With so many things going on in the world, why are you fighting in your own house?  Isn’t it bad enough that you’re judged every day when you step outside your house, beaten down by rude people, lied on by so-called friends and abused by family?  Shouldn’t home be a place where you go to release the burdens that have whipped you all day long? Shouldn’t home be your safe haven when everyone else is fighting you?  Shouldn’t you find comfort, peace, love, joy, kindness, arms to run too and caring words that soothe?

So many times, we allow our home to become a battleground.  We leave work frustrated so we take it out on the spouse.  We listen to the best friend’s pity party all the way home (instead of telling them to change their situation) that when you get home you don’t have any more in you to listen to the kids.  You’re mad at your brother/sister for something that happened and instead of talking to them; you go home with an attitude so big that your home environment is now hostile.  You have to deal with whatever it is when it happens because if it drags out too long and if you hold on to things too long, YOU become bitter.  Ephesians 4:31 states “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”  Who wants to be around someone who is always complaining, griping, tearing others down, always negative and never has anything nice to say?  You know the one that people hate to see coming at family functions because they always starting something?  Is that you?  Have you gotten your world so twisted that you don’t even notice anymore?  You wonder why your invitation is always lost in the mail or why people leave when you walk into a room.  You need to check yourself.  You have to deal with your anger and your issues.  James 1:19-20 says “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

You’ve allowed anger and hostility to take over your life.  You’ve become so wrapped up in what people say and do that it consumes your life.  My grandma always say, “Baby, they talked about Jesus Christ and he still died for our sins!”  I don’t think any of us can take walking from judgment hall to judgment hall with a cross on our back, the constant beatings and being nailed to a cross, that Jesus did (when he had done no wrong).  Yet he suffered and died so that we could be free to sin and then be forgiven for it.  If he could deal with all of that, why can’t you deal with what folk say? Words can surely hurt but they’ve never killed.  I know that it’s easier said than done to let things go, but at some point you should want a hostility free zone at home or everywhere.  You should want to feel peace, love and warmth when you pull in your driveway.  You should already know that home is where you can go after you’ve had a bad day at work to release it all. 

Why don’t you try praying for yourself sometime?  You spend all your time praying for others, that you never take time to pray for yourself.  If you continue to let anger and bitterness take over you it will swallow you whole. Don’t you realize that you have to love one another if you plan on going to Heaven? The bible states in 1 John 4:20, “If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.”  You decide, today, that your life will no longer be consumed with other folk’s problems.  You have to deal with whatever issue you have with whomever, today! I guarantee that once the blood stops flowing through their veins they can no longer hear you say I forgive you or I apologize or even I’m taking back my life because you no longer consume it!  Let it go today before the one laying in the funeral home is you from a heart attack.  Ephesians 4:26 says, “Be angry, and yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger!”  Decide today to live the life that God has promised you.  It is a life worth living.  If it wasn’t, God wouldn’t continue to give you new mercies every morning.  Stop taking your blessings for granted because one day they won’t be there. 

 1 John 2:11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

You are going through something and you’re probably sitting there wondering why is this happening to me? You get paid on Friday and still broke. You get up, get ready for work and go out to the car and the tire is flat. Or you can be like me, make it to work and the school calls because your child is sick.  I’ve come to realize that stuff happens.

That’s life! What are you going to do about it? Do you sit around sulking or do you get up and make something happen? If you’re bills outweigh your money, cut back or get a second job. If the job is worrying you thin and stressing you out, change it. If the kids aren’t acting right, take away some of the expensive stuff you’ve spent your money own or do like your momma did, beat some butts!

We all know that things happen for a reason and for a season (Ecclesiastes 3) but when the season is over you can’t keep dwelling in it. If a so-call friend walks away, let them go. If a husband/wife, decide they don’t love you no more let them go because you can’t make love you when they don’t. If it is meant to be, then they’ll be back. If God ordains it he will maintain it but, it has to be of God. Now don’t think that God has blessed you with everything you got because you know that for some things you didn’t consult God on so don’t expect him to bless your mess.

You do know that the devil blesses too? Let me explain. You and your spouse are having trouble in your marriage. You keep saying that you’ve done all you’re going to do and if he’s not willing to change you’re done. You haven’t prayed and fast for guidance from God because you don’t need to change, he does. You’re doing what God has asked you to do. You go to church, Sunday school and bible study, you help those in need, you sing in the choir and you pray for those who ask, so you’re good. When your spouse mentions counseling you roll your eyes because again you don’t need changing, you’re done! Then you meet this man/woman who seems to know just what you need. They tell you everything you need to hear, touch you in all the right spots and attends to your every need. You’re thinking this must be a blessing from God. Chile, what makes you think God will send you somebody to cheat on the person he’s already given you? God don’t work like that. His word says what God has joined together let no man put asunder (Mark 10:9). You’re thinking, but this person knows me, my likes & dislikes, what makes me feel good, the food I like to eat and places I like to go; this has to be God. But doesn’t the person at home know all of this too; aren’t they the one God sent when things were good? Aren’t they the ones that made your eyes light up when they walked into a room when everything was good? Aren’t they worth working for? See, the devil has sent you a blessing in a blue dress or a blue suit but you’re too busy being wooed to even notice. Shouldn’t you consult God first before you get yourself into something you can’t pray your way out of? Isn’t your marriage worth a day of fasting and prayer? When you’ve tried everything, try God because you may just be overlooking the one thing meant for only you.

Stop rushing to give up on things! Stop wallowing in self-pity because things aren’t going your way or because you didn’t get the job that you thought had your name all over it. Stuff happens in your life every day. Stuff happened yesterday and will happen tomorrow. What you have to do when you get knocked down, is pick yourself up, dust off the dirt and keep going. Eventually you’ll stop wobbling and falling, just like a baby that begins to walk, and start walking straight. It doesn’t matter about the number of times you fall, what matters is the times you get up. The only thing you should be doing on your knees is praying because digging a hole for yourself won’t help. God has made you and he has already destined you for greatness but you’ll have to work for it. Anything worth having is worth working for! Stuff happens, get over it!!

This morning when I rose I could have complained about the number of hours I didn’t sleep or how early I had to get up. I could have complained about the coldness in the air or the fact that I had to get out in it. I could have even complained about my long drive to church. But then I thought about my cousin who is laying in ICU and not able to do any of these things. I though of grandma who wants to go to church but can’t or granddaddy who would love to get up and walk but can’t but I can so who am I to complain?

When I begin to think about the blessings that God bestows on me day after day it makes me want to dance. When I think about how he has kept me through dangerous situations, I want to dance. When I think about the things that could have taken my life when I was in the world, it makes me want to dance. When I think about how God has blessed my family over & over, how he breathes life into my body each day, keeps my mind, sends new mercies my way each morning, it makes me want to dance!

Not only am I dancing to show my appreciation to God but I’m dancing on the devils head. I’m letting him know that he can’t have my joy, my peace, my children, my husband, my family, my friends, my mind, my car, my job, my happiness nor my life. I’m letting the devil know that even though you may try and show up from time to time, there is no room here. I won’t allow you to sleep in my guest room. So whatever situation you’re ready to send my way, send it cause I’m ready. Whoever you want to send to try and block my blessings, send them cause I’m ready. Whatsoever you try to do to me won’t prosper cause I’ve got the love of God in my heart and I’m covered by his blood. I know all my days won’t be easy and the sun won’t always shine but God’s word has prepared me for that and for you, so I’m ready.

So when times begin to get too much for you, dance on the devils head! When it seems like you’re taking 2 steps back, dance on the devils head! When your bills outweigh your money, dance on the devils head! When your spouse & kids aren’t acting like they belong to you, when sickness comes, death attacks your family & friends and it seems like there’s no answer..dance!!

Dance like there is no one watching. Dance like you have no problems. Dance like God will do just what he said he would! Dance! Dance on the devil’s head!

As I journey through this thing called life, I have to sometimes take a moment to reflect on how good God is.  This morning I attended the funeral of a little girl, who although she was born with some birth defects, God allowed her to live on this side for 7 years.  Even with the problems in her body on this side she had a smile on her face and touched those that she came in contact with.  Because of that, God allowed her to sleep away on this side only to wake up with a whole new body that is without pain and judgment from folk on the other side.  There she will be able to walk and run and do all of things that she couldn’t do on this side, because when she wakes up with God, all her problems will be solved. I can never imagine how a mom or dad feels burying a child, but I know that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, so that’s good news.

I realize that no matter what life throws, things could be much worse.  I visited Baptist ICU, tonight, and watched my cousins deal with the pain of watching their mother on life support and not knowing if she will ever be the same again and then having to make tough decisions on how long she should remain on life support.  I can’t begin to understand what they feel because my mom was sitting in the waiting room.  Often times we take people for granted until we are standing over their caskets and then all the things we want to say or should have said are meaningless.  We take things for granted, like our hands & feet until we can no longer use them, our legs until we are in a wheelchair with no feeling, our eyes until we can no longer see, our minds until it is no longer useful or our love until there is no one to share it with.  We take small things for granted because we think it’ll always be there, like an appetite until you have food and no desire to eat or a bed with no rest or sleep no matter what you take or how many sheep you count.

It has been said many times that life is precious because the next minute isn’t promised but no matter how many times it is said, you are the only one that can make the best of your life.  Start by living for you.  When you allow yourself to be happy then nothing can take it from you.  Love yourself and those around you.  Things happen faster than a blink of an eye, don’t live with regret but live for the reward that God has waiting.