that she couldn’t look at it, but she could. As she looked into the light, she realized it wasn’t the sun, but something else, suspended in air and she heard a voice come from it.
“Joanie, you’re going to have to pay attention” it said.
“Why?” Joanie asked.
“Because what I’m going to tell you is very important.”
“O.K.” Joanie said.
The voice from the light went on, “Go and tell Mary that as soon as she finishes mixing the cake, she should call her son. He’s not feeling well. He’s going to be alright if she calls him very soon.”
“O.K.” Joanie said, sitting still, waiting to hear more. She was so excited about the light in front of her.
“Go ahead Joanie and tell Mary” the angel said. For that’s what it was.
Joanie jumped up off the window seat, but turned back to keep her eyes on the bright light.
“Stop that jumping!” Mary shouted from the kitchen.
“I know, but there’s someone here.” Said Mary as the light seemed to shoo her away and the voice repeated, “Go ahead Joanie, go tell Mary.” She tore herself away from the big window and ran into the kitchen.
“Stop that running in the house.” Mary said, as she stopped the cake mixer, “What’s the matter with you today…jumping, running…”
“Mary!” Joanie put both her hands up to stop Mary talking and to give her very important message, “you must call your son, Leroy. He is not well and you must call him.”
“What are you…?” Mary started.
Joanie was ready for her, “An angel. An angel came to me at the window and told me that you have to call your son, that he is not well, but he will be O.K. if you call right away.”
“O.K., O.K. chil’” Mary said.
Mary knew God, Jesus was a friend of hers and she knew He spoke to His children in a lot of ways. She reached into her apron pocket and pulled out her cell phone, flipping it open in one fell swoop. Automatically, she pressed the number for her only child, Leroy, who had just turned 51. As she waited for him to pick up, she thought about how proud she was of him, that he had gone to college and had a great business and didn’t have to work for other people like her and his dad.
“Yes, Momma, how are ya’?” Leroy answered.
“I’m good. Wondering what this little chil’, Joanie is talking about…”
“Oh” Leroy groaned, “Oh my, what was that?”
“What is it son?” Mary asked. Joanie jumped up and down with glee, “the angel said he would be O.K. Don’t worry Mary.”
“A real sharp pain in my chest” Leroy said.
“Oh my God! Are you home?”
“Yes” he moaned.
“I’m calling 911 to send an ambulance over there. Stay on the phone; I’m going to use the house phone.”
“I’m sure it’s O.K. Momma” Leroy groaned.
“No, I have another Word. If you can move, get some of that aspirin out of the medicine cabinet and put it under your tongue.”
“O.K.” he answered. “But I’m still able to stand.”
“Praise God, just do as I said.” “Hello” Mary now switched over to the house phone and told the 911 operator what was happening and Leroy’s address.
Before Joanie knew it, she was in her winter gear, being pulled down the halls of Roosevelt Towers behind Mary towards the elevators.
“Since no one’s home, you’ll have to come with me” Mary, the family cook, said to her.
“Are we going to the hospital?” asked Joanie.
“We’ll go to the apartment first and see how he is and if the ambulance has got there.”
“The angel said he’ll be alright, Mary.”
“I believe you chil’. I believe you.” Mary said even though she had a worried tone in her voice.
By the time they got to Leroy’s apartment, the ambulance had him inside and was starting up their sirens to drive away.
“How exciting” Mary thought.
The policeman standing there knew Mary, “He’s O.K. Miss Mary. They’re taking him to Holy Cross.”
“Thank you Sam. I’ll follow.”
Much later at the hospital, in Leroy’s hospital room, he was snug and safe, tucked in. He had had a mild heart attack, but he was resting well. Mary’s husband and Leroy’s dad, John, had come and everyone was calm. Through the hospital room window looking out to the hallway, Joanie saw her Mom and Dad rushing to the room.
“Mommy, Daddy!”
“Hi darling” Daddy picked her up and they both hugged her. Then they hugged Mary and asked about Leroy.
Joanie tugged at their coats, anxious to tell them all about her adventure and about the angel of Parliament Ave. that came to save Leroy.
Copyright © 2008 Carroll Ayo Durodola
Mary was busy whirling cake mix in the mixer, for Joanie’s brother’s 16th birthday.
“I’m cold” Joanie called to the cook.
“Well, put that throw around you” Mary said, “I’m not going to stop this cooking right now to fiddle with that thermometer.”
Joanie pulled the throw around her legs and went on with her snow watching. The sun began to set and it looked like it was going to be in the colors of the pinks. There was purple, some plum, now magenta. It was changing quickly. More clouds were coming in and more snowflakes were falling.
Joanie’s brother, Carl, had a birthday on January 1st. How lucky, to have your birthday be New Year’s Day. He always said it was a pain in the neck, but Joanie couldn’t see how. Every time he was asked when his birthday was, he got a lot of attention because people said “You were born on New Year’s Day!!!”
As Joanie turned back to the window, she thought the sun was in an odd place. It seemed to be higher in the sky, not going down at all, but at her eye level. It should have been so bright that she couldn’t look at it, but she could. As she looked into the light, she realized it wasn’t the sun, but something else, suspended in air and she heard a voice come from it.
“Joanie, you’re going to have to pay attention” it said.
“Why?” Joanie asked.
“Because what I’m going to tell you is very important.”
“O.K.” Joanie said.
The voice from the light went on, “Go and tell Mary that as soon as she finishes mixing the cake, she should call her son. He’s not feeling well. He’s going to be alright if she calls him very soon.”
“O.K.” Joanie said, sitting still, waiting to hear more. She was so excited about the light in front of her.
“Go ahead Joanie and tell Mary” the angel said. For that’s what it was.
Joanie jumped up off the window seat, but turned back to keep her eyes on the bright light.
“Stop that jumping!” Mary shouted from the kitchen.
“I know, but there’s someone here.” Said Mary as the light seemed to shoo her away and the voice repeated, “Go ahead Joanie, go tell Mary.” She tore herself away from the big window and ran into the kitchen.
“Stop that running in the house.” Mary said, as she stopped the cake mixer, “What’s the matter with you today…jumping, running…”
“Mary!” Joanie put both her hands up to stop Mary talking and to give her very important message, “you must call your son, Leroy. He is not well and you must call him.”
“What are you…?” Mary started.
Joanie was ready for her, “An angel. An angel came to me at the window and told me that you have to call your son, that he is not well, but he will be O.K. if you call right away.”
“O.K., O.K. chil’” Mary said.
Mary knew God, Jesus was a friend of hers and she knew He spoke to His children in a lot of ways. She reached into her apron pocket and pulled out her cell phone, flipping it open in one fell swoop. Automatically, she pressed the number for her only child, Leroy, who had just turned 51. As she waited for him to pick up, she thought about how proud she was of him, that he had gone to college and had a great business and didn’t have to work for other people like her and his dad.
“Yes, Momma, how are ya’?” Leroy answered.
“I’m good. Wondering what this little chil’, Joanie is talking about…”
“Oh” Leroy groaned, “Oh my, what was that?”
“What is it son?” Mary asked. Joanie jumped up and down with glee, “the angel said he would be O.K. Don’t worry Mary.”
“A real sharp pain in my chest” Leroy said.
“Oh my God! Are you home?”
“Yes” he moaned.
“I’m calling 911 to send an ambulance over there. Stay on the phone; I’m going to use the house phone.”
“I’m sure it’s O.K. Momma” Leroy groaned.
“No, I have another Word. If you can move, get some of that aspirin out of the medicine cabinet and put it under your tongue.”
“O.K.” he answered. “But I’m still able to stand.”
“Praise God, just do as I said.” “Hello” Mary now switched over to the house phone and told the 911 operator what was happening and Leroy’s address.
Before Joanie knew it, she was in her winter gear, being pulled down the halls of Roosevelt Towers behind Mary towards the elevators.
“Since no one’s home, you’ll have to come with me” Mary, the family cook, said to her.
“Are we going to the hospital?” asked Joanie.
“We’ll go to the apartment first and see how he is and if the ambulance has got there.”
“The angel said he’ll be alright, Mary.”
“I believe you chil’. I believe you.” Mary said even though she had a worried tone in her voice.
By the time they got to Leroy’s apartment, the ambulance had him inside and was starting up their sirens to drive away.
“How exciting” Mary thought.
The policeman standing there knew Mary, “He’s O.K. Miss Mary. They’re taking him to Holy Cross.”
“Thank you Sam. I’ll follow.”
Much later at the hospital, in Leroy’s hospital room, he was snug and safe, tucked in. He had had a mild heart attack, but he was resting well. Mary’s husband and Leroy’s dad, John, had come and everyone was calm. Through the hospital room window looking out to the hallway, Joanie saw her Mom and Dad rushing to the room.
“Mommy, Daddy!”
“Hi darling” Daddy picked her up and they both hugged her. Then they hugged Mary and asked about Leroy.
Joanie tugged at their coats, anxious to tell them all about her adventure and about the angel of Parliament Ave. that came to save Leroy.
Copyright © 2008 Carroll Ayo Durodola
Friday, December 26, 2008
Believe
Keresimesi Odun de O (Yoruba for Merry Christmas!)
At this time the Lord wants us Christians to trust Him. I was reading my poem, "The Lord is Good", (published now on www.ezraweb.com) and it had me crying with joy all over again. Many of us are in muddy waters or it seems so. We have disastrous things happening to us and really there is nowhere else to look but at our situations. But the Lord wants us, especially at these times to look full in His wonderful face and trust Him. Even if the eviction notice is on the door, even if the tow truck man is ready to repossess your car. Trust the Lord.
He has allowed this situation to see if you know where to look. To see if you know where to put your faith.Trust Him. Trust Him. Trust Him. Where else can you look? Some of you are between a rock and a hard place, especially financially and you've been tricked or feel tricked economically. Most black folks laugh, that these economic down turns don't bother us, because we don't have anything anyway. But this time it is touching everyone. Those it hasn't touched yet, it will.
The Father God wants to see us crawl up in His 'lap' and relax. Trust Him. He will tell you what to do.If you trust Him, you won't have to run around hoping that this or that will work. He will direct you. But if you're flailing your arms around desperate, He won't be able to help you because you won't listen to Him. If you've ever tried to save someone who is drowning, as I have, you know they are very cumbersome, because they are trying to save themselves. Sometimes you have to knock them out and make them unconscious so you can tow them in.
Some of you are in a 'tow in' situation. That is, you've made a mess and the Lord is 'towing' you in. Others are in the will of the Lord. You knew it once, but now you're doubting. He's not 'towing' you in, He's carrying you higher. Relax and let Him. The odd feeling you're having, is you, changing to a new spiritual altitude. Obedience is very important here. Do exactly what the Master says do. More importantly - relax!The Lord loves you and is moving you along.
At this time the Lord wants us Christians to trust Him. I was reading my poem, "The Lord is Good", (published now on www.ezraweb.com) and it had me crying with joy all over again. Many of us are in muddy waters or it seems so. We have disastrous things happening to us and really there is nowhere else to look but at our situations. But the Lord wants us, especially at these times to look full in His wonderful face and trust Him. Even if the eviction notice is on the door, even if the tow truck man is ready to repossess your car. Trust the Lord.
He has allowed this situation to see if you know where to look. To see if you know where to put your faith.Trust Him. Trust Him. Trust Him. Where else can you look? Some of you are between a rock and a hard place, especially financially and you've been tricked or feel tricked economically. Most black folks laugh, that these economic down turns don't bother us, because we don't have anything anyway. But this time it is touching everyone. Those it hasn't touched yet, it will.
The Father God wants to see us crawl up in His 'lap' and relax. Trust Him. He will tell you what to do.If you trust Him, you won't have to run around hoping that this or that will work. He will direct you. But if you're flailing your arms around desperate, He won't be able to help you because you won't listen to Him. If you've ever tried to save someone who is drowning, as I have, you know they are very cumbersome, because they are trying to save themselves. Sometimes you have to knock them out and make them unconscious so you can tow them in.
Some of you are in a 'tow in' situation. That is, you've made a mess and the Lord is 'towing' you in. Others are in the will of the Lord. You knew it once, but now you're doubting. He's not 'towing' you in, He's carrying you higher. Relax and let Him. The odd feeling you're having, is you, changing to a new spiritual altitude. Obedience is very important here. Do exactly what the Master says do. More importantly - relax!The Lord loves you and is moving you along.
Friday, December 19, 2008
What does it mean to rest?
12/19/08
What does it mean to rest?
1. Not thinking about anything
2. Quietly listening to God and talking to Him
But, in a long space of days when you are not doing anything.
(We have a fear that as we go on being quiet we will sink and float away.
Loose our mind.
Never get ourselves back together again.
It will be harder to come back to slaving away.)
3. Sitting around doing nothing and not feeling guilty or manic about it.
Look, God ardently wants you to be still. He needs you to rest. Rest alot. It's a word I've been hearing for the body of Christ for some years now. Rest. Rest. Rest. We are doing far too much running around. Rippin' and runnin', my mother calls it. Slow down, first. Then get into rest. Lie down. Why is this such a problem? Why not rest. Rest is a blessing of the Lord. Guilt, children, husbands, parents, friends, ourselves all stop us from resting, but we won't be as effective if we don't rest. I mean a nap! Yeah, I said it. Lie down and sleep. This gives God more time to speak to you in dreams and visions.
Believe. This is going to make things soooo much better for you. Rest on!
What does it mean to rest?
1. Not thinking about anything
2. Quietly listening to God and talking to Him
But, in a long space of days when you are not doing anything.
(We have a fear that as we go on being quiet we will sink and float away.
Loose our mind.
Never get ourselves back together again.
It will be harder to come back to slaving away.)
3. Sitting around doing nothing and not feeling guilty or manic about it.
Look, God ardently wants you to be still. He needs you to rest. Rest alot. It's a word I've been hearing for the body of Christ for some years now. Rest. Rest. Rest. We are doing far too much running around. Rippin' and runnin', my mother calls it. Slow down, first. Then get into rest. Lie down. Why is this such a problem? Why not rest. Rest is a blessing of the Lord. Guilt, children, husbands, parents, friends, ourselves all stop us from resting, but we won't be as effective if we don't rest. I mean a nap! Yeah, I said it. Lie down and sleep. This gives God more time to speak to you in dreams and visions.
Believe. This is going to make things soooo much better for you. Rest on!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Saying “No” to God.
12/12/08
You know how the Lord tells you to do something and you act out “No”. You don’t say “No” like a wilful child. You would never say that to your God, but you don’t do what He told you to do.
Newsflash: You have said “No”.
To delay is disobedience.
You know how the Lord tells you to do something and you act out “No”. You don’t say “No” like a wilful child. You would never say that to your God, but you don’t do what He told you to do.
Newsflash: You have said “No”.
To delay is disobedience.
You are the Light of the World
12/11/08
We’re walking around with the Light in us you know. A merchant I deal with was ringing me up at the cash register some years ago. I wasn’t talking about Christ or thinking particularly spiritual thoughts at the time, but she looked up at me and said, “There’s a light in you.” I said “Praise God” and went on. But it makes sense you know, based on what Jesus said. “You are the Light of the world” (Matt 5:14). We are walking around with the Light in us and this is a light the world needs.
We’re walking around with the Light in us you know. A merchant I deal with was ringing me up at the cash register some years ago. I wasn’t talking about Christ or thinking particularly spiritual thoughts at the time, but she looked up at me and said, “There’s a light in you.” I said “Praise God” and went on. But it makes sense you know, based on what Jesus said. “You are the Light of the world” (Matt 5:14). We are walking around with the Light in us and this is a light the world needs.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Trust - Even Though You Are Between a Rock and a Hard Place
12/10/08
You’re going to have to trust this God who led you out of your “Egypt” and took you from your enemies. Right now you may feel like you have jumped from the frying pan into the fire, but imagine how the Israelites felt by the rolling Red Sea, with the Egyptians gaining on them. In private conversation, brave Moses might have asked God why He led him to bring these people out if they were going to die now in the desert. Well there wouldn’t have been any dying, ‘cos the Egyptians wanted them back alive! But it would seem like death.
You’re right there now. But know that you belong to a God who makes ways out of no way. Just when I could despair, the Lord had my dad call yesterday, to give me good news. Fun news really, about how God had provided for him in a new and almost impossible way. This encouraged me so much. It may look impossible. It may seem too late. How many of you are there, where it’s all over now, there’s no way of help. Don’t give up. Trust God – Jesus said to Jairus when he was told his daughter had died.
So what if you went this way with the Lord before and it was strenuous, you were homeless, lost everything…do it again. Often the devil wants you to think you’re alone. “No one will understand what I’ve done”, “No one will believe that God told me to do this!” But it’s not true. You have at least one friend who will and does encourage you without judgement. And as you think of that one, others come to mind. Then know also, that God has people praying for you that you don’t even know. He has done it with me. Given me a vision of someone in trouble and told me to pray. Sometimes he gets me up at odd hours of the night and sitting on my couch I ask “O.K. Lord, why am I up?” He shows me and I begin to pray for them. Many times I don’t know them at all or even their names. I know at this time of my desperation, God has many praying for me. And I just had proof of this while writing. I stopped to call an acquaintance I had only met once, and she yelled, “I lost your number, but I have been praying for you!” There are some struggles you have to go through alone, even though you know there are those you can call. Trust God that the set up is perfect and that everything is working out perfectly. How can it be otherwise? He is a perfect God and you have given your life over to Him. You are not doing what seems logical to you; you are not leaning to your own understanding. If He can justify the wicked, He can take care of you.
A word that came to me this morning from the Lord was; remember the past and all that you have endured and had victory over! This will be a springboard of faith to move through the challenges that you now face. Remember the One who gave you victory over the evil one and his schemes against you and know that this is the same One who will give you wisdom, strength, guidance and triumph in this also. The devil wants you to think, it won’t work this time, but God says, he is a liar. Don’t believe him. You know those HGTV shows you watch and these people get chosen to have their homes redone and then when it’s time for the great reveal, they wonder if the designer will fail them, even though he does everyone else beautifully. If God has taken you through all other challenges ‘til now, why would He fail on this one? Haven’t you come home to Father, haven’t you stored up treasures in heaven, haven’t you forgiven others, haven’t you been merciful as your Father in heaven is merciful? Yes. Well then, He will open the storehouse of heaven and pour down a blessing, so that there is not room enough to keep it. (Luke 6:38; Mal. 3:10) It will be so much your accountant will tell you to give some of it away!!!
Believe. Trust. Obey.
Matt 6:25 Therefore I say to you, Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
You’re going to have to trust this God who led you out of your “Egypt” and took you from your enemies. Right now you may feel like you have jumped from the frying pan into the fire, but imagine how the Israelites felt by the rolling Red Sea, with the Egyptians gaining on them. In private conversation, brave Moses might have asked God why He led him to bring these people out if they were going to die now in the desert. Well there wouldn’t have been any dying, ‘cos the Egyptians wanted them back alive! But it would seem like death.
You’re right there now. But know that you belong to a God who makes ways out of no way. Just when I could despair, the Lord had my dad call yesterday, to give me good news. Fun news really, about how God had provided for him in a new and almost impossible way. This encouraged me so much. It may look impossible. It may seem too late. How many of you are there, where it’s all over now, there’s no way of help. Don’t give up. Trust God – Jesus said to Jairus when he was told his daughter had died.
So what if you went this way with the Lord before and it was strenuous, you were homeless, lost everything…do it again. Often the devil wants you to think you’re alone. “No one will understand what I’ve done”, “No one will believe that God told me to do this!” But it’s not true. You have at least one friend who will and does encourage you without judgement. And as you think of that one, others come to mind. Then know also, that God has people praying for you that you don’t even know. He has done it with me. Given me a vision of someone in trouble and told me to pray. Sometimes he gets me up at odd hours of the night and sitting on my couch I ask “O.K. Lord, why am I up?” He shows me and I begin to pray for them. Many times I don’t know them at all or even their names. I know at this time of my desperation, God has many praying for me. And I just had proof of this while writing. I stopped to call an acquaintance I had only met once, and she yelled, “I lost your number, but I have been praying for you!” There are some struggles you have to go through alone, even though you know there are those you can call. Trust God that the set up is perfect and that everything is working out perfectly. How can it be otherwise? He is a perfect God and you have given your life over to Him. You are not doing what seems logical to you; you are not leaning to your own understanding. If He can justify the wicked, He can take care of you.
A word that came to me this morning from the Lord was; remember the past and all that you have endured and had victory over! This will be a springboard of faith to move through the challenges that you now face. Remember the One who gave you victory over the evil one and his schemes against you and know that this is the same One who will give you wisdom, strength, guidance and triumph in this also. The devil wants you to think, it won’t work this time, but God says, he is a liar. Don’t believe him. You know those HGTV shows you watch and these people get chosen to have their homes redone and then when it’s time for the great reveal, they wonder if the designer will fail them, even though he does everyone else beautifully. If God has taken you through all other challenges ‘til now, why would He fail on this one? Haven’t you come home to Father, haven’t you stored up treasures in heaven, haven’t you forgiven others, haven’t you been merciful as your Father in heaven is merciful? Yes. Well then, He will open the storehouse of heaven and pour down a blessing, so that there is not room enough to keep it. (Luke 6:38; Mal. 3:10) It will be so much your accountant will tell you to give some of it away!!!
Believe. Trust. Obey.
Matt 6:25 Therefore I say to you, Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Do It Again
12/09/2008
One thing God is telling us, His children to do, is to “do it again”. If we did things in the past and they didn’t work, or all our work has been stolen, lost or burnt, Jesus our Bridegroom says “do it again”. Have you ever lost an e-mail you were writing to someone and it was so good, so clear, with the right tone? Then it was gone. It hadn’t been sent, it wasn’t saved, you couldn’t find it and the technology department couldn’t find it either. So you realized you just would have to do it again and when you did, you were convinced that this new e-mail was better, by far than the former. That you included things left out of the first, presented in a way not done before. The same with your life. We miss so much when we bemoan having to do something all over again. But everywhere on Earth today, God is saying “do it again!”
Some years ago, in 1988, a great writer, Rita Dove, lost a lot of her manuscripts in a fire, when her house was hit by lightning. It was devastating I’m sure. When this happened to her I’m sure she had to go on and decide to forget it or start writing again and even write the manuscripts again that she had been working on.
Trust the Lord. Now when you hear that and remember a past experience, you whine, “I did that before and it didn’t turn out well. I was evicted from my home.” Well, you will have to do it again. Now, that is really hard, but it must happen. You cannot go on in the Christian walk if you don’t do it again. Imagine if you refused to bless others and help them because the last time you did, it turned out badly. You could miss so much and so would these new people. Listen to God. Let Him tell you what to do. Trust Him and trust Him again.
Trust in the Lord, with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. Prov. 3:5
One thing God is telling us, His children to do, is to “do it again”. If we did things in the past and they didn’t work, or all our work has been stolen, lost or burnt, Jesus our Bridegroom says “do it again”. Have you ever lost an e-mail you were writing to someone and it was so good, so clear, with the right tone? Then it was gone. It hadn’t been sent, it wasn’t saved, you couldn’t find it and the technology department couldn’t find it either. So you realized you just would have to do it again and when you did, you were convinced that this new e-mail was better, by far than the former. That you included things left out of the first, presented in a way not done before. The same with your life. We miss so much when we bemoan having to do something all over again. But everywhere on Earth today, God is saying “do it again!”
Some years ago, in 1988, a great writer, Rita Dove, lost a lot of her manuscripts in a fire, when her house was hit by lightning. It was devastating I’m sure. When this happened to her I’m sure she had to go on and decide to forget it or start writing again and even write the manuscripts again that she had been working on.
Trust the Lord. Now when you hear that and remember a past experience, you whine, “I did that before and it didn’t turn out well. I was evicted from my home.” Well, you will have to do it again. Now, that is really hard, but it must happen. You cannot go on in the Christian walk if you don’t do it again. Imagine if you refused to bless others and help them because the last time you did, it turned out badly. You could miss so much and so would these new people. Listen to God. Let Him tell you what to do. Trust Him and trust Him again.
Trust in the Lord, with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. Prov. 3:5
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