You Could Have Been An Ant

Writing this blog has been more about accountability and discipline than anything else. I write as though I have thousands of followers waiting to read what I have to say. Or as if  I  have an editor waiting for me to meet a deadline that could potentially put me at risk of losing my job if I don’t get it in on time. It’s a fight to keep this type of mind set because the other part of me wants to revert back to the reason I quit the last time. Who’s checking for it really? I have a laundry list of things that I need to prioritize that actually do have repercussions… bill paying, grocery orders, appointment scheduling… the list goes on. But writing makes me happy. It brings me closer to God and quite frankly it’s the one thing that I do just because I want to. The beauty of being under the radar is that you have no outside influence on what you should write. It’s only what you want to say and how God leads you to say it.

This week’s entry is all about my new favorite podcast “The Same Room” featuring Charlamagne Tha God and Harmony Samuels in episode 2 titled “God’s Purpose For You.” I couldn’t summarize all the gems in this episode if I tried but I’ll do my best to speak on just a few of them that sparked a fire in me in hopes that it will encourage you to check out the full episode and potentially share it with others.

Before I get into it, I want to point out that Harmony Samuels is someone I  began following after witnessing him serving in the music ministry at One Church LA a few years ago. At the time I had no idea of his successes in the music industry. I just knew him as the guy who played the piano during worship and the one who got up on stage when Pastor Toure Roberts was closing out his sermon. One Church LA and the Merge Summit continue to show how integral they have been to connecting me to voices who would eventually speak directly into my life in major ways.

Now let me share just a few pivotal moments in a discussion that warrants several listens and pages of notes:

“You could have been an ant.” ~ Charlamagne Tha God

This guy is known best for his frank, no holds barre and often times pearl-clutching comments. People either love him or hate him. No matter where you fall you can’t help but appreciate someone who doesn’t leave any room for assumptions on what they think and how they feel. This simple and seemingly odd quote only magnified the truth he was speaking. God chose you to be in human form. You are able to think freely and live a life of purpose to benefit people on your job, in your community, or across the world. Nothing that you do towards your purpose should be taken lightly because it’s tied to a bigger picture than you could ever imagine. When you think of all of the living creatures on the earth and the power that God has given you just because you’re human; that alone should empower you and make you realize how important you are in this lifetime. Don’t squander it. You could have been an ant!

“I was let down in one place and picked up in another.” ~ Harmony Samuels

Harmony was speaking about being at a studio in a room with one producer who was telling him he didn’t have what it took to be a producer while at the same time a producer in another room heard the sound of his music and said he wanted to meet him. Do you understand how powerful that is?! You never know who God will place in your path if you just show up. The person you intended to have your answer or to open that door may not be the person God intended. You hear a “no” and you think God isn’t for you. God is always for you. He created you. We have to do our part and one of the biggest components of seeing God’s promise come to life is faith no matter what it looks like. The second biggest component is showing up! He showed up and God showed out!

“His healing process is saving lives.” ~ Harmony Samuels

Harmony referenced the fact that Charlamagne’s decision to seek therapy led him to write a book which led to the reason why so many lives are being impacted. It’s the reason why he’s getting so many testimonies from listeners and followers of his work on how they’ve made more positive decisions in their lives. He wouldn’t have been able to write those things if he hadn’t have first been willing to face those things that may have stifled his purpose. Anxiety, fear, selfishness… so many things that we hold onto or maybe don’t even know exist are the very things that keep us from reaching our full potential. Your healing is for you. It is for you to become more self aware and better able to face life. But your healing shouldn’t stop there. It’s only when you’re able to experience a thing that you’re able to share it. Don’t chalk up experiences to just moments in life. Some of those moments are meant to be stepping stone for others to elevate and grow into who God’s called them to be. It’s not all about you.

F.E.A.R ~ Charlemagne Tha God

“Face Everything And Rise” OR “Fear Everything And Run.” There are situations in my life where I’ve intentionally ran away. There’s painful things that cause emotions that I’m not equipped to deal with alone. There’s things that I haven’t been able to fully process and because time doesn’t stand still and life keeps happening I put it on the back burner. “I’ll get to me. All these other things need to be handled first.” I call it prioritizing but in actuality it’s avoidance. It’s fear of dealing with things that are uncomfortable and could lead to more pain. As I continue to push more towards facing and less towards fearing I  know that this acronym will stick with me and help me level set my emotions. I hope it does the same for you!

Signed,