I Know I've Been Changed

In my best LaShun Pace singing voice… “IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Knoooowww I’ve Been Changed.”

Change is good, so they say. Perhaps whether it’s good or bad is situational. I believe that change has to come from within and one has to change for themselves and not for anyone else because that is the only way change will last. We go through many changes in our lives because of course as we grow, we change. Our experiences change our lives one way or the other. They shape us into becoming who we are & give us reasons for why we do the things that we do; why we respond to certain things in the manner in which we respond.

I remember after having my son or actually even during my pregnancy, Jayden’s dad would often say that I wasn’t the same person anymore. Admittedly, I wasn’t and haven’t been since… when life is growing inside of you & you realize the huge responsibility of parenting and the miraculous blessing that God has given you in carrying, birthing, and raising a child, it’s unimaginable that one would not change.

Still a work in progress but I also know that my walk with Christ has changed me. Things don’t bother me or consume me like they used to. I don’t have to cuss folk out or prove myself to anyone (but do not get it twisted because I still know how to put somebody in their place). When people are telling lies about me, I just keep telling the truth about them. I don’t perseverate on things I have no control of. I don’t concern myself with people who are not concerned about me. I pray for them & keep it moving. I cannot control other folk, I can only control my response to their behaviors. I am quick to dismiss people, even without explanation. I do as my Grandma used to say, “feed them with a long handle spoon.” Building a stronger relationship with Christ has certainly brought about positive changes in my life… I got peace y’all and if you know like I know, ain’t nothing like PEACE (“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7)

I’m only 32 years old & in comparison to so many other folk, I probably haven’t been through anything in my life. But the things that I have gone through have changed me & molded me into the person that I am today. If I had never been heartbroken, I probably wouldn’t love so hard. If I had never lost someone I deeply love, I probably wouldn’t appreciate life. If I had never been hurt, I probably wouldn’t be strong. If I never had to shed some tears, I probably wouldn’t appreciate joy (joy is on the inside and can’t nobody take that from you). Maya Angelou says, “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”

There have been situations in my life, too personal to mention in this blog, that I know that I know that I know that it wasn’t nobody but God who brought me through. I believe that it is absolutely impossible to experience a true encounter with God and remain unchanged. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Often times when we change, people want to remind us of who we used to be; how we used to behave & things we used to do and all the mistakes we've made in life. People want to talk about change in a negative way. They always got something smart to say about who they think we’ve become or how we must think we are all that now. Good thing I LOVE HATERS… just lets me know that I’m doing something right ;)

I know I’ve been changed & I thank God for the work that He is doing in me every day. I may just be a lump of coal… but one day, I’m gonna be a diamond.