Hey y’all

Happy Monday! I hope this day finds you in good health and good spirits. Many were not fortunate to see the dawn of todays morning ( RIP to those who lost their lives in Orlando ) so I’m super grateful to see another day and to have another opportunity to share with you all!

This weeks post was actually a post I wanted to write a long time ago, but felt like I didn’t have all my words and thoughts collected to really get the message I wanted to share across. Until this past week…

As I was perusing my Facebook timeline, I came across a video of Fantasia Barrino singing a song called ” Necessary”  with her background vocalists. When I tell you that in that very moment, I said to a friend of mine, ” Fantasia better stop running from her calling”.  Alas, I had found the missing piece to this post!  But, I’ll get back to Fantasia in a moment.

In high school, I used to run track and field. I was predominently a sprinter but once in awhile during the fall/winter semester, I would join the cross country team ( mostly to get out of class for the all day cross country meets 😛 ) I was not a great cross country runner. I would stop, walk a little, run off course, the whole nine yards. I had no clear path to the finish line.

Such is the life of someone who lives their life with no direction! I can only speak for myself as a young woman striving to live a life where a relationship with Christ is evident, running in a direction opposite of what God wants for you almost always ends up leaving you in worse condition than where you started.

There are countless people in the bible who have run away from the call of God but there is one in particular that stands out. That is the story of Jonah.  You can read  his story in detail in the Book of Jonah ( Chapters 1-4) but here is the gist of the story:

God told Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh to share the gospel with the people there. Jonah didn’t want to go because he could care less about the people there. So he decided to run away. He went down to a place called Joppa and hopped on a boat headed as far away from Nineveh as possible. Well while on that ship,  God saw that Jonah had disobeyed him and sent a mighty storm.  Jonah was fast asleep while this happened. Basically, the other men on the ship decided ( by casting lots) that Jonah was the cause of the storm and chucked him overboard ( however unwillingly , but their hands were tied). You would think this would be the end of Jonah, but no.. God had a big fish swallow him up. While inside the fish, Jonah had time to repent and God had mercy on him and caused the fish to spew him out. To make along story short, Jonah ended up high-tailing it back to Nineveh… exactly where he was supposed to be in the first place!

You never know what dangers may befall you when you ” run” away from the plans God has orchestrated for your life. Jonah learned his lesson the hard way, but God spared him to do things right the second time around. Has God given you a second chance? Are you still running?  I ran away from God for a long time and time and time again He spared me to live one more day. I eventually stopped running and now i’m running in his direction and not looking back : P !

Anyway, let me jump back to Fantasia for a quick second. Now to me, Fantasia is the ultimate “runner”. When this young woman sings ( and speaks) about God you can feel the call God has on her life and you can tell she struggles with not submitting fully to His will! To me, she is like a modern day Jonah. She was given her assignment but is not ready to complete it…. and she has weathered some storms of her own from a suicide attempt, abortion, teen motherhood, dysfunctional relationships and so forth. Right now, in this very moment, I think she is in ” the belly of her fish” battling herself and the call God has on her life;  and I hope and pray she will come out of “the belly” and go in the right direction. Take a listen and watch as Fantasia and her singers sing this track called ” Necessary” ( a song originally by Dennis Reed and Gap)

The lyrics simply say; I am who I am  today/ because God used my mistakes/ He worked them for my good/ like no one else ever could…. /God told me to tell you/ It was neccessary

Running from what you’re supposed to do only prolongs the fact that eventually you are gonna have to do it! Or face the consequences of not doing it! Is it really worth running?  I  certainly don’t think so…

What are you running from? Is it a spiritual goal?  A physical goal? Emotional stability?  Whatever it may be I pray you get on track and run in the right direction!

1 Corinthian 9:24 reads: 
Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!
 Jesus is the ultimate prize!

So folks…
Run to win the race that is set before you ! <3( Hebrews 12:1)

Deitrick Haddon has a song called ‘Running’ that I will leave with you today!
Have a blessed week and remember in everything you do, Just Love Them Anyway #JLTA ❤
xoxo

You running [x4]

Get em!
He by my side you can hear God’s voice
Calling you even through all of them noise
Telling you is time to make a choice
You know is something you cannot avoid
And you’re wondering why its so had different joy
You’ll be feeling frustrated you may not know
And even though you got money like me were too fly
You came back to God am feeling you boy

You’re running [x2]
Running from your calling
You’re running [x2]
Running from your calling

Lift your hands and tell God yes
Yes yeah
You’ve got to tell Him yes
Running running running [x2]
Running from your calling

You remind me of Jonah the prophet
He try to run he couldn’t stop Him
He got on the ship and
They kicked him up
He got swallowed up
Even the fish have to vomit him up
When God is ready the best is to say yes
I think you’re ready just tell Him yes
Man I’ve been there before I must confess
Things are better but I told Him yes

You’re running [x2]
Running from your calling
You’re running [x2]
Running from your calling

Lift your hands and tell God yes
Yes yeah
You’ve got to tell Him yes
Running running running [x2]
Running from your calling

I see you smoking loud I know that you are high
And you’re getting dressed to go that clubbing all night
But God’s hands is still on your life
How long will you run
How long will you fight
Man it was love that kept you alive
And without His love you will not survive
I see you running but I don’t why
Why don’t you give His love a try

Running running running [x2]
Running from your calling