To my friends and family, I pray that you read this… Over a month ago I was speaking on a panel at a college workshop. I was approached by a Reverend to come give the message at their church on a Sunday a month later. We worked out the details later, and then the day came to be a guest speaker at New Mount Olive Church in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. As the day drew nearer, all I could think was I cannot do this. Of all the better suited people on Earth you ask me to do this? I am a speaker; however, I am not a preacher or a pastor. I am sure there were better Christians cut out for this job than me. Here is the thing, it was in the midst of three very difficult weeks of my life as they day grew nearer. I mean I was so angry from everything happening around me and to me, sad, full of anxiety, depressed, hurt; how could I ever get in front of a church and preach? Not only that, I had to have a root canal that only added more stress and physical pain. I could not speak. I cannot even begin to tell you the thoughts that were going through my head in those 3 weeks. I just wanted to end it all just as some you have been thinking lately because life has just been binding you with chains over and over again to the point that they are so heavy you can barely walk. So many of you are one step away from falling to your knees the weight is so heavy; the chains that bind you are squeezing the life out of you. I told the Revered I could not do it hoping they would find someone else. Instead, his assistant asked me if I would reschedule. I asked God, “What is it? Can’t you pick someone else for this? Do you see what I have going on in my life right now? How can I speak at a service when my heart is in so much pain? How can I give my testimony about my life and speak about the murder of my little brother and everything I am going through without breaking down and crying in front of everyone? God, I am known to be strong, inspirational; people look up to me! God if I cry and they see my weakness I am no longer that superhero people see me as. So why me God?” I accepted the offer once again. We rescheduled two weeks later. I had two weeks to get through all the garbage I had going on in my life. I had two weeks to put together a message for Sunday. Fast forward some time…I traveled to New York and experienced something really powerful. While God had me out of my element, my hometown, He was really able to talk to me. I had the opportunity to minister to youth and see lives recommitted to Christ. While I was in New York I attended Word of Life Church in Niagara Falls. I witnessed these amazing children praise dancing to a beautiful song called Break Every Chain. I cried and cried. All of us have these chains that are chocking the life out of us that are weighing us down. That day I witnessed my man recommit his life to Christ. The most powerful experience any woman can experience. After praying with him at the altar, I went back and brought a couple children with me to the altar that I met that needed prayer. I felt my purpose turn up to a new level. I left New York full of purpose and ready to put together my sermon for the following Sunday at New Mount Olive Church in Florida. My sermon was Break Every Chain. As nervous as I was, I felt a peace like no other that day that only my God could give me. However, something just had to go wrong. Right? My assistant and I arrived at the wrong church. We had the incorrect address and we were about 30 minutes away from where we needed to be and church was about to commence. Instantly I began to question should I really be there giving the sermon? After all, this is the 100th time something has gone wrong. I was about to give up and call the church to tell them I am not coming. The Reverend’s assistant insisted I come. I took a deep breath and prayed. A 30 minute trip turned into a 15 minute trip. Traffic was clear and green lights all the way to the church. The devil was testing me. He was ready to stop what God had been orchestrating. Satan knew exactly what was about to go down in that church that day. He was eager to stop it. When I arrived to the church I was nervous. No one really seemed into the service; not even during praise and worship. I began to worry that they would not receive me. I prayed to God for confidence, and as they brought me up I felt the peace of God again. I delivered my message on Break Every Chain. I started out by hyping up the crowd chanting, “When I say Push you say PRAY…” and they all responded full of life. During the sermon, I called three to four people to come up that needed to break chains that were stopping them from moving into the best days of their lives. I called for people that have been hurt, raped, abused, were living in fear of something, those that have any kind of chain that is chocking their life and weighing them down. One by one I had more people come forward than I had ever anticipated. As young as 9 years old to about 21 they came forward. One young girl was wailing the pain inside of her was just that deep. I realized that there were more people out there that needed to break chains. I asked everyone in the congregation on the count of three as we pray in Jesus name that there would be a breaking of chains in this building all around us. I felt the release come over me. I realized that it took the breaking of my own chains to be set free to help set others free. Just as Jesus paid for our sins on the cross, I want to be able to say that everything I been through was to help bring another soul to my Father for Him to restore. 10 years ago, in my most troubled time when I was getting locked up, in the streets, defiant, I had someone speak over my life that I would one day preach before a church and that I would day speak in front of nations. 10 years ago the thought of delivering a sermon was the last thing I was concerned about. I was just trying to survive and get a meal. However, look how powerful God is! He took one of the most broken souls and turned her into a woman that is out to bring souls to Christ. See God did not waste a moment or chapter of my life. It was all in His plan. There is purpose in your pain no matter what you are going through. To see lives transformed that day let me know without a doubt that God is using me. Never underestimate what He will do in your life when you surrender to Him. He has to get you right where He needs you to be. He may be calling you right now. He wants to break every chain that is weighing down on your heart and body right now. You were not meant to fight alone. Our Father wants to be there for you. Do you hear Him calling… God can and will use us all. Today is the day that you simply have to say, “God, I can’t but You can”. Thank you God for hearing our cries and filling us up with purpose and peace. Thank you for never giving up on us when we have given up on You. Lord we love you and we trust you. In Jesus name, Amen If you have made it this far, I thank you from the bottom my heart. I love my sister and my brother. I could not have made it without you. To those of you in ministry and that mentor, thank you for being who you are. You are needed. God bless you. Never stop pushing.
Posted on: Fri, 09 Aug 2013 17:15:53 +0000
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