Sharpening Your Saw: Body, Mind, Heart & Soul
The welding of my diaries when the last page of one diary flows into the start of a new one.
I started a new diary on January 3, 2020. This dairy was a continuation of the last one. When my journals weld together, I have to make a notation on the first page to remind myself to return to the previous diary for notes on work in process. For example, in my diary dated 11/8/19-1/3/20, there are seeds of a poem, a list of books about writing, and a workshop idea. First, I put a sticky tab on those pages as a marker. Once I finished writing in that diary and start a new one, I intentionally make the next one a continuation, so my thoughts remain connected. Welding doesn’t always happen when I keep diaries, but this is the season for connecting my notebooks together. The last time I purposefully welded diaries was during the season of dissertation writing.
Welded diaries, 1-12, during the season of dissertation writing.
So, on January 3, 2020 I was scribbling on the last page of my diary, and had no choice but to start another one and weld it the previous one. After writing the date and the day at the top of the page I wrote “continuation from journal labeled “SHE BELIEVED SHE COULD so she did.” Those words made me think about living in 2020 believing anything I thought I could do, I should, as long it was beneficial and not reckless. But then again, the diary was a gift, which tells me the person who presented it to me also noticed anything I believed I could do, I did.
The quote on the front of my diary also reminded me of the Netflix movie, Dolemite is My Name, starring Eddie Murphy. Murphy portrays the legendary comedy and rap pioneer Rudy Ray Moore. Rudy, whose alter ego was Dolemite, lived his life believing he could, so he did. As I watched the movie, I was convinced something terrible was going to happened to Rudy. He was adventurous, a risk taker, and determined to be more than what was expected of him as a Black man in America. As portrayed in the movie, Rudy Ray Moore was not reckless. He always repaid his debt and saw the best in others. He had no fear.
His fearlessness reminded me of 1 John 4:18 “… love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his [God’s] perfect love.” My fretfulness of something going wrong also reminded me of this scripture.
Because with God on our side, we should have nothing to fear. If we’ve experienced God’s love and we are living a life that is not reckless and is beneficial, fear should not stop us from moving forward. Fear has a dreadful tone. Fear is not from God. The psalmist declares “So, with him on my side I’m fearless, afraid of no one and nothing” (Psalm 27:1b).
Ironically, not only did I fear something terrible was going to happen in the midst of Rudy’s adventures, so did his friends. But Rudy Ray Moore, believed in himself and he believed in his friends. He had integrity. He wasn’t afraid to ask others for help. He was not a racist or sexist. He showed no favoritism to skin complexion or body images. Rudy Ray Moore was not sure what he wanted to do with his life, but he let every idea inspire him into another season in his life.
Like Rudy Ray Moore, I believe in myself, but I believe I can and I will do because of the supernatural powers of God that indwells in me. Not because of my own strength but because the strength of the Lord in my life.
After all if God is within us, we shall not be moved, destroyed, or fall (Psalm 46:5).
Until next time,
I pray God’s best for you.
