Daily Devotional – 12/4/18 “I’ll praise, my way!”

On my way to work this morning, there was a discussion about the backlash #GabrielleUnion received when she posted a picture in a hospital gown, after the birth of her daughter. If you don’t know the story, quick recap. Gabrielle has been battling fertility issues so her and her husband used a surrogate. After the birth, they posted pictures of Gabrielle, in a gown and hospital bed. Here’s what rubbed me the wrong way … Folk were angry because to them, the picture alluded to Gabrielle giving birth, when she didn’t. Folk were really mad because they didn’t get why she had to have a gown on. Here’s the thing, she may never be able to physically give birth so if she wanted to enjoy that moment, with her only daughter, in a hospital gown and bed IT’S HER CHOICE! She received a blessing and that should have been enough but no, folk always nitpicking everything.

Look y’all, you’ve got to stop allowing folk to make you feel bad about your blessing(s). Stop giving people the power to bad mouth what God has granted when they don’t know the hell you’ve had to go through to get it. Truth is, most of the ones mad, aren’t really mad about your blessing but they’re upset because 1. It’s you, 2. You didn’t tell them and 3. It ain’t them. So, here’s what I’m not going to do … give you the time of day! However, here’s what I am going to do. I’m going to post about it, over and over. I’m going to snap pictures and share them, over and over. I’m going to talk about it, over and over. I’m going to shout about it, over and over. I’m going to cry about it (the good, ugly, soul-stirring cry), over and over. I’m going to praise God for it, over and over. Then repeat! And if it happens to bother you, baby bye! And I mean that for real goodbye with the deuces, the head nod and the smile because if you think I’m about to let you ruin my victory, tuh! If you think you’re about to discourage this praise after the many nights I’ve had to spend in pain, the days of crying, the moments of not knowing if I’d survive, the months of trying to keep from drowning, the weeks of depression, the silent nights of suicidal thoughts, the sickness and diseases, the addictions and the anger, the abuse and the hurt and all the losses I’ve had to take; YOU MUST NOT KNOW ME! (Imagine the clap in between each word) And get this, you can call me what you want, I don’t even care because I fought for this favor, I battled for this blessing, I fasted for this type of faith, I struggled for this seed and I endured for this moment and if you think I’m about to let you take the joy out of it, think again. Oh, if you have to take it up with anybody, call God because He did it, not me!