It’s been almost two years since I lost my angel Sade Polite better known to me as Granny. She was like a second mother to me. In fact, she saved me from my mom on many of days.  I remember growing up and whenever I got a spanking or got into trouble, my granny would come to my rescue and rub my back as I cried in the bed. She always told me to be a good girl because I was Granny’s baby. There is nothing more precious to me then the days we spent together.

When granny passed in 2012 she was 98-year-old. As I sat at her wake and funeral I realized that the women that I thought was mine and the most special to me, was special and dear to so many. She taught my sister womanhood. She taught my mom kindness and endurance. She taught me what it meant to leave an impacting touch on the lives of others and how to live a selfless life.

My granny would get up early in the morning and she would sing a song called May the work I’ve done speak for me. A portion of the lyrics says.

The work I’ve done. It seems so small.
Sometimes it seems like nothing at all.
But when I come before my God, I want to hear him say well done.
May the work I’ve done speak for me.

This song my granny song every week almost still lives in my spirit today and inspires me to never stop doing the work of God. Never stop inspiring, never stop mentoring, never stop believing because one day I want to hear my father in heaven say well done.

What work have you done today to inspire someone else? Whose life have you sown into? Have you made an impact at all? I challenge you today to live a selfless life like my Granny, reach out of your circle and bring someone in. Touch someone’s heart. Impact someone’s life. Leave the world better than how you found it.

Grateful for my angel granny,

Felicia Smith

Welcome Quest Blogger Quinetha Frasier

My car is almost 6 years old and it has been faithful from the day I drove it off the lot. However, in the past year, between inconsistent maintenance schedules and a lady running me off the road, my front end needed some serious work. Imagine pumping your brakes to go around a ramp and your car jerking back left, against the curve. Yikes! I spent about 6 months slowing down my car, in total expectation that it was going to pull back. I tried to get it fixed, twice, to no avail. The mechanics couldn’t find the source of the ‘jerk’. So, after buying new everything on the front end of my car, I continued to pump my breaks while turning the steering wheel back against the ‘jerk’. Then I found the perfect (mechanic) man. They found the problem, fixed the left core and “ta-da!” No more jerking when I hit the brakes. Then two days later, still smiling, I noticed that every time I slowed my car down, I habitually turned my steering wheel against the turn, preparing for ‘the jerk’. For no valid reason, besides habit, I was reacting unnecessarily.

 
A ‘Knee Jerk Reaction’: an automatic or reflex reaction; an immediate reaction made without examining causes or facts.

 
Here is the Knee Jerk reaction that we all can identify with…you are use to listening to the first two sentences that a person speaks in their defense, before your ‘knee jerk’ response is to respond negatively. Or when you feel a ‘certain way’ about a person that you work with, and as soon as they open their mouth to provide feedback, you feel your eyes rolling back in your head. I identify the most with this scenario: the times when I am faced with a situation or circumstance that look and feel familiar- because when it happened before, I didn’t get the result or reaction that I expected. So, when faced with something or someone who brings back that old feeling of helplessness or challenge, I ‘jerk’ back in fear. My real fear is that the situation may turn out the way that it did before. How do we know that it will? We don’t, because the decision to ‘jerk back’ is out of fear, not facts. Our knee jerk reactions have no real credibility. They are based on habits, not facts. As people of faith, we must be led by what we know- The Word and The Dependability of God-and not what we think or fear. Because when we live a ‘knee jerking’ life, we look pretty unstable and unnecessarily fearful and negative. So, live in the facts of the present moment, not the habits of the past.

Quinetha Frasier

I attend Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA where the Rev. Howard-John Wesley is my pastor. Since 2009, Alfred Street has been my family away from home. The relationships and bonds I have made there cannot be replaced. My husband and I attended Saturday service recently and Pastor Wesley preached a sermon regarding rejection. Anyone could identify with this sermon because at some point in our lives, we all have been rejected. But in the midst of his sermon, he said something that I though was profound. He said rejection that is not dealt with, leaves the residue of bitterness and bitterness leaves the stain of anger. That statement was an aha moment for me.

The statement he made me think about the times I felt like I was rejected and if I had gotten over it or was I still stained with anger. The anger experienced with rejection and not getting over the situation has a direct link to not forgiving. Ohhhh that’s a bad word. When someone has done you wrong or rejected you it is unimaginable that you would forgive that person and walk away. However, moving on and forgiving is the only way not to be stained with anger or wear the residue of bitterness. Forgiveness does not mean you forgot but it means that you have moved on and now walk in peace. Forgiveness also means that although you rejected me, I know that I am worthy. I can walk away knowing that somewhere in God’s Divine and providential plan for my life, I will be accepted!

That makes me want to shout! Aren’t you glad that no matter who has rejected you that God’s plan has acceptance around the corner? And if you are glad about that then how can you sit in the stain of anger.

Pastor Wesley posed the will of God was that you be rejected so he can bring you to a bigger and better place of acceptance.” That’s how awesome our God is.

So today I challenge you not to sit in the residue of bitterness or the stain of anger. I challenge you to walk away, forgive, and consider that if God closed that door it is because he wanted to open another.

So excited for the next door,

Felicia Smith