Happy Monday to you!
This weekend, I attended the Penn Relays with a few of my beloved family members. It was a much needed time of fellowship. In spite of the cold, we smiled, cheered, laughed, and held some great conversations with other attendees. All in all, my brief visit to Philadelphia will be one of my most memorable moments of 2015. My attendance at the Penn Relays has inspired me to write a few posts that you may see over the next few days or weeks on this website. Thus, I created a tab (located to the right of your screen) so you can read the entire series once it’s completed. In this first post of the series, I want to talk to you about the ultimate race called life.
Last year this time, I was preparing to attend my uncle’s funeral. 30 days later, I attended my grandpa’s funeral. Words cannot express the grief and turmoil that filled the lives of my family members last year. Losing loved ones is heartbreaking no matter how much you love the Lord (Consider the death of Lazarus). 2014 was a definitive year. It was one that made me want to roll back the clock to 2013 or any of the years prior. By the end of 2014, I was afraid to face the future. I didn’t want to press forward into any other years that could bring such sorrow. However, despite my feelings, God sustained my life and allowed me to be a part of 2015. And look at all the great things He’s done since last April.
God birthed this website and allowed it to be a source of encouragement for men and women in countries throughout the world. He allowed me to start a YouTube channel to encourage people via another platform. He allowed my first poetry book to be published. Most importantly, He’s given all of us reading this post another day to enjoy life. Therefore, when I saw my family members (who were with me at both funerals last year) smiling, laughing, living and loving, my soul rejoiced. We have not given up on this race called life. With God’s comfort and His guidance, we press forward each day. We are not without hope. We are not without peace. We know our family members will be with God in eternity. We know we will be with God in eternity. Right now, we trust God for great experiences to come.
If you are reading this post today, and you are going through a dark time in your life, do not give up. God will bear all of your burdens. In the place of grief and sorrow, God will comfort you and give you peace. God will restore your joy. God will give you hope for a brighter future. Then, He will bring about the manifestation of that brighter future. Remember that God promises to be with you forever. He is with you right now, and He will never leave or forsake you.
Love,
CompassionateLee
Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.
Luke 4:14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.