One in a Million

Sometimes in the life of a Christian we have to be reminded of the love that the father has for us. My life has been extremely busy the past year with the birth of a new baby, along with the demands of being a wife, mother, house owner, working full time, and everything else that this life throws at you on a daily basis. At times it can be difficult to give God the devotion we want to and that he deserves. Life can be physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging. It would seem natural just as other relationships in life would not get the full attention they deserve that our relationship with God goes through periods of closeness and periods of distance.

Then just as God does what he does or allows certain things to happen in ones life, he began to tug on my heart and draw me back to himself by a series of life events. Without getting too personal, one of the first things that began to happen was my faith started becoming a bit stagnant. This led to less prayer time, less time in his word, missing church because of children's extracurricular activities and taking care of a newborn. Then I began to question if I was where I was supposed to be. It was a battle of my will and my heart. The spirit would continue to remind me of what the good word says in Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it"? The bottom line is you cannot make decisions based on your heart and what ever you may be feeling at the time. Feelings will lie to us. The reality and truth of the situation was it was a combination of not spending that time with the Lord and being away from church much of the time. Then it happened at church one morning. I was sitting in service when God would use my Pastor's message to speak truth to me. Everything that I was feeling about my struggles with my faith and the church he expressed in his message to the congregation. I literally had chills up and down my body and my attention zeroed in on every word that he was preaching. After that I made a vow to God that I would make more of an effort to spend time with him. Gradually, I began to feel better about church and my faith. I also was able to spend more time at church as more time became available to me on Saturday's and Sunday's.

God was not done as there would be little reminders in every day life that would remind me of his love for me. He would speak to me through devotional readings and/or through friends or family. I also found out that he would speak to me in surprising ways that I would've never even imagined. This is the God of the entire Universe who can do anything. One of the things I love to do in my spare time is run. It is a great stress release for me. I also find it important to take care of my body/ temple that he has blessed me with. I will usually run 3-4 days a week. I will listen to music to help me to stay focused on my running and make it more enjoyable. One of my favorite artists is the late Aaliyah. Lately, I have been listening to much of her music. One day I was running and heard one of my favorite songs from her titled album " One in a million". This is one of Aaliyah's greatest hits that made it to the # 1 spot on the R&B billboard charts in 1996.
The chorus goes like this.
Your love is a one in a million it goes on and on and on
you give me a really good feelin all day long.
Your love is a one in a million it goes on and on and on
you give me a really good feelin all day long.

I have been on the Aaliyah song kick for quite some time. It was during late winter into the early spring in April that our family received bad news. It was a time of trials and tribulation's. I decided to take a walk on my lunch hour one beautiful spring day in April. I passed the familiar Dunkin Donuts on the corner in downtown Trenton, when I hear this young guy with his headphones on singing at the top of his lungs my favorite Aaliyah song " One In a Million". He was singing the chorus of the song. I could not believe it. Out of all the times and songs he could sing, and he was singing my favorite Aaliyah song. I thought no coincidence at all. I again felt a chill all over my body similar to that morning in church and more importantly felt Gods presence even more. In the midst of how I was feeling, I felt the Lord telling me through this song that I was "One In A Million". This means he loves me so much and he knows everything that I am going through and I do not need to worry. His love for me goes on and on. God used my love for Aaliyah's music to speak his truth to me. The spirit also brought these verses to mind (1 Peter 1:6-7}
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

I have gleaned much during this past year. This is what God taught me during this time of my life. I became comfortable in my life and faith at the time. Eventhough I was busy with all of life's demands, I let these demands take me away from my heavenly father. He would not let me become too comfortable in my life because of his love for me. As the trials and Tribulations came, he brought me back and confirmed to me that he never left and was and is always there. When we are faithless, He is faithful. When our love for him experiences high's and lows, His love never changes or fails (Malachi 3:6), Psalm 136.

Let me now take the time to ask you the reader if you have been struggling with similar thoughts in your life and faith? Ask yourself if anything or anyone in your life may be taking that time away that you should be spending with your heavenly father? If so, work on spending more time with him. It may mean giving up something that was planned in advance or it may mean making the effort to get up earlier or stay up later to spend that time with him. God has so much to show us each day. We don't want to miss what he has in store for us, or what he may want to show us and teach us to grow us in our faith as he continues to mold us into the people he wants us to be. Will you let him work in you?