Upland, CA — One of my favorite singers was Marvin Gaye, he wrote a song titled Trouble Man, and one of the lyrical hooks in the song was, “there’s only three things for sure, taxes, death and trouble. The word trouble is both a noun and a verb. As a noun it could mean a source of difficulty, an angry disturbance or an event causing distress or pain. As a verb it means something that moves you deeply, or causes inconvenience or discomfort, or to disturb, stir up, agitate. Regardless, if it is a person, place, or thing or an action, trouble is not a welcomed situation or condition. If Marvin was correct there is no escaping the fact that regardless of who you are or whatever your station in life is, you will be paid a visit by Mr. or Miss Trouble, somewhere at some time in your life. When we experience this unwanted visitor, remember do not be troubled by your trouble, because the Lord is a stronghold in times of trouble.
The pandemic, politics, politicians, poverty, and ungodly people have created some troubling times today. With all of this we can see why it is easy to become troubled. In times like these we must hold onto believing that a better day is coming and that we can all do something to contribute to helping eliminate some of this trouble. The late Civil Rights Activist and Congressman John Lewis always shared the importance and power of getting into “good trouble.” To redeem the soul of America we all must be willing to get into good trouble. What does good trouble look like? If they will not give us a seat at the table then we will bring our folding chair, and our voices will be heard. Good trouble can start by having conversations with those that look or think differently than us to gain an understanding of why they believe or behave the way they do. Sometimes when we just ask and listen, we learn what someone has to say, which leads to understanding, but not always agreement. With understanding we can develop and design a plan to appreciate our uniqueness and value our differences.
A man named David Isay started the nonprofit organization StoryCorps. The mission of the company is to gather as many American stories as possible from normal ordinary people that will be shared and archived for future generations. Recently he started what is called, “One Small Step,” which brings people from across political party lines to sit down across form one another for a civil conversation about their differences and how they can possibly find some common ground. We can also do something similar locally in our communities. This is something that can also be accomplished virtually. The more we come together and share our thoughts and opinions the closer we can possibly achieve solutions and eliminate future trouble.
My prayer for you is, do not be troubled by your trouble. The bible says in John 16:33, “In me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” The fact that God is in control and knows our pain, does not make it any easier to manage our daily frustrations, but if we are determined to be lights in this dark world, love, peace, and justice can and will prevail. Let us take some time out as we ponder the destiny of 2022 to see what we can do to make a positive impact.in our lives and the lives of others
Healing Without Hate: It’s a choice. It’s a lifestyle. Pass it on.
Visit www.WendyGladney.com and www.forgivingforliving.org to learn more. Wendy is a life strategist, coach, consultant, author, and speaker.
