Encouragement During COVID-19

Hey Sis Hey!! Girllll, what are you up too? How have you been? 

Sis, please don’t give me the side eye… Don’t give me that look.  I know I have been MIA. I know it has been a minute since we've talked. I’m just happy to be back. Let’s air hug! I’ve missed you sisss. 

You might have already known this but I took the month of February to unplug from social media and I decided not to eat any meat for the month. I am thankful that I was able to accomplish both of those goals! I am learning how to celebrate my wins!

But sis, when I tell you I needed to take some time for myself I REALLY NEEDED TO TAKE SOME TIME FOR MYSELF. My body was getting very restless. I needed to get my ENTIRE attitude in check. I needed some intimate one on one time with Jesus. Let’s just say I needed to re-center...okayyyy. Can I take a moment to admit I think I probably gained a few pounds during this break! Yes, I know I wasn’t eating any meat but your sis was eating EVERYTHING ELSE! Have mercy Lord! So now your dear sis is taking the time to exercise! Send a prayer up for me. 

Sisss I also got a chance to take a NAJ-CATION during this time! I took a mini-vacation/solo trip by myself. This was my first time going on a solo trip! I usually travel with a group. When I tell you I loved this experience I literally loved it! When I tell you I cried, danced, sang, laughed, and had a good time by MYSELF sissss yassss! You would have thought I had thrown a WHOLE party! 

I went to Dallas Texas for my NAJ-CATION! While I was there I attended the “Day of Ministry for Women in Ministry” conference hosted by Christine Caine! It was amazing! I met so many new sister’s. I even went to the ZOO while I was there! Dallas has an amazing zoo filled with so many beautiful animals from all parts of Africa. They even had a little Safari ride at the zoo that I so enjoyed! It reminded me of a time I was in Kenya on a Safari! I was so happy to see the Elephants, Zebra’s, and Giraffes! I also got a chance to visit the Reunion Tower! That is a must site to see if you ever go to Dallas! It is so cool because you get to observe a tower 561ft in the air! You get to see views of the entire city plus all the beautiful lights when the sun sets! SIS, YOU LITERALLY FEEL LIKE YOU ARE ON TOP OF THE WORLD WHEN YOU ARE ON THE TOWER! I know you may ask...sis is the tower safe? Absolutely sis. So if you ever go to Dallas go to the Zoo and the Reunion Tower! 

Sis can you promise me that you will commit to going on a solo trip by yourself or a solo day trip? I realized that it was so important to be in tune with myself! I literally felt like a little girl with no care in the world! It’s good to take your hair down often and enjoy some time with yourself.

So sisssss I go on this solo vacation and I came back feeling refreshed, skin glowing, attitude better, goals in line and BAM! It’s like the devil came right in… Can you agree that sometimes when everything is starting to look good something just shifts and you are left feeling like is this really happening right now?

Well that’s what happened to your sister. I came back from the trip with some heartless news. I was basically told that several critical things would be taken away from me. Things that would affect my livelihood. What I eat, where I sleep, and how I am able to do certain things. Just imagine coming back from a great trip and then hearing “these things may be taken away from you some time soon”. Not the way I wanted to come back from vacation. So immediately I went into worry mode. I was fearful of every move I was thinking about making. I couldn’t sleep. I wasn’t eating right. Remember February was supposed to be my month to get everything together to find out at the end of the month I was about to lose everything. Sis, I lost it… I was thinking how in the world would I survive if I don’t have a job, if I don’t have a car, if I don’t have food, if I don’t have a place to live? Those are the thoughts that kept running through my head. I kept calling my family asking them for advice. Everyday it was like a netflix series when I would talk to my friends about what was going on. 

Finally I went to God (He is the one I should have gone to in the first place, but you know how we do sometimes). In that moment I immediately felt God saying to me “Najma you have put your hope in earthly things and not in ME”. “The things you are worried about are the things I gave you”. “Why are you allowing man to tell you what is about to happen in your life? I AM THE ONLY PERSON THAT KNOWS YOUR FUTURE”. Trust my power not these people. Trust my grace not your stored up goods! Trust my miracles not your money. “If anything changes in your life it is because I want it to change”. 

Sis, what God impressed on me hit me hard. It made me realize that I really need to learn WHO GOD REALLY IS. Because if I knew who He was I wouldn’t be afraid about the threats coming my way. I wouldn’t be worried if I realized that people don’t have the same power as God. My trust wouldn’t be solely on the very things I take for granted because those things can be gone at a blink of an eye. I kept asking myself who will I trust in THEM or GOD? 

Sis, are you still in? Or did you get stuck like me putting our trust in people more than God? Putting our trust in our income? Putting our trust in the everyday foods we have? Putting our trust in opportunities instead of the one who gave us the opportunities?

Sis, you see what is going on. Never in my life did I think we would be experiencing something like this. Never did I think a virus would literally shut down entire countries. I never thought I would see people in the store fighting over water bottles… when they probably never used to drink water in the first place (Okay, I won’t go there). 

I believe that God is trying to remind us that the very things we take for granted can be gone in no time... God is also wondering who in the world will we continue to put our trust in PEOPLE OR HIM? We can’t keep allowing people to have control over our lives. As you can see what is happening today God has full control over everything. 

So sis here is my question for you… Who are you trusting right now the daily news reporters or God? You realize they don’t know more than God. Are you trusting the stores to supply your needs rather than God? Are you filling up on toilet paper and bottles of water or are you filling up on Jesus? 

I know these times may seem uncertain and it seems like everything is constantly changing, but I know one thing that will not change and that is Jesus! So sis, GET BACK IN! Let’s put our TRUST BACK IN THE LORD! I’m still in! Let me know if you are still in with me!

I love you sis! 

Najma 

RECOMMENDED TRUSTING TOOLS:

Trusting Bible Verses:

Proverbs 3:5-6 

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths”. 

Philippians 4:6

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done”. 

Mathew 6:25-27

"Therefore I tell you: Don't worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn't life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life”?

Trusting God Activity:

1. Now, sis you already know we have some “WERK” to do! If you participated in the 31 day challenge you already know what’s up! Sis, it’s time to take those journals out. First I just want you to write to yourself about your recent feelings. So much has been going on. I think it’s time to check in with yourself.

2. I want you to look up all 3 Bible Verses that are above and I want you to write those down. Your assignment is to memorize all 3 Bible verses. Sis, we are in some times of uncertainty but one thing we do know for certain that won’t change is God and God’s word. When the enemy tries to attack us in any way we have to have God’s word planted in our mind and heart. Let’s go ahead and put these verses to memory! I also want you to place these Bible verses in different places in your home. You can write these on index cards or on pieces of paper and have them around your home as reminders during this time!

3. Sis, it’s time for us to get back praying. For the entire week I want you to set a time where you will go to God each day in prayer for 15 minutes. 

4. Join me and your other sister’s Thursday night March 26, 2020  at 7:30PM on Facebook Live! I will be giving you all some updates and prayerfully an encouraging word! So sis make sure you are in the building (Facebook Live) Thursday so we can catch up with each other!

Sis, stay encouraged! I love you! I am praying for you always! Let’s take advantage of this quiet time we get to have with ourselves and with our family!

Rooting you on ALWAYS!

Your Sis,

Najma Calhoun