As I’m getting ready to take my son on a walk around our predominately
white neighborhood, I’m faced with a decision. Do I wear the hood on my jacket or
not? No, I’m not a black unarmed teenager or a black unarmed man in their
twenties, but I am black. I am a black woman who is walking around her
neighborhood having to teach her 4 year old to stay out of other people’s
yards. He doesn’t understand racism or the hatred that is deeply rooted in some
people. So I had to simply say “you can’t walk in other people’s yards.” Of
course I got a “why?” All I could say to him was “because not everyone likes
for people to walk in their yard”. I couldn’t tell my 4 year old, you might get
killed for stepping on someone’s grass. Is this our reality?
This morning I read an article where a young black man (age 21)
was chased and murdered in Orlando Florida. The shooter of course is claiming “Stand
your guard” because the guy was running; had on a hoodie and his pants were falling
down, which could only mean he just robbed someone. -_- Not only did he chase
him from his yard, but into another apartment complex. (Here’s the link to the
article I read. http://politicalblindspot.com/another-man-in-florida-stood-his-ground-chasing-and-killing-youth-in-hoodie/).
A good fraction of my life I was raised on an Air force
base. I didn’t have to worry about running through someone’s yard and getting
in murdered, or chased down. I didn’t have to worry about someone hunting me
down and murdering me if I was outside after the sun went down. Sadly this is
something a lot of people have dealt with in the past and some are still
dealing with even in today.
It is easy to get scared, when things like this are
happening all around you. When you have young brothers, cousins and to think
that this could’ve easily been them, when you’re raising someone that is most hated
in the country you live in, because of their race.
We can’t give into our fear. We can’t stop living because
others are so evil, we can’t not dress warmly because others are ignorant. All
we can do is put our trust in God. We will be faced with evil until Jesus
Christ returns. We can’t be afraid of the wiles of the devil. As Christians we
have an expected end! We have the victory over evil. Don’t allow your faith in
God to be shaken or stirred, based on what you see around you.(regardless of the situations we're facing,racism,the blatant evil of others, financial problems, illnesses,wayward children, whatever your reality is) He is still the
almighty God that we serve. The Alpha and the Omega. Rest in the hands of The
Lord.
While everyone is busy "standing their ground", let's stand on our faith!
“The Lord is my
shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he
leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the
paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the
valley of the shadow for death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy
rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou prepares a table before me in the
presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will
dwell in the house of The Lord forever.” –Psalm 23
For the record, I wore
the hood on my jacket. I choose putting my trust in God over my fears; even in
small things, like wearing a hood.
If you love someone
tell them.
I love you.
Destaynee.
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