Hope for 2010

Dear Heavenly Father,

I come to You this day in preparation for the New Year.

In November 2008, You told me that 2009 was going to be fraught with major changes: changes that would affect my income, my home, my car, my family, and my friends. This became evident by the loss of my "brother," matriarchs and patriarchs in my family, the mother and the father of 2 of my closest friends, the end to a very close 10-year friendship, job loss, home transition, sickness, and countless other uncomfortable and saddening situations. Outside of my personal relationships, "we" as a people suffered the loss of countless role models: Michael Jackson, Bea Arthur, Patrick Swayze, Farrah Fawcett, Alaina Reed Hall, Brittany Murphy, Ed McMahon, Ted Kennedy, Natasha Richardson, Steve McNair, and Walter Cronkite, to name a few. This has truly been a trying year.

But, You also told me that while these “changes” would be very difficult, they were going to be necessary for Your glory and that Great things were going to abound from those trying times. From them I would find peace, happiness, and joy for staying the course.

And so Lord, as this year comes to an end, I want to say Thank You for all You’ve done: for waking me up every morning, for having a warm place to sleep every evening, for holding me when I had no idea what the next day would bring, for giving me answers when I couldn’t decipher the questions, and for comforting me when humor couldn’t cover the pain of loss anymore. I also Thank You for allowing me to see the inauguration of the United States first African-American President and family, experience the growth of an expanding Young Adult Ministry at Shiloh, helping me to build new friendships with people I needed more than I thought I would, having the opportunity to spend the holidays with family and friends, and most of all the chance to lean on You and on Your Word throughout those difficult times. I don’t know what You have in-store for 2010, but I welcome the New Year and restored hope.

Thank You once more.
In Jesus' Name I pray,
Amen


It’s funny because in the midst of this prayer, I was reminded of the Color Purple, Fantasia, and the song, "I'm Here." Sure the story is fiction, but the character Celie can represent anyone. At the end of Celie’s trials, she could still stand, saying “I believe I have inside of me everything that I need to live a bountiful life” and “thankful for each day that I’m given both the easy and the hard ones.” Truly inspirational. “I’m Here” is officially my song for 2010.

Happy Birthday, Sonya!

Today, I was reminded how much my family and friends love me.

As predicted, a minimum of 8 inches of snow fell today (it is still snowing, btw). So, at about 9am this morning, my mother and brother sat me down and told that they had to cancel my surprise birthday party scheduled for later in the evening :(

What?!!!!!

I was completely oblivious to the fact that a party was being planned right under my nose. And even though one of my many loose-lipped friends let it slip that a party was being planned, I still had no idea what was going on:

• Mom, Dad, Chris, Devin, Tiara - never letting it slip or hinting that anything was going on. You continued to let me plan my own birthday party/pajama jammy jam/potluck/game night/karaoke fun on Dec. 26th. You also cleaned the entire house, bought food and supplies, decorated, and stole my friend's phone numbers right in front of me without making me suspicious of anything.
• Leslie - planning a chocolate tour of Philadelphia for today that you insisted we need to do together: quality-time...lol.
• Nyla - for getting me to pick out my own cupcake mix and icing flavor under the premise of planning a baking session with my goddaughter: Jerk! And even though you spilled the beans a week earlier, I had no clue something would be happening today.
• Tiffany - even though you blew my phone up with a billion phone calls to see what i had planned this weekend and making sure i was still going on this "chocolate tour," you kept your planning prowess under wraps.
• Kiersten - New York City? Ha! I was ready to meet you in Manhattan. I NEVER would have guessed that you knew and were planning to be in attendance.
• Other family and friends who were bringing the mass amounts of food and whatever else (i still don't have all the details). I heard a large ice cream cake, chicken, pizzas, hoagies/samiches, trays of veggies and fruit, all A-Treat drinks, etc. were enroute. I even heard Jason was breaking from protective custody to make an appearance (lol).

I don't feel deserving of the attention or effort put in for such an event, but I am extremely thankful and grateful for those thoughtful enough to play even the smallest part both for this party and in my life.

Thank you.