"GOD BLESS YOU"

                                                           NOW USE THE GIFT

BLESSINGS AND GIFTS ARE WONDERFUL OFFERINGS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY COME FROM GOD. WHAT WE DO WITH THEM IS A TEST OF OUR COMMITMENT TO HIM AND THE STEWARDSHIP THAT HAS BEEN BESTOWED UPON US. NOT ALL GIFTS ARE THE SAME NOR ISSUED ON THAT LEVEL. NO MATTER WHAT THEY ARE, SINGING, DANCING, ACTING, TEACHING, DRAWING, RUNNING, COOKING ETC.., NO MATTER WHAT YOUR SPECIFIC TALENT MIGHT BE.

TAKE WRITING FOR INSTANCE, NOT EVERYONE IS GIVEN THIS ABILITY EITHER OR CALLED TO ACCOMPLISH SUCH AN ARTISTIC FETE. THOSE OF US WHO HAVE IT, SOMETIMES SIT ON OUR BLESSING IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER FOR WHATEVER THE REASON MAY BE. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE TWO SERIOUS CAUSES MIGHT BE DUE TO THE FACT WE DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT OR HOW TO USE IT.

MOST OF US WHO REALIZE WE DO POSSESS THE GIFT OF CREATIVITY ARE CAUTIOUS BECAUSE WE DESIRE TO USE IT TO BLESS OTHERS, WHEREAS SOME, COMPREHEND IT, BUT CHOOSE TO TAKE THE GIFT FOR GRANTED AND OR NOT USE IT ALL.

WRITING IS A REFLECTION OF THE MINDS CREATIVE PROCESS TO CORRELATE WORDS AS WELL COMBINE THEM TO MAKE A STORY. 

AS A WRITER I TAKE WHAT I DO VERY SERIOUSLY, THEREFORE IT BRINGS FORTH HESITANCY, AND WITH GOOD REASON.

THE ABILITY TO CREATE LIFE, WORLDS, AND SITUATIONS ON PAPER CAN SOMETIMES BE A DAUNTING TASK, MAINLY BECAUSE OF MY THOUGHT PROCESS. I DESIRE TO BE PROFICIENT AS WELL RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT I WRITE. YES, I AM WRITING ABOUT IMAGINARY EXISTENCES BUT WITH A REAL-LIFE PROSPECTIVE. THEREIN LIES THE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE GIFT.

WHEN I WROTE MY FIRST NOVEL, I GUESS IT WAS PROBABLY OVER TWENTY YEARS AGO, BUT I APPROACHED THE STORY VERY CAREFULLY. FIRST BECAUSE OF MY FAITH, I COULDN’T JUST WRITE ANYTHING SIMPLY FOR SELF GRATIFICATION ONLY. HOW PEOPLE PERCEIVED ME IN GENERAL WEIGHED HEAVILY ON MY MIND, WHICH PRECIPITATED WHAT I SAID AND IN SOME WAYS MIGHT REFLECT A NON-CHRISTIAN IMAGE FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW. SO I HELD BACK. THIS WAS A DIRECT INDICATION FOR ME, THAT I WAS HOLDING OUT ON MY ABILITIES SIMPLY BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID OF WHAT PEOPLE THOUGHT. IN RETROSPECT, I SOON REALIZED IT DIDN’T MATTER, IN REALITY THEY THINK WHAT THEY WANT ANYWAYS. STILL IN NO WAY DID THIS JUSTIFY ME TO USE ANY OF MY IMAGINED ARTISTIC PRIVILEGES’ OR TO SAY, “I WILL WRITE WHATEVER I WANT” BASED ON THIS ANALYSIS. THIS IS BESIDE THE POINT, WHAT I GAINED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE IS THAT GOD GAVE ME A GIFT, AND NOT ONLY THAT BUT THE WHEREWITHAL TO USE IT IN A POSITIVE WAY. I WOULD NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES SPIT IN GOD’S EYE SO TO SPEAK BY HAVING A REBELLIOUS SPIRIT. NO QUITE THE OPPOSITE, BECAUSE I UNDERSTOOD A FEW THINGS: I AM RESILIENT THEREFORE, CAPABLE OF DISPLAYING SELF-INTEREST WITHOUT OFFENDING OTHER PEOPLES SENSIBILITIES.

I AM A ROMANCE AUTHOR, I WRITE ABOUT LOVE, RELATIONSHIPS AND EVERYTHING THAT GOES ALONG WITH IT. THIS MEANT TO WRITE A COMPELLING STORY WHICH INCLUDED LOVE SCENES, SOME QUITE STEAMY, I HAD TO GET PAST ANY AND ALL ANXIETIES ON THE SUBJECT.

IN ALL HONESTY, I BLANCHED AT THE IDEA OF BEING OVERLY EXPLICIT WHEN DESCRIBING THESE SOMETIMES EMBARRASSING DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION. HOWEVER, GOD DOESN’T GIVE GIFTS WITHOUT ISSUING OUT THE NECESSARY TOOLS TO USE THEM.

THUS, THIS BRINGS ME TO MY SECONDARY GIFT, WHICH IS POETRY.

OKAY A QUICK HISTORY LESSON.

LOVE AND SEX WAS INSTITUTED WAY BACK SHORTLY AFTER ADAM AND EVE WERE CREATED. GOD TOLD THEM TO BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY, WHICH IMPLIES SOME PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WOULD TAKE PLACE.  THEREFORE, SEX HAS GODS STAMP OF APPROVAL AND FOR THE UNBELIEVERS, YOU CAN DEAL WITH THAT HOWEVER, YOU DEEM NECESSARY. AND BEFORE MY NAYSAYERS CALL ME OUT I UNDERSTAND IT WAS GIVEN IN THE SENSE THAT IT WOULD TAKE PLACE BETWEEN MARRIED INDIVIDUALS. BUT WE KNOW THIS ISN’T ALWAYS THE CASE, AND IT LEFT ME IN A VERY PRECARIOUS PLACE. SO I HAD TO COME UP WITH A WAY TO INTRODUCE THOSE SCENES AND DID SO IN A POETIC MANNER. I WAS ABLE TO DESCRIBE COPULATION IN MY STORIES IN A VERY PLEASING STYLE.

UNDERSTAND THESE WERE MY HANG-UPS, AND I’M NOT SAYING IT’S THE REASON THAT ANYONE ELSE IS NOT BEING FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLYING AS A WRITER.

 LISTEN, I FOR ONE UNDERSTOOD ALL THE IMPLICATIONS THAT EVEN MADE ME A BIT LEARY WHEN IT CAME TO EXPRESSING MY IDEAS TOO. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IF I WANTED TO BE SUCCESSFUL I HAD TO SURPASS WHATEVER GLITCHES AFFECTED MY SKILL AS A WRITER.

I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOUR PARTICULAR REASON IS FOR NOT GIVING YOUR ALL TO THE GIFT, BUT WHATEVER IT IS, DON’T LET IT KEEP YOU FROM USING YOUR TALENT.

BELIEVE ME IT IS A BLESSING AND MAYBE, SOME OF US VIEW IT AS A BLESSING AND A CURSE, BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND, AND I QUOTE, “FOR UNTO WHOMSOEVER MUCH IS GIVEN, OF HIM SHALL BE MUCH REQUIRED.” THIS LINE OF SCRIPTURE CARRIED A GREAT DEAL OF WEIGHT, FOR ME PERSONALLY AND SOMETHING I NEVER TOOK LIGHTLY.

PERHAPS IT IS THE REASON WHY SOME OF US SIT ON OUR GIFTS AS IF THEY WERE PILLOWS, BUT USEFUL FOR MUCH MORE THAN THIS. 

IN OTHER WAYS, WE NULLIFY OUR GIFTS BY USING IT FOR ARBITRARY REASONS. WHAT I MEAN BY THIS STATEMENT IS, WE USE IT TO CAUSE CONFLICT AND DISCORD IN OTHER PEOPLES LIVES.

 FOR INSTANCE, I’M AN AVID USER OF ALL SOCIAL MEDIA, MAINLY BECAUSE IT’S A GREAT MEDIUM FOR ADVERTISING MY CRAFT AND OF COURSE SOCIALIZING OF WHICH IT WAS INTENDED. NEVERTHELESS, I SEE SO MANY GIFTED WRITERS UNDER USING THEIR TRADE BY CUTTING OTHER PEOPLE DOWN TO BITE SIZED PIECES. GRANTED THEY DO HAVE A WAY WITH WORDS, BUT JUST NOT THE RIGHT ONES.

WITH DUE DILIGENCE, WORDS WORK MUCH LIKE A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD, THEY CAN EITHER UPLIFT OR SLAY IN ONE FELL SWOOP WITH ONE WELL THOUGHT-OUT SENTENCE.

IF YOU CAN IMAGINE A SCENE FROM A MOVIE, ONE WE’VE WITNESSED ON MANY OCCASIONS WHERE THE VILLAIN USES HIS GIFTS TO DO EVIL AND NOT GOOD. LETS NOT BE THAT PERSON!

LAST NIGHT I WATCHED ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES “FIDDLER ON THE ROOF.” HAVE YOU EVER SEEN IT? IF NOT YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY WATCH.

IT’S A MUSICAL I LOVE THOSE BY THE WAY AND THE FACT I’M A DIE HARD ROMANTIC.

 IT’S ALL THAT AND MORE AND MOST CERTAINLY A POIGNANT STORY SO HEAVILY STEEPED IN JEWISH TRADITION THAT TAKES PLACE IN RUSSIA. I LAUGH BECAUSE THE CHARACTERS; A MILKMAN AND HIS WIFE PAIR THREE OF THEIR FIVE DAUGHTERS WITH PERSPECTIVE HUSBANDS, AGAINST THEIR WILL OF COURSE. NOW WE DO IT VOLUNTARILY, NOT TO OUR CHILDREN BUT OURSELVES THROUGH MEDIUMS SUCH AS MATCH-MAKER.COM, BLACK PEOPLE MEET, AND TENDER. I DIGRESS. YET I MENTION THIS MOVIE BECAUSE OF THE CONTENT INVOLVED. THROUGH MUSIC THEY WERE ABLE TO TELL A STORY ABOUT PRE-REVOLUTIONARY RUSSIA THE GOOD AND BAD OF IT ALL. THE WRITERS OF THIS MUSIC SOFTENED THE BLOW OF ANTI-SEMITIC OVERTURES WITH DANCING HUMOR AND WITH SOME REALNESS THROWN IN THE MIX. I SUSPECT THE AUTHORS OF THIS STORY WERE MOST LIKELY JEWISH AND WANTED TO DISPLAY SOME RADICAL HISTORY ON A LEVEL WERE IT WAS BOTH INFORMING AND MOVING AT THE SAME TIME. WHAT EVER THEIR NATIONALITY, THAT DIDN’T STOP THEM FROM WRITING ABOUT A TOUCHY SUBJECT.

ABSOLUTELY IN MANY WAYS, WE ARE WHAT WE WRITE, THEREIN LIES THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE GIFT. IT WASN’T GIVEN TO MAIM AND CRUCIFY BUT IN A LOT OF INSTANCES IS CARRIED OUT IN A NEGATIVE MANNER. HOWEVER, IF WE USE IT FOR WHICH IT WAS DESIGNED THEN WE CAN INSPIRE, MOTIVATE, AND UPLIFT OTHERS TO SEE THEIR POTENTIAL, NO MATTER WHAT THEIR WALK IN LIFE MAY BE.

WORDS ARE A POWERFUL INSTRUMENT, NOT TO BE UNDERTAKEN LIGHTLY, BUT MUCH LIKE FLAMMABLE SUBSTANCES “USED WITH CAUTION!” 

GOD BLESSED US ALL WITH SPECIFIC TALENTS BUT HE INSTILLED SO MUCH MORE IN US AS HUMAN BEINGS. HUMANITY, KINDNESS, THOUGHTFULNESS AND THE GREATEST OF ALL THINGS, LOVE. WE OWE IT TO THE CREATOR TO BE ALL THAT HE SAID WE ARE, AND IF WE DON’T USE THE GIFTS ISSUED BY HIS FAVOR THEN WE SUGGEST I DARE SAY, THE IMPORTANCE OF WHICH WE RECEIVED THEM.

NOTHING GOD DOES IS BY ACCIDENT OR ON SECOND THOUGHT AS IF HE WORKS ON A CONTINGENCY PLAN. EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US WERE GIVEN SPECIAL ABILITIES TO PERFORM WHATEVER TASKS GOD HAS LAID OUT FOR OUT LIVES.

HOW WE USE THEM IS THE IMPORTANT THING, ALSO WHEN AND IF. IF WE NEGLECT TO IDENTIFY HIS UNMERITED FAVOR, BELIEVE ME GOD WILL TAKE THEM AWAY.

REMEMBER, WE ARE ALL SPECIAL IN GODS EYES, AND IS WHY HE CHOSE TO GIVE EACH OF US DIFFERENT TALENTS. YOUR TALENT IS GODS GIFT TO YOU. WHAT YOU DO WITH IT IS YOUR GIFT BACK TO GOD.