2020 been a bit of a cuss word, life-altering for most if not all, for some even life-affirming, and for many faith-testing. I mean a pandemic come on! The speed force is pissed guys! This has to be the result of some evil villain, but unlike the Marvel and DC universes and so many other worlds spawn from great minds, we don’t have superheroes in cool costumes and matching suits -at least not in the same sense.
We have been inundated with so much news, bad news, breaking news, fake news, I-could-have-had-a-V8 news, save-the-drama-fa-yo-mama-and-push news. I mean GOSH have we been bombarded with news. I won’t quite share my thoughts on this awful pandemic and the virus causing it nor speculation of the origin thereof, but I do and will continue to share deepest condolences for those suffering with the virus and those directly affected by COVID-19. This is not another piece about Coronavirus; this is about change.
I hear the voices of family members saying that life as we know it will change after this. There is a temporal drastic change upon us, and after the seasons transition our normal will inevitably be new. I don’t want to speak negativity, and I won’t front like I know exactly how that new normal will look, but I know we aren’t in as much control as we’d like to think. We never were. We do however need to get a grip on what we can control.
We determine how we adapt, how we will react to large events. How we interact with family be them by blood or by choice is in our control. How we choose to view life is in our control. Strengthening or losing our faith -yeah, you guessed it- is in our control.
So much has been negatively impacted and numerous adverse effects will no doubt be lasting. Industries might shift. Businesses may permanently close. Unemployment has increased. The gap between the haves and have-nots is widening. More importantly people have lost loved ones, some are battling to hold onto sanity, adults and children alike are terrified and some too are alone.
I know all of that sounds “bad, real bad Michael Jackson” like the old Kanye used to croon. What we can do is pray more. Adjust our priorities. Work to strengthen relationships with loved ones. Be good to neighbors. Support business of integrity especially small businesses. Why? No, this is not a shameless plug. Small businesses create jobs and stimulate the economy of the communities they reside. Not all large companies are duplicitous, but look at how they operate. Learn how to invest time, energy, and money. Find where you excel in life, what your passion is, who you are and are meant to be. Learn your purpose and walk in it. Times change. We evolve, at least we’re supposed to and ya girl ain’t talmbout Darwin.
After we evaluate ourselves from a skills perspective, search how to support ourselves and families. Learn how and where our children should be educated, and we have more to review, too. Life itself. Has your perspective changed at all? When this is over will you be different? We’ll cross the bridge of good or bad later, but will you be changed?
Have you put on your active listening ears? I’m talking to me! Have you taken better care of your body? Have you checked on a neighbor? If you have an abundance of resources, have you found a way to share? If you don’t, have you established a plan of preparation for the next season of famine? It likely won’t be this large in scale, but the seasons of overflow and famine are cyclical. Those blessed with tangible abundance are supposed to store up for the famine. We are all blessed with various measures attached to our purpose, our giving, our growth, our heart, etc. That’s another piece, better yet class. Commercial break over. Have you told your kids you love them more and paid attention to their changing needs? Have you read something? Have you prayed more for more than just yourself? Have you evaluated the relationships in your life? Have you dreamt about what you will do and how you will make life better for someone else when this passes? Have you done self inventory?
There is futility is fighting change because we already talked about control. The only One who remains the same is God. It looks uncontrollable out there and a lot of folks are playing god, but there is only One. He is God all by Himself and He’s still in control. For me, this has made me trust that even more and try to hone in on what is in my control.
My faith is tested immensely with so much hitting close to home, but I’ve decided to still work on pleasing God, being my best self, loving loved ones better, and going with the flow of necessary changes. I’m praying for you cause WHEW CHILE WE NEED IT!
If no one has shown you today, I love you but God loves you better. Be blessed.
-K.T. Braxton
ktbraxton.com
P.S. Below are Scriptures that speak to change and what’s truly important in life -Love. That sounds cliché but love is more than between man and woman, parents and children, etc. Love is a state of being, a series of continuous action, a way of life. Love should be in every aspect of your life. If it is not, maybe that’s where change needs to start for you.
- “But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” 1 John 4:8 NLT
- “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35 NLT
- “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT
- “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2 NLT
“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT
