My jeremiad life is full of pain and a constant struggle
And I am disconsolate with my yen to solve this puzzle
This situation leaves me with a brackish taste
Because I should be successful and not a waste
My mind is way worn because my stasis is off
So I continue to parse and decide what I should doff
Am I being punished for my actions of being refractory
How I long for this trial to pass and become a distant memory
I have experienced a fraction of what it is like to succeed
Please, no longer hold back my blessings, Lord, I plead
It feels like my life is a plateful of failure
Seasoned with very little pleasure
While not fully encountering my heart's desire
So if you’ve ever accomplished a dream it is you I admire
I am over qualified in all that I do
But blessings skip me and is given to you, you, and you
My emotions seems like God plays with
And the blessings He has for me feels increasingly more like a myth
Although I don’t understand my situation, I know I’ve been blessed more then others
However this storm is long and is tough to weather
I refuse to prolong this tough process by being discomfit
Lord I want to be biddable and show that I will never drift
So whatever it is You want me to do and or go through
Know I will do it willingly, just to show you, how much I truly love you

For the last couple of weeks this passage has been on my mind. Boats, rain and storms have shown itself more then usual. I also have been going through my own personal storm and I keep thinking about this text so I finally listened and read. Here is what I got from this story.

Noah’s ark is a story that discusses how God decided to punish the evilness of man by flooding the world, but looking at this story deeper, there is so much more to this story. God shows us how He operates, how He will bless and what He looks for and expects.

God observes, creates purpose, puts a plan together, chooses a person, gives instructions, and then puts you in a place to be successful and protected. It’s our job to listen, follow and be patient. He uses the righteous and unrighteousness. You can be considered unrighteous but by being connected to someone who is righteous, you can be blessed and shown grace. Who are you connected to who is blessing you? Finally once the plan has been completed He will give you His plan, instructions and expectations. 

Noahs actions of being faithful and righteous earned him the right to go through the storm!!! Noah had to go through the storm because of others actions. He didn’t deserve to go through the storm, but the storm was a blessing because there was no other options. Stop looking for options other then the ones God has given you. Building the ark, the job to collect all the animals, and going through the storm was the gift/blessing for Noah and his family.

The 5 things that really stood out when I looked again into this popular story was

1. God gives you a circle and He will tell you who needs to be around you. He will make sure people who do not need to be a part of or receive the benefit of your blessing will not be in the picture. Do not let people in your circle who God does not approve of. When the door shuts don’t let anyone else in.
2. God not only protects the person who needs to fulfill their purpose but God protects their circle as well.
3. God has a purpose for everything you do and everything around you. The Raven was a resource and made things easier because the raven could see and go places you cant while you are “shut in” and protected. Patience will be needed because the truth will be given and you may not like it or the wait in store.
4. God knows exactly what you will go through and will prepare you accordingly. We just have to listen and follow his instructions and be patient because you will not be told everything. Be still until He says move.
5. There was a season to prepare for the storm and their was a season to wait after the storm. God may not always tell you about the storm but He will allow you to be prepared for the storm. The question is will you be prepared. There was also a period of waiting after the storm. So although the storm was over, Noah had to still wait for the right conditions to get out of the boat.

When you’ve gone through your storm make sure you give praise and show your appreciation through actions and get prepared for the next storm. Never forget no matter how bad the storm is you are not only protected but you have been given the time to prepare. Being prepared means you have to listen and put in work.

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OUTLINE
Genesis 6-9
God observes Genesis 6 vs 11-12
God has a purpose vs 13
He has a plan vs 13 - 21 overall plan (14, 18 - 21: plan for you)
God chooses the person vs 9, 13
He gives instructions vs 14 - 16, 19 - 21 Genesis 7:1-4
You listen and follow Genesis 6:22 and Genesis 7:5
There is a waiting period Gen 7:4
There will be a storm BEFORE the covenant Gen 7:10
Told Noah who should be in his circle Gen 6:18 (did not say his family was righteous or blameless)
God’s plan will happen whether or not you listen and follow Gen 7:11-12
God shut them in Gen 7:16-24 (the ark was lifted above the waters and the rain didn’t flood the boat). Noah, his circle and the chosen animals were protected.
There was another wait. Gen 8:1-5 a 150 days after 40 days and 40 nites and then some (God didn’t tell Noah about this wait). God wont forget you. Stay patient. Gen 8:6-14
Listen to your circle and know the signs. What you need to know may come from the unlikely source but they have a word. Gen 8:7-12 Noah could have left out when the raven brought back the olive leaf, but he was patient. He knew it was almost time when the raven did not come back (some people are meant to be with you for a season) and he was patient and waited seven days after that.
God tells you to move Gen 8:15-17 Noah didn’t leave the ark until God told him to.
God gives purpose after the storm Gen 8:16; 9:1
After the blessing praise God. Noah gave a sacrifice. Gen 8:20

God gives His plan after the storm and explains his covenant (didn’t tell Noah what the covenant would be before the storm). Gen 9:1-17

If anything was revealed to you please feel free to share with me.

​Regardless of what happens in your life. You will be let down by a number of people time and time again. In fact the most pain will come from the people who you hold closest to your heart. The question is how do you respond and do you forgive after you have been wronged. Forgiveness technically is not a choice, it is expected. God expects us to forgive as many times as we have been wronged. He expects this because He does it as well. God forgives any action as long as the person’s heart is sincere and then He forgets. It is as if it never happened. We unfortunately are not able to forget BUT we still can forgive. Time on the other hand will allow us to heal from the pain. After you have been hurt, are you able to show the same love God would show you after you have let Him down? Think about the same actions you consistently commit over and over again and you pray for forgiveness. God continues to forgive you for that same act and He gives you an unlimited supply of grace. Although consequences may be in order, God will always love and look out for you. He will never forsake you, and He has a plan for your life. Psalms 51:5 discuss how natural sinning is for man and Romans 3:23 says for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There are days we have made some horrible mistakes and we know we let God down, but He will never turn His back on us. Regardless of how great we thought our best day was, we still let Him down on that day. We have never went a day where we have not let God down and God has never went a day without showing us grace and forgiveness.
In the song “Song of Intercession” by William Mcdowell the two following lines stand out. “The change I want to see must first begin in me. I surrender” and “If they’re looking for you, Jesus. Let them find you in me.” They are short yet powerful lines and shows us how Christ wants us to love. Living Christ like means you have to love like Christ and that means forgiving like Him as well. You have to show unconditional love even when it is not shown to you. Loving is easy when it is given back. Showing God's love can be hard because you are challenged to love and forgive those who do not love you.

You will be placed in situations where you will have to opportunity to show others what it is like to be loved by God. Sometimes those opportunities mean forgiving when you feel like it is unforgivable or showing love when you have been deeply hurt. It is easy to let your emotions get the best of you but if you are able to love when the world says you should not and if you are able to forgive when the world says you should not then it will be easier to accept and understand the love and grace God shows us when we have done wrong towards Him and others.

I am not just a Black Man
I am an Educated Black Man
And despite all the racism and constant turmoils here I stand
My shoulders are broad my chin up and my chest out
I am full of confidence no matter how much you doubt
I accept all my responsibilities and will not flee
I am the symbol of what you want your brother, son and father to be
However, I am viewed as a person you would hate to be
Educated or not
How do I prove I am not the stereotypical black man
It would be far easier to swim through quick sand
But then again what is the stereotypical black man?
The black men I see raise and lead families, they love, and they provide
By no means are they perfect, but why are you so terrified?
However, there will be no complaints none at all
My forefathers were disfigured, beaten and hung yet did not fall
I was bred for this life can't you see
Look through my eyes, deep within my soul
Feel the heart of a man that is tried, true, and whole
For me, every day I complete alive and free is a victory
So every day I conduct myself as royalty
And one day, maybe, just maybe
you will notice that I am an asset to your community
But if you do not I will continue to be successful and strong
And prove through hard work and dedication that I belong
Please, do not confuse acceptance for my motivation
Leaving a legacy that my ancestors would be proud of is my inspiration
Ensuring my posterity is prepared for the future is my fixation
So here I am...educated or not...
Our shoulders are broad our chins up and our chests out
We are full of confidence no matter how much you doubt
Our hearts beat strong, our eyes narrowed in, and we are prepared to go all out

Sincerely,

Your Stereotypical Black Man

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As I take a deep breathe and exhale
I tell myself that I will not fail
Fore this season for me is rough
And with every passing moment I’m waiting for him to say “ENOUGH,

Well done my child, you have conquered this test
Enjoy this victory and in time you will be immensely blessed
But for now it is time for you to rest
You easily could have fell into temptation
But you succeeded because you established your faith on a strong foundation
You showed Me nothing but commitment and dedication
Especially when you came to Me with questions in meditation
And I’m proud you stayed true when there was no given explanation
You waited for Me to intervene and while you tarried, you used Me as that shoulder to lean
And now for a season your life will be serene
However do not take this season for granted
Continue to nourish that seed that you have planted
Remember you will be successful as long as you consistently seek Me first
So allow Me to satisfy your hunger and quench your thirst
Never forget you will endure times that you will feel like you are cursed
Despite all this, understand it could always be worse
And the only way to relieve the pain would be thru a Hurst
These are the times most, when you will feel that I have forsaken you
Although your emotions will contradict Me, remember I am always with you
You may not sense Me but I am in plain view
Covering you like the warm morning dew”

So until then I will continue to fight for my season of liberty
And when the day finally arrives I will rejoice for my victory
I then will take one deep breathe and exhale
And tell myself I fought the good fight and I did not fail