“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
Romans 5:3-5 (NIV)
Happy throwback Thursday! Ten years ago, on July 26, 2013, I posted an inspirational story about the struggles of a butterfly. It was befitting for this however long series titled “Finding Your Way.”
I’ve often seen people fall completely apart when facing trials and tribulations. The emotional stresses tied to struggles sometimes paralyze folks to a point they can’t see the forest for the trees; thus, rendering them helpless. And as a result nothing gets done to the best of their ability. As to why finding your way through difficult situations is so very very important to living an abundant life.
“A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole. Then it stopped, as if it couldn’t go further.
So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon. The butterfly emerged easily but it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch it, expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge and expand enough to support the body. Neither happened! In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around. It was never able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand: The restricting cocoon and the struggle required by the butterfly to get through the opening was a way of forcing the fluid from the body into the wings so that it would be ready for flight once that was achieved.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us. We will not be as strong as we could have been and we would never fly.” ~~Author Unknown
“Certainly the faithful love of the Lord hasn’t ended; certainly God’s compassion isn’t through! They are renewed every morning. Great is your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23
I’m not sure if I’ve ever shared this story and if I have I’m sorry for sharing it again but it’s such a powerful story that displays God’s love for you and I. I’ve been trying to change how I reach people concerning how they matter because I don’t want to send the message that I’m down on my luck. Especially since I have an amazing life! But! There was a time life sucked for me and my children. Well! Let me stop writing about whatever’s and get to the story. It’s long but worth every moment you read this message.
I had a brother once. He was my all in all when it came to family. Sadly, he was accidently killed by friends. I think I’ve shared how he died with you once or twice but I’m not sure. Well anyway when he died I felt alone in the world. I asked God why he took the only person I knew loved me. I was angry! Yet life kept on rolling. The trash was being picked up and people were going about their days as my heart was crushed. One day I went home and sat in a corner in my living room and began telling God about how I felt. That’s when he showed up! Literally! He was so big and we were so connected that I felt His presence was infinite. I’ll never forget that moment nor that day! Because that moment reminds me when I feel unloved and unlovable that I am loved.
PRAYER
Father God, thank you for a day not promised. Help us live life to its fullest showing you appreciation for your never ending mercies. And my special request is, if you’re not too busy can you please stop by and visit with a believer and or an unbeliever that is suffering from broken hearts, thus showing them you care. Loving you always! Amen
P.S. God does love you and I love you too! I’m just an email away! Write me anytime. If I don’t respond post a comment letting me know you sent me an email and I promise to respond. Blessings to you and yours from me and mine. ~Annette
When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
John 6:12 KJV
The above scripture is one of my most favorite scriptures in the Bible. It has helped me time and time again to redeem my life; because, life happens!
PRAYER
Father God, someone is at a crossroads and they can’t move forwards because of a fragmented life. Father, take charge of their thoughts and show them how to gather up the fragments so none of their life is lost. They will need each moment, the good, the bad and the ugly, to help them on the journey to live their best life. Amen
He saved others, but He cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him.
Matthew 27:42
You have to find your way through the good and bad encounters with society, family, friends and those considered as loved ones. Oftentimes when someone has done some incredible things for others and they themselves fall on hard times the ugly side of jealousy surfaces in others. And, as a result, the lack of support from anyone causes people to journey through life unhappy.
PRAYER
Father God, if we ask ourselves what would have happened to all of creation had Jesus came down from the cross, there is no answer to such a question. Christ couldn’t come down from the cross. His mission was to save the world on a grand scheme. And, as a result, failure was not an option.
Him fulfilling his commitment wasn’t easy. And many people don’t know and only a few people care that His hands were nailed to a cross, a crown of thorns was placed on his head and a sharpened wedge type spear was attached to the cross underneath his bottom. Each time his weight gave into gravity under the fainting pressure of being crucified his fanny was forced on the object. Cutting deeper with each uncontrollable dropping of his body weight and causing intense pain until He hung His head and died for the sins of humankind.
Today, Lord, I pray for your peace for tormented souls that feel they can’t move forwards for the lack of support. Give them a kiss from Heaven. Give them a sign that they aren’t alone on their journey. Let them know trouble doesn’t last always for in Christ there is hope, peace, love and strength for living our best lives despite dark days. Amen
Get a burning passion in your gut. Start letting the world know what you’ve got to say is important! Believe that God put you on this earth for a reason. Your higher purpose is to make a difference by what you have to say.
David W. Anderson [Founder of Famous Dave’s BBQ]
PRAYER
Father, today we’re revisiting a continued request from yesterday. Again I ask for you to give those that struggle with confidence their voice. Speak peace to their tormented souls so they realize their life is important. Amen
No one has ever succeeded in life by being shy or timid. Right now you may be thinking to yourself, “I will never get the job I want because I am too afraid of selling myself” or “I could never be a leader because I am too afraid to speak in front of groups. I even have a hard time expressing myself in small groups?” Guess what — you’re not alone.”
David W. Anderson
I’ve shied away from having long prayers for many reasons when sharing them publicly. But today is special because of a conversation I had with a phenomenal person/woman. She and I have been friends for over thirty years. I thought I knew all there was to know about her. Then she shared with me that she liked parts of her job but was marginal at the parts that made her uncomfortable. Out of curiosity I asked what made her uncomfortable. She said, “having to meet with the customers face to face.” My jaws dropped! How could that be! She being a minister’s wife caught me off guard with her statement of truth. She’s always speaking to people face to face. So, is it her truth or just someone else’s perception embedded in her character?
PRAYER
Father, thank you for another day to do things better than the day before. Today I ask that you give people who struggle with speaking up for themselves their voice. Show them how wonderfully made they are. Teaching them that sometimes truth is an illusion that changes with self acceptance and self knowledge. Amen
He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm.
Provers 13:20
When my children were young I would tell them why people were good and or bad for them before I removed the toxic person from their life. I had no clue I was teaching and laying the foundation for them in becoming wise when it came to choosing their companions. I only knew it was the right thing to do, especially since I loved them and wanted the best for them.
Strengthening my beliefs when teaching my kids about healthy relationships was an episode on Focus On The Family. A young mother such as myself prayed for her children’s future spouses. From her thoughts it appears she nor I knew what we were truly asking God. Our prayers were lightyears in front of our requests. Hindsight is twenty twenty: In order for our children to pick excellent mates for themselves they had to become wise to relationships.
PRAYER
Lord always protect me and my descendants from harm with your wise counselors. Amen
Photo taken at Rocky Mountain National Park by author, Annette Harrison
“Do not ask your children to strive for extraordinary lives. Such striving may seem admirable, but it is the way of foolishness. Help them instead to find the wonder and the marvel of an ordinary life. Show them the joy of tasting tomatoes, apples, and pears. Show them how to cry when pets and people die. Show them the infinite pleasure in the touch of a hand. And make the ordinary come alive for them. The extraordinary will take care of itself.” ~William Martin
A mother’s love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible.
Mitch Albom
Valerie Castile | Chris Juhn – MSR News
Valerie Castile’s unfortunate life change is every parent’s concern and every parent’s potential nightmare, especially for Black parents. Her son Philando was “denied the right to live” in a state she felt was safe to raise him. After his life was quickly taken during what should have been a minor traffic stop, she’s been on a mission to ensure interactions between law enforcement and the communities they serve work together for public safety. To make certain police accountability continues and children are fed lunches daily, Valerie created the Philando Castile Relief Foundation.
Estelle Osborne, 80, Is Dead; Leader in Nursing Profession Published: December 17, 1981 NY Times
Estelle M. Osborne, a leader in the nursing profession for many years, died last Saturday in Oakland, Calif., where she had been living in retirement. Mrs. Osborne, a former resident of Elmhurst, Queens, was 80 years old.
She had been an official of the National League for Nursing, a New York-based coalition seeking to improve education and services in nursing.
She had also been a director of the American Nurses’ Association, vice president of the National Council of Negro Women and a member of the New York Urban League’s advisory committee.
Mrs. Osborne, who had been an assistant professor at New York University’s School of Nursing, Held bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Teachers College, Columbia University.
She is survived by a sister, Mamie McGruder of Los Angeles.
************** Health and Medicine Journals » ABNF Journal » Article details, “Great Black Nurses Series: Estelle Massey…” Great Black Nurses Series: Estelle Massey Riddle Osborne ABNF Journal ACADEMIC JOURNAL ARTICLE By Mosley, Marie O. Pitts ABNF Journal , Vol. 13, No. 5
Estelle Massey Riddle Osborne (May 3, 1901- Dec. 12, 1981), African-American nurse, author, administrator, researcher, and consultant was a pioneer in organizational administration and a significant leader in struggles to eliminate discrimination in society as a whole and in the national professional nursing organizations in this country.
Mrs. Osborne’s fight to eliminate exclusionary practices for blacks in nursing occurred during the time when rigid patterns of segregation and discrimination in nursing education and employment for blacks existed across this country. Black codes limiting access to institutions of learning and job opportunities, designed to constrain and contain Blacks, were legislated and enforced by laws and customs in the North and in the South. Working tirelessly for forty-three years, Mrs. Osborne was steadfast in her efforts to ensure that future Black nurses would have the opportunity to be experientially and educationally prepared to assume higher positions in nursing and have the opportunity to do so.
Estelle Massey was born in Palestine Texas, the eighth of eleven children, to Hall and Bettye Estelle Massey. Hall was just a handyman and farmer and Betty Estelle a domestic, but they were the most progressive and intelligent parents in town, Black or White. Dogged determination to rise above social norms and expectations of Blacks was demonstrated in where and how they lived and the way they reared their children. Living in the heart of an impoverished region where many Blacks and Whites lacked decent housing for their children, Hall bought property at the edge of the White section of town and built a home for his family. The Massey family was a self-sufficient, self-contained unit. The males fed the family and earned money by raising and selling their own vegetables and livestock, and Mrs. Massey made the family’s clothing and earned money cleaning White people’s homes. Even though Mrs. Massey worked in the homes of Whites, she never allowed her daughters to do so. She knew firsthand that Whites felt that Blacks were inferior, and she never wanted her daughters to be exposed to this type of ignorant bigotry. Neither parent was educated, but they determined that their children would be. All of the Massey children received an education that included a minimum of two years of college – an oddity for this time and place.
After high school, following in two of her sibling’s footsteps, Mrs. Osborne enrolled in and graduated as a teacher from Prairie View State College, but after two years of teaching elementary school in a one room school house, she desired a change. One summer, during a visit with her brother Dr. Edward Massey, a dentist in St. Louis, and while working as his dental assistant, Mrs. Osborne confided in him her desire to follow in his footsteps and also become a dentist. Offering no specifics as to why she should not become a dentist, he strongly urged that she reconsider her another perspective career choice.
Dr. Massey determined to turn his sister’s thoughts elsewhere, made a plan and set it in motion. Edward, along with interns from the hospital next door to his house, throughout the summer, would fill Mrs. Osborne’s head with stories of nursing and the new nurses’ training school at their hospital. Daily bombardments from her brother and his friends led Mrs. Osborne to agree to go and talk to the training school’s superintendent.
A few days later, in a non-committed fashion, Mrs. Osborne half-heartily met with the school’s superintendent. Following their talk, Mrs. Osborne was invited to join the other students who had entered training weeks earlier. Despite all that was said to her at that first meeting, Mrs. Osborne was not prepared to commit. Two days later, however, to everyone’s surprise, Mrs. Osborne returned to the hospital and agreed to become a student at City Hospital No. 2’s first nursing class. Initially, Mrs. Osborne was not stimulated nor was she very happy with her training. …
March 20th, 2013 Estelle Massey Osborne: fighting racial discrimination
By Lillie Howard Estelle Massey Osborne was born in Palestine, Texas on May 3rd, 1901. Her parents guided their 11 children to be strong, independent and confident. Besides being wonderful advocates for pursuing dreams, her parents were thoughtful and protective parents, so to avoid being exposed to racism, Estelle and her sisters were not allowed to work for white employers.
Estelle attended Prairie View State College, and became a nurse. Needing more education, she enrolled in Columbia University’s Teachers College in New York City.While there she taught at the Lincoln School for Nurses in the Bronx, and became the first nursing instructor at the Harlem Hospital School of Nursing. After earning her BA in 1931, Estelle became the first educational director of nursing at the Freedmen’s Hospital School of Nursing, which is now the Howard University College of Nursing.
In 1936, she again made history as the first African-American director of nursing at City Hospital #2 and later became the first black consultant to the National Nursing Council for War Service. After earning her master’s degree, Estelle became the first African-American member of the nursing facility at New York University in 1946. This led to a role on the board of directors of the American Nurses Assoc. and the position of Associate General Director of the National League for Nursing.
During World War II, while employed at the Nursing Council for War Service, Estelle was a part-time lecturer at New York University. In 1947, she joined the faculty on a full-time basis, teaching courses in community problems, group relations, fundamentals in nursing and other courses in the university’s Department of Nursing. Estelle proved that with the combination of higher education and the practical application of her nursing skills, she could break new barriers and create unlimited opportunities for herself and all other African-American nurses, and the effects of her actions are still serving us today. She is also credited with breaking the color bar in nursing during World War II, and contributing “substantially” to the “improved public image” and the advancement of educational and economic opportunity for Negro nurses. “…it is no exaggeration to say,” writes Edna Yost, that Negro nurses “have more opportunity today than they would have had without Estelle Massey, and so have Negro citizens throughout our population.” Estelle’s personal struggles for survival in this profession contributed substantially to improving economic and educational opportunities for Negro nurses.
To a member of a minority group, it is of supreme significance to become a “first,” and thereby open the door of opportunity to other members. Estelle opened many such doors for Negro nurses. The first scholarship award for advanced study by the Julius Rosenwald Fund to a Negro nurse went to Estelle Osborne in 1929. She was the first Negro superintendent of nurses and director of the Nursing School at the Homer G. Phillips Hospital in St. Louis; the first Negro nurse to receive the degree of Master of Arts with a major in nursing from Columbia University Teachers College. In 1949, when she was a member of the board of directors of the American Nurses Association, Estelle was sent to a meeting of the International Council of Nurses to be selected as an official delegate. When she was appointed consultant to the Coordinating Committee on Negro Nursing for the National Council for War Service, she became the first Negro to hold such an office on the staff of any national nursing organization.
Truthfully, there is so much more to learn about Estelle Massey Osborne but I don’t have the space to do so at this moment in time. “It takes a specific kind of person to be a nurse. It is a field that requires an elegant balance of intelligence and compassion, and the wisdom to know which is needed in each moment. Estelle Massey Osborne was dedicated to becoming the finest nurse she could possible be and was an advocate of greater opportunities for black nurses. Even then, she knew what is widely known today: higher education translates into increased opportunities.
Most of this information was found in “The Negro Heritage Library’s Profiles of Negro Womanhood” published by Educational Heritage, Inc.
Let me leave you with these words: education is the door that opens up opportunities, therefore we must make sure that our school system, Board of Education and parents are dedicated to our children no longer being allowed to be “drop-outs”. This will translate into increased and greater opportunities for them, which will only benefit our community. We must also get involved with our city government to ensure that there will be jobs for our children in their hometown once they acquire their education. This is Lillie’s Point of View!
Black Women Have It Going On 