Changes

This morning as I write I don't have any particular scripture I want to talk about. I read James 1. I thought back this morning as I was praying to the changes God has made in my life over the years. I don't understand every thing God has taken me through. I remember how hard it was for me to leave the Church of God of Prophecy when I was in my 30's. But I believe it was God that worked a change in my life. I was stuck on that particular church. I had been raised in it all my life. I was taught and felt like it was the true church. So when I started to attend a non-denominational church down the road from me at Sisco Heights Community Church, I literally felt like I was going against God. It took me about 4 years to feel comfortable going to some place other than the Church of God of Prophecy, it was so ingrained in me. But I believe it was a change God was orchestrating in my life. My dependence, my loyalty needed to be to God himself and not to a particular church or organization. But I see the same loyalty in others today, it is to a church or organization as a substitute of God. It feels right and it may even look right, but is our real allegiance to God himself. Our allegiance needs to be to God and God alone. I remember going through my first divorce and I look back and I wonder once again what God was doing. It was then that I a white man started to date Black women. I remember the very first black woman I dated in 1993. That relationship really didn't progress. then again as I was attending a large white church in Everett WA, I met another Black woman at a Bible study I was attending. We dated and got married about six months later.  It was during this marriage that I started attending a Black Church. Jean had asked me to pray about where to attend church, so we could join and become a part of a church body. There were several places we attended, Bethel Baptist, Meadowdale Baptist Church, Bethany Christian Assembly, and Second Baptist. We had met at Northshore Christian Church.  As I was praying about this issue, I read Ephesians 5:25, Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,  I thought how do I apply this scripture to my life in this situation. We had visited Second Baptist several times and a Deacon at that church had given Jean away at our wedding. Jean had two aunts that also attended Second Baptist. I thought this is her culture, and even some of her family attends this church. In thinking on this scripture that is how I apply it to my life. We attend a Black Church, Second Baptist Church. When Jean asked me if I had prayed and decided on a church I said yes. She asked, what church? I said Second Baptist. She said, How in the hell can you pick Second Baptist?  anyway we attended Second Baptist for about 4 years. I remember at the beginning, how out of place I felt, a white dot in a Black congregation. That church was always full with little extra seating. I realize now God was affecting a change in my life somewhat similar to the change when I left the Church of God of Prophecy, but different. My dependence needed to be on God and not a white or black church. As I now live in the south, Mississippi to be exact, I think I see better now what God was doing in my life. There is no partiality with God. He created one race. But I see the same struggles I went through in other peoples lives. Denomination and Race. God wants our dependency to be on him and him alone. Those were some difficult changes in my life and it took a lot of time and a lot of relationships to get me to where I am today. Jenie, Esther Allen, Jean Thomas, Joanie Miller, Missy, Roberta Jackson, Kim Hunter, Penny Jenkins, Ondie McCullough, Linda Jones, Robin Tucker, Catherine Cannon and then I married Barbara. It was a struggle but I think I finally learned even in relationships to trust God. I think also of the many Churches I attended during those tumulus times from the Church of God of Prophecy, Sisco Heights, Northshore, Life Center, Bethel Baptist, Meadowdale Baptist, Bethany Christian Assembly, Second Baptist, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Baptist Church, Lampstand Ministries, Brightstar Community Baptist Church, Eastside Baptist Church, CFAN (Church for all Nations), Spring Hill Missionary Baptist, Cross Pointe Ministries and probably and few others in between. Now here I am at Hope Church Tupelo for five years and married to Barbara for over ten years now. God was doing a work in my life and I felt like sometimes I came through it kicking and screaming. But God needs to be the one we depend on for everything. I am still learning, but God shows up at a lot of different Churches. God created the human race, not Black, White, Red, Brown, or in between.  My hope and my trust needs to be in God alone. I am thankful where God has brought me to today.  I could tell you a lot of stories how God protected me and brought me through all this mess. Our lives can be very messy but God still loves us. God loves each and every one. I think back and what a mess I was, but God went through it all with me.  I remember praying many years ago, help me to keep a tender heart, let no root of bitterness develop in me. I look back at what I have just written and I think what a mess, but God still loved me through it all. In addition to all this I have probably had 40 or more addresses.  You'd think I was running from the law. God bless, LVZ.