Yea, you read this right because I said; it’s okay to not be okay all the time. If every time someone walks by and asks how you’re doing and you reply, “Oh, I’m great,” you’re probably telling a story. See, not everybody is great all the time and it’s okay to admit that. You don’t have to be “Blessed and Highly Favored” every time I speak to you because at some point folks will need to see you go through a test in order for them to believe your testimony. I mean, how can I believe that God healed you when I’ve never seen you sick one day? If I’ve never seen you down then how can I really believe that God lifted you? If I’ve never seen you without, then how can I know that the God you’re serving actually provided for you? No, I don’t mean you have to be tore up and raggedy every time you’re going through trials and tribulations but at least let me know, sometime, that you’re human.
My daughter asked me to write on this topic on yesterday because I was talking to her about doing some devotionals for teenagers and once she gave me the title, I had to really pray on it because I needed to know what God would have me to say. See, I realized that during the times I don’t know she’s watching me and even the times she acts like she isn’t listening to what I’m saying, she is. Yes, I talk to her and even my son, a lot because this world that we’re leaving in is terrible and I want them to know that when they have moments of wanting to give in, they should give it over to God instead. The youth and young adults in this world are facing a lot more than what we could possibly think of and if we continue to sugar coat stuff instead of telling them the real deal; we may have issues on our hand long before the time we should. Baby, it’s time out for talking about birds and bees because we need to be talking about sex. Yea, it used to be cute to drop them off at the movie with a boy they like but honey, now the movie theater is too dark to hide a lot more things that kids are not afraid to be doing in public. While you are trying to keep your baby a baby, she or he can probably tell you more about the “birds & the bees” than you could have ever imagined because when you allow them to have a phone with internet, computer with internet and cable TV, what can we really expect? Have you stopped to listen to the music they have blasting in their ears, well you just might want too. Children are dealing with grown folk issues so they need to know how to handle grown folk issues. So, see; stop acting like everything is always okay around the kids when you know that it isn’t. You don’t have to have them all in your business but be honest with them because if you can’t afford to buy them a $100 pair of shoes because you have to make sure they have lights, tell them. What sense does it make for you to have them going to school with name brand stuff on from their head to their feet only to get there and put the teacher through pure hell and then you’re at work hungry because you can’t afford a $2 sandwich. Child, you better wake up. If you don’t pay but $9.99 for your jeans, theirs shouldn’t be far from it.
Stop acting like you’re okay all the time because sometimes it is okay to not be okay. Sometimes getting a hug can make it all feel all right, if only momentary, but if every time I see you and you’re acting like you never have a bad day why would I offer you one? Again, I am not saying that you have to become a whinny, miserable person but I am simply saying let folk see God working in your life so that your testimony is true. When 1 Peter 3:15-16 says, “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.” This is simply saying, be always ready to answer when someone ask you about the God you’re serving. It doesn’t matter if they talk about you when you walk off because if you do what you’re supposed to do the right way and with the right tone, God will handle the rest. See, when folks ask you about the God you’re serving after they’ve seen the things he’s done for you, they’ll be quicker to believe you and even try Him for themselves. However, if you try to tell me how God has fed you when you were hungry yet I’ve never seen you hungry; how God has made a way for you when you didn’t have a car; yet I’ve never seen you without one; how God has healed you yet I’ve never seen you sick; how God has wiped your tears yet I’ve never seen you cry – I may just have a hard time believing you. This is why I say; it’s okay to not be okay! Stop trying to act like you got all your stuff together because you’re afraid of what they world may say when the world will chew you up and spit you out on your best day. Stop trying to conform to what folks think you should be, act the way they think you should act, walk the way they think you should walk; eat what they think you should eat and all that because truthfully who in the hell are they anyway? 1 John 2:16 says, “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.” Which is why 1 John 2:17 says, “And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”
You don’t have to act like you got it all together all the time because everybody, yes everybody, goes through a storm. You don’t have to be strong every day because we all have to hurt before we can heal; there’s no way around it. You can’t mend a heart if it’s never been broken the same way you don’t put Neosporin on a place that has no cut. In order to heal you have to go through some hurt so act like it. You don’t have to wear a badge of your hurts and past mistakes but let somebody see you down sometimes so that they’ll see the goodness of God in your getting up. Let somebody see you sick so they can see the power in God’s healing. Let somebody see you cry every now and then so that they can see his grace when he wipes your tears. Let them see God working in you so that on the days when you know it’s okay to not be okay, you’ll actually be okay!
Lakisha, the Author 