Jesus Take the Wheel-Fighting off Discouragement During Discouraging Times

Happy Belated Mother’s Day to all the Sugar Mama’s reading this blog! I failed to post this yesterday because I was spending the day with my own Mommy and Grandmother (who asked me not to ‘write on that computer’ as part of her gift)

So this blog was intended to be a “one stop shop”; a voice for those of us who normally do not get a lot of media coverage on issues we care about, or are used to hearing about the news that effects us months later. Now as I constantly seek to carry out the goals of this blog, I spend a lot of time scouring the news, small town news, local news, entertainment news, big major news sources, etc. A lot of the time it’s not all good. There’s only so much you can read about the economy falling apart, the election, police shootings, beating, abuse, discrimination, rape, and all out ignorance before you really start to feel the weight.

Job prospects look grim, the price of gas is rising with no relief in sight, (believe Hillary and John’s Tax break if you want to and keep driving on those potholes), Jenna Bush had a man waiting at the alter for her, while the rest of us women wait for men to come home from their third and fourth tours of duty in Iraq. Sometimes they come back alright, other times they come back in body bags, flag draped coffins, and maimed physically or mentally. A quick search on the internet will show you that racism and sexism are still alive and thriving. And Black folks, we seem to be undergoing instead of “overcoming”.

So with all of this knowledge I began to feel weighted by everyday life. Weighed down with a feeling of discouragement like, “What am I fighting for?”, “Nothing’s getting any better” etc. I was truly feeling lower than low because of things going on in my day-to-day life and the world.

I just want to warn everyone in these tough times, you’re going to have to fight harder to be happy. There are a lot of things that will affect you that you may not be able to control (like gas prices, or Rev. Wright) but you have to look to the hills to where your help comes from. Yesterday at church, I had to sing “Encourage Yourself” by Donald Lawrence and the Tri-City Singers. I hadn’t planned to sing it, I wasn’t scheduled to sing that particular song, I just brought for “just in case”. Well, know that your steps are ordered because that song really ministered to me and some of the people in church yesterday. It’s important to continue to lean and depend on the Lord and encourage yourself with hope and knowledge. Continue to work hard, do your best and believe that God will take care of the rest. Sometimes it’s the only thing you can do.

Things aren’t great right now, but we’ll all make it through if we just hold on and keep on pushing. Remember a lackluster war, civil and racial rights turmoil, high gas prices and what appears to be a deterioration of the “American Family” are all things this country lived through before… it was called the 60’s. So in my prayers for strength and make-it “over-ability,” I also pray for history; may it be taught thoroughly so that it won’t have to repeat itself. AMEN