ARE WE THROWING 2020 AWAY?

Hey Sissss! Family, what are you up too? Are you still holding on? Please let me know how you are doing!  Sending you air hugs!

Sis, let me just give you a little update on me. I have been trying my best to exercise (I know can you believe it). I have been staying away from Chick-fil-a and Nothing Bundt Cakes! Sisss, we have to start celebrating the baby steps! Now I am not going to lie this morning I was craving the Chick-fil-a MINIS but I said “SELF NO- BE GOOD & EAT SOME FRUIT”. Now yall know I wanted to go and get those minis but I am thanking the Lord for His strength! 

Sis, I am not going to lie, I had to call an URGENT TOWN HALL MEETING! I needed all of the SHE CAN SISTERS in attendance. Because sissssss! I needed to know if we were throwing 2020 away? Sissss… 2020 has been REAL. We said at the beginning of the year that this was the year of VISION. Boy, I think we have seen it all. Can you agree sis? Our eyes have seen so much. From the Coronavirus, to the killing of Ahmad Aubrey, to events we had planned being canceled, and so much more. I was just like okay… I think we have had enough, let's just move on to 2021. Like sis! What has really been going on? 

Sis, can I talk about a throwback today! I remember clear as day growing up as a little girl being at one of my favorite places, my granny’s house. I would laugh, get in trouble, eat yummy food (her cheese toast), sneak some candy, and play outside on the well! Everything was all fun until it started storming. My granny DID NOT play when a storm came. I had to sit my energetic self down and be quiet. I would try and talk to my granny during the storm and she would always say “be quiet during the storm”. At first I didn’t like  “being quiet during the storm”. But after sitting through a few storms I started to realize there was always something beautiful in the sky after the storm was over. At the time I don’t think the word “rainbow” was in my vocabulary. I just loved seeing all of the bright colors in the sky! So over time little Najma loved when storms came. I would run to the living room and sit beside granny and listen to the storm, and when I didn’t hear anymore thunder or rain I would peak out the window and see if a rainbow was there. 

As I reflect I am wondering if 2020 is a storm? Is this a storm that God wants us to “be quiet and listen” (like my granny would say). I wonder if God allowed this pandemic to happen to get our undivided attention.

Sis, some days my mind was like okay let’s throw 2020 away. Let’s just start over! Well sis, I had a little change in thought. I don’t believe that we should throw 2020  away because I believe that this is the year that God wants us to LISTEN to Him. God has literally calmed the entire world down to get our attention. Like what more can He do? I don’t know about you but I still have some more growing and learning to do in 2020! I still have some goals I want to accomplish that I refuse to hold off for another year. I believe the same thing for you sis! Let’s take our mind off of wanting to know when the storm is going to be over. How about we try listening while the storm is going on? See for so long we were so busy that we didn’t have a lot of time for God. We had so many distractions that kept us away from hearing from God. Sis, believe me I totally understand we still have a million things going on, but I do think the God of the universe has something to say to YOU since HE HAS SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN. 

Let’s be quiet during this storm. Let’s try not to complain. Let’s not focus on all of the things that have gone wrong during 2020. Let’s highlight some things that have gone right! Storms are always going to come on this journey but how we react to the storm is key! It’s crazy how everytime we feel uncomfortable or we aren’t in our normal routine we want to stop and GIVE UP! But sis God doesn’t need us to give up right now He needs us to KEEP GOING. But in order for us to keep going WE NEED TO LISTEN TO THE DIRECTION HE is pointing us in.

Sis, can I also suggest this. Can we use the rainbow as a reminder of God’s love for us? Always remember that through every storm God is always with us.  This too shall pass. Let’s trust God during this process and get in formation to listen to Him. 

Sis, I have to say that our brother Abraham in the Bible shows us a great example when it comes to listening to God. Please read Genesis 12. God asks Abraham to leave his family and his country. God needed Abraham to listen to Him and trust Him during the process.  TALK ABOUT A STORM THAT’S A WHOLE STORM.  Having to leave your family and your country and go to the unknown. The key thing that I learned from this is Abraham listened. He didn’t question God about being in the unknown He JUST LISTENED. Sis, I also think there is a huge blessing on the other side of us listening to God. God promised Abraham so many things if he just trusted Him and LISTENED. Sis, let’s start listening to God! I know it’s hard. I’m in this boat right now… TRUST ME… 

RECOMMENDED LISTENING TOOLS:

Listening Bible Verse: Watch how Abraham listened! Genesis 12: 1-4

Leave your country, your family, and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will bless you and make your descendants into a great nation. You will become famous and be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless anyone who blesses you, but I will put a curse on anyone who puts a curse on you. Everyone on earth will be blessed because of you.

4-5 Abram was seventy-five years old when the Lord told him to leave the city of Haran. He obeyed and left with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and slaves they had gotten while in Haran.

Listening WERK: WE CAN DO IT SHE CAN SISTER’S:

1. Sister, I think that in order to listen to God we have to eliminate some distractions in our daily life. I want you to choose one day this week you are going to log off of social media! Like legit log-off! God has some things He wants to say to us but He can’t say it if we aren’t in a position to listen to Him. 

2. SIS CAN WE MAKE ROOM FOR GOD? Can we pick 3 days this week to have quiet time with God for just 10 minutes. No music. No sermon. No Phone. Just you and God in quietness.

Sis, I am praying that we become better listeners. I know we like to talk but let’s take this time to LISTEN. Are you still in with me? I hope so!

Love you always sis! Sending you air hugs! WE ARE STILL IN GIVING 2020 ANOTHER CHANCE!

I am rooting for you!

I am praying for you!

Love YOUR SIS ALWAYS,

Najma Calhoun