Let Love Lead

I had a ROUGH day yesterday, but I'm so thankful for the whisper of love that ended it on a very positive note. I was at the grocery store...hoping not to see anyone I know because I was in a foul mood and looked a hot mess! I was disappointed because I couldn't find the store brand Italian salad dressing (which was only $1.79 🙌🏾) when a lady says, "Hi, Lou." I wanted to scream and crawl under a rock. Who could this possibly be!?!?! I turned around slowly. The lady looked familiar but it took me a few seconds to place her and when I did I can't tell you how happy I was.

A few years back she moved in next door to us. A year later I sold our place and we moved. I haven't seen that neighbor since. Seeing her yesterday really brightened my day because she was always so kind and pleasant. I gave her two humongous hugs and she said that she misses us but she is happy I sold my place to the people I did because she absolutely loves them. 

That made me reminisce...I had a few offers on the table back then but I chose to sell to a lady who was buying a home for her and her 80-year-old mother. The love she had for her mom reminded me of the love I had for my mom. Theirs was a pure love that I could just feel. Her mom was feisty, funny, and beautiful just like my mom. Her mom requested that I throw my rug in the deal because it was full of circles and in their culture circles are a symbol of prosperity. Anything for her. 😊

Years later, I have been told more than once how sweet they are. The daughter got married and her husband is a kind man as well. It makes me sooo happy to know that they are there enjoying, loving, and blessing those around them and that it is because of a choice I made--one that I'm sure others thought was crazy. 

I'm glad I'm not afraid to let Love lead me.

Anyway, after chatting with my old neighbor and bidding her farewell, I found the $1.79 salad dressing sitting on the shelf as plain as day. I grabbed the bottle, headed to pick up a can of tomatoes (for chili) and then to self-checkout.

I thank God for little whispers of love. He knows just how much I need them. ❤️

No One Ever Told Me

By Loureva Slade

No one ever told me that loving him didn’t necessarily mean that he would love me back

Or that it would take true love a while to erase the heartache caused by those before

No one ever told me that I wouldn’t be able to protect them from all of life’s bumps and bruises

Or that they could seem so much like me that it would be hard to let them grow into themselves

No one ever told me that I could be angry enough to say things I would later live to regret

Or that for whatever reason, at times my best intentions would be seen as so much less

No one ever told me that our religious beliefs could put a strain on our friendship

Or that I would think of you all these years later and wonder if you ever came to know the One I love so much

No one ever told me that my being kind didn’t necessarily mean that I would be treated with respect

Or that walking away from “good things” would sometimes be necessary to lead me to “great things”

No one ever told me that I would have to work so hard to achieve my goals

Or that I would often struggle not to give up along the way

No one ever told me that others might not always be able to see my vision

Or that I might have to believe in myself enough to keep pressing on anyhow

No one ever told me that God would sometimes say no to the things I asked (and often begged) for

Or that I would have to learn to fully trust Him for my sustenance and strength

No one ever told me that experiencing death would make me look at life completely differently

Or that years later I would still think about them every single hour of every single day

No one ever told me that my many quirks are what make me special

Or that I would sometimes feel different than others because God set me apart

No one ever told me that happiness is an inside job

Or that as long as I looked for it outside of my Creator I would be waiting on invisible buses

And it made me so mad to think about all the things that no one ever told me

Until I realized that quite possibly, quite a few had told me in various ways on multiple occasions

But

I just didn’t listen

Because I didn’t like what they had to say

Perhaps I was just stubborn

Or one of those people who needed to live it to learn it

Either way I’m happy that now I know.

I understand. I have grown.

And I’m thankful for who I have become

because of all the things

I thought 

no one ever told me.

Who Knows Why?

A few months ago I led a women’s bible study where we talked about the importance of understanding our purpose. I gave each lady an individual assignment. They had five minutes to take a sheet of paper and create anything they wanted with it. There were only two rules—each woman was responsible for her own creation and each had to give her creation a purpose. After the women finished creating, the other women in the group had an opportunity to look at each creation, say what it was, and assign a purpose to it. Then I asked each creator if the other ladies had guessed correctly. Nine times out of 10 the guesses had been incorrect.

In my own case I made what looked like a bowl sitting next to a balled up piece of paper. The women assigned labels and purposes to my creation that were good, deep, noble, even…but they were incorrect. We were in bible study, so I guess it made sense to assume that I had made a prayer box and a heart (or something like that), but that wasn’t at all the case.

I told them that I’m usually not that deep of a thinker. I like things to be fun and simple. My mind was on children when I made my creation. I thought if I made a paper basketball and “net” for the children it would bring smiles to their faces and give them something fun to do. Everyone looked perplexed. I’m sure they wondered what children I was talking about. Or what these children had to do with anything. I smiled. That was my point exactly.

When it comes to purpose, it’s easy to be confused or get things wrong because of incorrect assumptions. Who better to ask the purpose of a thing than the one who created it? He would know better than anyone else his reason for making it, right?

We spend a great deal of our lives trying to figure out why we are here and why we go through certain things. We try to make sense of why we were born in a certain region or why our parents were the way they were. Why this? Why that? Why not this? Why not that?

Who better to ask than the One who created us? I’m certain He knows. I’m also positive He wants us to know our purpose so that we can do the things we were created to do. First we must look to Him for the answers.

It’s evident that God’s mind is much more brilliant and complex than the mind of man. Yes, we were made in His image, but that doesn’t mean that your purpose is to singlehandedly end world hunger, eliminate poverty, and found an internet start-up that unites pets across the land. Those are noble things, but they might not be what He had in mind when he made you.

I can say that we were created to glorify God, but my knowledge stops there. You don’t want to look to me to tell you the specifics about why you were created because I have no idea. I wouldn’t even suggest that you ask yourself what your purpose is, because you’d be guessing at best, and getting it wrong could be costly. I would, however, encourage you to have a conversation with the Creator, take a look into His word, and open your heart to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the reasons you are here. He may not reveal it all at one time, but that’s ok. It’s better to take small steps in His will than big steps outside of it. You can trust that He will direct your steps along the right path when you look to Him for guidance.

I spent a lot of time searching for answers to my whys in all the wrong places—self-help books and television shows that promised to fix everything, Sunday services, and even inside my own mind. It wasn’t until I asked God, the One who created me, why He made me that I truly began to see the plans that He has for me. Looking back, I realize that He had been preparing me all along. I realized that the things He wanted me to do are the things I had been doing all along—writing, speaking, encouraging. (Recently it became very clear to me that God wants me to thoroughly understand the depths of His love so that I can express it to others and pique their interests about what exactly it means to be wrapped in His love. Interestingly, as I open myself to experience the fullness of His love, I can’t help but want to share my testimony and encourage others to do the same.)

And as He continues to reveal my assignments to me I partner with Him to make sure they are done to the very best of my ability, with a spirit of excellence. I’m thankful because knowing my purpose allows me to walk in it. It also makes it easier to walk away from those things that don’t align with it. That is liberating.

There is freedom in purposeful living.

Blessings,

Lou

All I Had Was One Line (Excellence)

All I Had Was One Line

By Loureva Slade

 All I had was one line. I had two choices—treat it like it didn’t matter or give it everything I had. I chose the latter.

I was one of the leads in the drama department at my high school. Everyone knew I wanted to be an actress. It may have been because the class was small and there weren’t many options for lead roles or it may have been because I had potential and my teacher actually believed in me, but each year I was in play production I had a lead role and quite a few lines to remember.

That wasn’t the case in the acting classes I took on the side. I was shy. I was a little insecure. Everyone seemed so much better than me. There were professional actors in my class. (To this day I see quite a few of my former classmates on television and in movies.) The parts I got there were typically of the write-in nature…one liners.

I’ll never forget the year-end performance for my "acting classes on the side"—it was a soulful take on the musical Annie. I was given one line: “Oh my God, it’s Gary Bordy.” I was supposed to excitedly run to center stage from off stage right and hug the actor who played Gary Bordy. For some reason, when the lights came on and it was time for my part, I actually “became” the girl who was excited to see Gary Bordy. I ran top speed screaming “Oh my God, it’s Gary Bordy” and I leaped long before I was close to him. I threw my arms in the air and he caught me, thank God. I hung on for dear life, smiling, and enjoying the moment. The audience roared with laughter. In the moment, I added another line, less well received, and then I excitedly walked off stage left. All I had was one line, and I made the choice to treat it like the most important line in the whole play. My performance was memorable for many, I’m sure. And the whole experience for me was priceless with lasting impact.

My one line shaped so much of who I am and what I believe today. I learned that no matter how small a role I have, I should always play my part with excellence, as unto the Lord. Whether I am running an event, or making calls to tell people about an event, I give it everything I’ve got. Whether I’m writing a paragraph for a newsletter or penning a short story for publication, I give it everything I’ve got. Whether I am talking to my daughters about being kind to others or encouraging a large audience, I give it everything I’ve got. Whether I am studying for a quiz or studying for a midterm, I give it everything I’ve got. I’m not a perfectionist, but I possess a spirit of excellence. When it is all said and done, I am always pleased with my results because whether I win or lose, pass or fail, meet a goal or fall a little short, I hold my head high because I have done my absolute best.