The day at the kitchen sink!
Merry Friday by Parris Bailey
“And who knows whether thou art not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 3:14
Overwhelmed didn’t begin to express my feelings. I was around 26 years old and had at that time my 3 boys. Our church was exploding so Frank was pretty busy and I was a stay at home mom during the week, and taught children’s church on Sundays. Calm, cool, and collected unfortunately wouldn’t have described me. Insecurity, fear and yes even fighting thoughts of suicide while trying to pastor our growing church all made for a lethal combination. If I could just get out of my head! Thank God I did have a foundation in studying the word of God and prayer, little did I know that day at the sink would change my life. I found myself washing the dishes and hearing the kids playing in the background where my thoughts drifted once again into hopelessness, I was tired of these horrible thoughts and that’s when God begin to address my situation. It was if I heard him say, “HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO CONTINUE TO ALLOW THESE THOUGHTS TO CONTROL YOU?” Flashbacks as a child begin to run through my mind, and I heard, “you have been crawfishing your whole life, and WHOSE TO SAY YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS? IF YOU DON’T STOP, DELIVERANCE WILL COME ELSEWHERE. Now, I knew enough about the Bible to know He was speaking from one of my favorites scriptures from the book of Esther. Just a few days earlier, a lady had come up to me to say she wanted to head up the “Women’s Ministry” and I just didn’t feel she was the one. Now at the sink, I felt He wanted me to step up and start working with our women. I quickly answered back, but “Lord, what do I say, I don’t know enough of the Bible? He had all the answers of course, He replied, “Go find all the Parris’s in the world and tell them what you want to hear, that “I love them and share out of what you have learned yourself”. Once again I came back with, “well, what do I do with all my problems?” I heard, “He who waters others, will himself be watered.” I didn’t have a high school diploma so speaking in front of people seemed terrifying. Something supernatural happened that day. I picked up my boys and started a bible study, even bringing a playpen for my youngest to nap in after I breast fed him. I can’t say it was easy and everything went smooth and I never had “the mind games” again, but I went with God. I had to find the “Parris’s” in the world, I had a message to give her and I knew in telling her, I would in turn get His love. There is something about stepping out despite your “issues”, He seems to use our weaknesses to encourage others. So next time your at the kitchen sink, you never know who might show up!