Life has a way of rerouting us unexpectedly. Lately, my devotions have tied to the loss of my mother because writing about her is therapeutic for me. With her passing, even with the reroute/detour, I have had to continue on. Life does not stop. I have had to push through my emotions, determine how to manage and cope, and continue to pursue and fulfill my purpose. My children, my family, my husband and my church are positive influences to push me. I can’t just sit and mope. 

If you only knew the days that were so challenging. I then pick up my phone only to receive a text or inbox from and unexpected source- just to simply say that we are in their prayers. It makes me emotional to know there are people who are genuinely concerned about me. Which is why I do what I do. I do my utmost not to offend, to show love and to be sympathetic and empathetic to the needs of others as well. We all need that.

I digressed a bit- as I was saying. Since my mother passed away, my family has been going nonstop. It has been one thing after another; completing projects, meeting deadlines, activities, events. Stuff, stuff, and more stuff. I told my husband that I needed to getaway. I just needed to detox my mind. I did not want my thoughts to produce toxicity in my body, as a result of stress, tension, sadness, frustration, heartbrokenness and mourning because my mom is gone. I’ve said this before; I have not been angry with the Lord – I’m not stupid. Those types of thoughts have not crossed my mind; but I have been still. Let me help you.

The word of God says:

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James‬ ‭4:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I have not drawn closer to God, so that He can draw closer to me. I’ve just been still. I have not moved, which means He has not moved. My mouth utters: “I trust you, God,” but my body is numb to the hurt, preventing my Father from wrapping His arms around me to comfort me. As of late, I have begun to take steps again. I need my Father. Only God – the source of everything can comfort me because He knows why everything occurs. He is my strengthening source. I need Him to help me, hold me, and comfort me.

Last week, we left. We packed overnight, grab the kids, and we just left. I recognized that my husband needed to getaway as well. He has been so busy being strength for me, He needed to have His strength renewed.

While on vacation, my children were playing in a kid’s pool. There were many children in the pool. My lounging chair was not in direct sight of them because of the shrubbery, but I could stand up to check on them and see if there were okay or when they yelled out for us to watch them as they slowly plummeted down the slowest waterslide of all. 😂😂😂

While seated in the lounge chair, I hear one of my children scream. I immediately reply: “that sounds like bro.” A person seated next to me casually says: “There are many children out here who all sound alike.”

I stand up. While walking towards the entrance to the pool, my daughter Asia is guiding Bro out of the pool. I ask her what’s wrong. She says that he had some water splashed in his eyes and wanted to wipe them. I asked her was that him that screamed out. She says…YES!

After I wiped his eyes and they proceeded back to pool, I sat down. Immediately the scripture came to me:

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” John‬ ‭10:27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

There were hundreds of people speaking, children playing and laughing, but out of them all, I knew my son’s voice.

Please don’t get it twisted. If God is intelligent enough to create someone or some thing from a spoken word- something as uniquely crafted as you and I, why would we be unable to recognize when He speaks to us? If knees will bow and mouths will confess by speaking the NAME of Jesus, what are we as a people doing? Why are we not seeing the move of God directly in our lives? Because we are ignoring the voice.

Do yourself a favor:

1. Grab you secret box off the shelf, off your table, or from your bedroom dresser.
2. Open the box.
3. Take Jesus out of the box.

The Jesus that we have produced in our mind is so much bigger. He is bigger than your season of singleness. He is bigger than the sin you give in to. He is greater than anything and everything if we would only listen to His voice. You know His voice and He knows us. Instead of following the Good Shepherd, we behave as goats, squandering around, making havoc of our lives when the Good Shepherd simply desires to lead us through the mountains of life and into green pastures.

It’s not hard. Once you sincerely change your mind and your thoughts, the rest is easy. Thoughts are intangible things we cannot see but produce physical, tangible things that we see.

For example. Before you begin your day, or at night when you lay your head down to rest, you have a THOUGHT of what you plan to do and you direct your daily steps and activities around that thought. Your thoughts produced the things you did today.

Jesus continues to demonstrate His power all around us, and yet we do not believe His works. If we did, we would follow Him.

“Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” John‬ ‭10:25-28‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I decided long ago, that I would follow Jesus. Will you?