May the WORD Be With You!

I grew up on “Star Trek” black and white, color, it didn’t matter. Just so I got to see Captain Kirk and Dr. Spock and the rest of the Starship Enterprise crew. I guess it is safe to say that STILL I am a die-hard Trekkie!!

Then along came some other great sci-fi movies, but for some reason I didn’t rush to see them or greet them, but as time passed I heard names like OB1 or O Be Wan or O Be One. Be one what? Hmmm. Not sure how to spell that name but an easier one was Luke SkyWalker or Luke Sky Walker, for maybe he had three names like most of us do. (Now it’s Walker Texas Ranger for me.) Hmmm again. Princess Leia or Lay-a. Nothing spectacular about that name, but I did begin to see girls and women with long hair now wearing their hair in pretzeled buns around their heads. I guess they went to “Princess Leia’s Hair Salon”.

Then I saw children with plastic swords that glowed in the dark or that lit up and maybe made a sci- fi “whirring” sound when they swung them, and the children would say something like “I am Darth Vader!” I wondered who is DV? (Do not change the order of those letters please. LOL!) Not long afterwards I learned that Darth Vader was the dark lord of this saga and his voice was played by one of my favorite actors of all time, James Earl Jones! Now what a voice, and he’s the reason why I finally watched “Star Wars” for the first time, several years after its initial release.

I loved the line “may the force be with you!” J Yeah, during those years I was in school and I found myself needing a lot of force from time to time. I never had a sword to swing at anyone though, at least not one that lit up or glowed in the dark. But I had another sword, “invisible” yet more powerful.

The other day I was reading a story about some guys who went fishing. It was their job, their livelihood not a hobby, and they knew that you catch fish best at night. But for some reason, when the sun came up on this particular day, they still hadn’t caught any fish. It was going to be a lean day at the fish market. So they began to clean their equipment and prepare to head on home to get some breakfast and shut-eye, for maybe that night would yield better results.

But all of a sudden a stranger was walking by and some folk were following him. It appeared that he was giving a tour of the area, but then he stopped in front of them and got into one of the boats. He told the owner “push away from the shore please.” Well, you can imagine the thoughts going through his head but instead he kept them to himself, as far as we know, and obeyed. Then this man began teaching the people from the boat and more people came. The owner of the boat thought “oh great. Now I’ll never get home.” “Hmmm, wouldn’t it have been wonderful if we could have caught some fish like this guy seems to have captured these peoples’ attention? Wonder what kind of bait He’s using?”

Well, if you can’t beat ‘em you might as well joy them, so he also began to listen while cleaning his equipment. Then just as suddenly as before, this “tour guide” teacher said to him “hey, throw your nets on the right side of the boat and catch some fish.” But the expert fisherman became a little miffed and said “man we’ve been fishing all night long and there just ain’t no fish biting in this area right now.” But then he saw the look in the man’s eyes, something strange and compelling making him feel kind of funny and he responded, “oh all right, since YOU say so I’ll do it.”

Suddenly (I think that’s about the third or fourth time I’ve used that word in this story. I think it’s important for us to take note.) he yelled to his partners in the other boats to come quickly and help him for his net was breaking! He realized then that he had been naked in the presence of a man who had a Word. A powerful Word. A Word with authority. A captivating Word. A Word to change his job’s situation and outlook. A life-giving and life-changing Word. The man with the Word was inside his boat and . . . and . . . so he bowed down and asked him to leave his presence for he was a man without a word. He was speechless. J

But this Man with the Word had a Word for him, and all his crew too. “Follow Me, and I will make you to be [more than just fishermen working for a pay check] ‘fishers of men.’” (Emphasis mine.) As time went on He said (and I’m narrating as I watched His activities unfold :->) ”I’ll give you a word that will cause the fish to jump into your net! Heck, they will even pay your taxes for you, at My Word. They will multiply from just two and feed 5,000, 4,000, and 7,000 men, women and children – at MY Word.” (The gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.) Think about this the next time you sit down to a fish fry, or are just enjoying some Long John Silver’s and Cap’n D’s crunchies and fries. (We don’t have those restaurants in France so I’m using my memories as I write this one yall. Send me some please. LOL!!)

He also told them “I will give meaning to your very existence. I will show you how to touch heaven and bring God down to earth to touch and reconnect with His creation. I will give you a Word that will show you your life’s purpose and help you fulfill your destiny. I will show you how to walk with God and perform His works on the earth, with MY Word.” “I AM the Man with the Word and the plan.” (Jeremiah 29:11) “I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” (Revelation) “I AM, I was, and I always will be. “In the beginning God . . .” (Genesis 1:1)

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was With God and the Word WAS God.” John 1:1. Hmmm, I just love this verse. In the beginning God had a Word. What is Himself for 400 Alex? LOL!!! In your beginning, for your beginning unto your ending God had and continues to have a Word, - for everyday is a new beginning. As the future becomes the present becomes the past He’s already there; always has been and always will be. And always with a Word. What is His Word today for you, for me? (And don’t forget, everyday becomes Today, and God is the same yesterday, today and forever! Whew, He covered ALL the bases.) He says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you. I will be with you until the ends of the earth.” (Matthew 28J) Sounds like a never ending story of great Words. HE IS THE WORD.

And may the Word be with you!! R2D2 & C3PO over and out. Beam me up Scotty!

Peace.

There Can Be Only One

While joking with some friends a few days ago, this thought came to me, “I am not the other one, I am the Only One.” Now I know you’re wondering what we were talking about, that prompted this mental response from me. We were discussing in short how for, and in some countries it is “normal” (not something to be avoided or resisted) for married men (not women) to have another woman on the side, (left side or right side, not sure it really matters which) and that the wedding band means nothing.

Even though I laughed, I laughed even harder inside because I know who I am, my lineage and background, what we stand for, and most of all WHOSE I am. I laughed even harder because I knew (and know) that I would prefer to be alone than to lower myself on purpose to KNOWINGLY enter a relationship with a married, taken, or not-married-to-me man. My soul rolled on the floor laughing because I know I am a princess desired by many and resisted by few, but I can only be won by One who is worthy of my love, loyalty, allegiance and adoration as a hot-blooded woman. Yes this is true. :-)

After I wiped the tears of hard laughter from my eyes, and brushed myself off of the lint I met on the carpet, and brushed my short cropped hair, I thanked God for the gift of laughter, joy and happiness I finally now experience with, and in my alone state. Even though I know it can be difficult and sometimes very lonely living life without a matrimonial companion, I also know how challenging it is, and can be being with one who is “right for you”, and how detrimental it is being with someone whom you never should have met.

I am grateful for the restoration of my soul, and the reparation of my fragmented personality through time spent basking in the love of God through His written and inspired Words, and people who truly love me patiently, and patiently love me. LOL! Having been where I’ve been, met the people I’ve met, experienced the good, the bad and yes some ugly things that I’ve experienced, and become the person I’ve now become – a whole and healthy woman – I am happy to say I know I deserve to be the only one, not the other one, in the life of a special prince.

Do I believe in fairytales? Not at all, but I do believe in fairy tale endings. LOL! Most of all, they inspire me to believe that all things are possible, (Philippians 4:13) and that there are still some real and good manly men in this world, and from my culture who believe like I do, and who desire to be with a real woman. They too refuse to settle for second best and so they refuse to give second best. They also believe they deserve to be the only one, so they refuse to settle for being the other one, and they refuse to place women in the position of being the other woman in their lives. To me, this describes a real man.

Now, my conversation with my friends was specifically about male-female relationships, but we all know that there are many things on earth and in our lives which we sometimes place before the most important ones in our lives. For instance, some of us spend more time at work or at play than we do with the ones we pledged vows with before God, and family and friends. Others of us place our children before our mates and good common sense. Still others of us put money and careers (not necessarily the same as work) above all others, and on and on. We could therefore refer to these “others” as “the other one”.

In Old Testament scripture in the book of Hosea, God tells this farmer-prophet to go marry a prostitute. Well, we all know what prostitutes do and they usually do it with more than one ;-); safe to say several “other ones.” Why did God tell him to do this? Well, first get this, even though he gave her a house (possibly a large colorful tent with a spiral staircase in the center), and car (maybe a camel with two humps, or horse), clothing, and cash (hmmm, yeah money), etc. she, her name is Goma, still went back out “to work”, and to be with “the others”. Why? Because it was in her heart, and soul to do so. She herself was not a whole person inside, within her soul, and thus she gave her fragmented personality (and body) to different fragmented “other ones.”

Yet God told Hosea to marry her for at least two reasons we can see explicitly explained in scripture: 1. As a sign to His people Israel of how they’ve treated Him. Hosea 1:2-3; 2. As a sign to His people Israel of how much He loves them, and the lengths to which He would go (and did go) to restore them to their place in His life – a vital and vibrant love relationship with Himself. Hosea 2:14-20, 23b. Through Hosea and Goma’s turbulent marriage God said to Israel, “there can be Only One,” and “I AM not the OTHER one, I AM the ONLY One.” The first of the Ten Commandments is God’s declaration of Who He is – "I AM the Lord your God . . . and don’t worship nobody else.” (AllntheJeans’ version.)

When we know who we are and Whose we are, our lives will reflect ones of wholesomeness and wholeness, and wellness. But when we are divided in our heart and soul about our identity, esteem and value, then others will treat us accordingly, for our words and actions will signal to them and thus give them permission to treat us like “the other one” rather than “the ONLY one.”

I love the movies and the television series, “Highlander”, and especially the soundtrack which accompanies them performed by the group, Queen. “We’re the princes [and princesses] (my lyrics) of the universe!” In every episode the star Duncan McCleod has to face and have a showdown with a fellow immortal who has evil motives and intentions, fueled by a black heart. The duel must end with a death by beheading, because "there can be only one". And Even though McCleod can be injured, as long as he manages to keep his head ;-) he will recover quickly to live, and fight again (another episode for sure). LOL! He is a type of the Christ except for this one important difference, if you will allow me this analogy.

Our Lord Jesus the Christ was mortally wounded, was buried in a grave for three days, resurrected on the third day, ascended to heaven, and is coming back again (okay, that's more than one difference) for our very lives to redeem, restore, renew, repair, rejuvenate, and reconnect (and eventually resurrect) our spirits to our souls to our bodies, that we may live no longer as fragmented beings (individually and collectively), but as whole persons. In Christiandom we are One in the Spirit – His Spirit making up His Body, and therefore our hearts and minds are one in Him, because He is not divided or fragmented. He is THE Head of ONE Body and We are His Body. We are not the “other one” but in Him we are “The Only One.”

Knowing who we are, where we’re from, Whose we are, and thus our true purpose for living – to fulfill our destiny/destinies on the earth, we can know how to truly live – like God is our One and Only! I am one – inside and out. I have been created to worship One and Only One. Even though He loves everyone He has created in the earth, he still loves each of us as though we are “the only one” and not “the other one,” Because in reality that is what we are. With Jesus we are His first priority. He will never leave nor forsake us. He will never put others before us. He will never have an affair of any kind against us. We are His One and only! There are no duplicates of you, or me.

Because I am one – spirit, soul, and body, I am made to love one Prince, to be loved by one Prince, and to be loved as one Princess. I am not the other one, I am the only one because: There can be only one.

Peace.