Dunamis
I received a text message earlier in the year (1.24.24) from my good friend, Trier. She wrote:
“What does support look like for you right now? What can I do?”
It’s these types of messages that hit different – the universe’s way of confirming it’s got you. She then followed up with “sharing a message my brother sent me this morning following a conversation we had last night…thought you would appreciate [it].”
Do you ever sit and reflect on the fact that you are in the middle of an active prayer you’ve prayed, active grace you didn’t earn, active faith you stood on, or just your pure bliss of God’s overwhelming goodness? You are in an activated word from God for your life right now. Therefore, you should not doubt what God has been speaking to you about your future. This very breath that you’re breathing right now in the very place that you are in is evidence that you are living proof that God keeps his promises!!
That hit me right between the eyes and galvanized me to sit down and finish this blog post, because I do have so much to be grateful for, whether it’s my personal testimony, how I came back to my faith, the times I’ve been in seasons of waiting, or other times when God has course corrected me from something I thought was a good plan. And as Kyla has reminded me, sometimes God will send messages through people, even if they are fleeting relationships. The below is a piece, or collection I should say, that I’ve been working on for some time…And as you may know by now, I rarely write the MML with a “theme”. Nonetheless, a good friend suggested that the below material can essentially be divided into three segments: Gratitude | Resilience / faith | Community / connectedness / neighborly love. And while that wasn’t my intent, those themes seem like solid indigents for that elusive term many humans chase; “happiness” – or, better stated, contentment.
::
“You know why gratitude is so important? It changes the perspective really quickly. It forces you to zoom out and look at the blessings, which usually outnumber the tougher stuff. And don’t be afraid to ask God for help. It will put you in a state of listening and understanding. Whether things are rough or things are good, it’s always okay to ask. Remember that.” ~Matt Gottesman
I’ve been thinking about the content of this post for a long time. It was [my mom’s near-death experience in April 2022] that prompted me to release them from my mind and onto the page. Trae, my friend, mentor, big bro, muse (the list goes on), sent me a text on Monday, May 2nd, 2022, that read:
“No need to respond, but know you got folks continuing to send love and prayers. Verse of the day spoke to me. ~Psalms 18:2.”
Simple, yet so profound. His care, compassion, and empathy were felt, especially because he didn’t expect a response. He was more focused on what I really needed, rather than what he thought I needed. Sometimes we all just want to know that we’re not going through this thing called life alone. Nonetheless, the weeks leading up to that text had humbled me – I had to quickly learn how to remain professional and handle business at work while grappling with a grave situation at home. His outreach reinforced the need to be kind to people; you never know what someone is going through—many didn’t know my personal struggle.
This post is my way of paying it forward the way Trae (and so many others) have done for me over the years. I have a document on my desktop entitled: Life’s Verse. Bible Verse. I hovered my cursor over the document icon, right clicked, then selected “info” to see when I created the document.
January 4th, 2020.
While I don’t remember exactly what prompted this document’s creation, I remember that it was a few days after New Year’s Day dinner with my mom, Linds, and the Gary’s…Mr. Gary is Andre’s (my brother from another mother) pops. Years earlier Mr. Gary and I had a poignant conversation during a car ride from Exeter, NH to the Amtrak in Boston that I’ll never forget. The train never arrived in Exeter, so Mr. Gary drove me to Boston to catch a direct train to New York. During our car ride he explained the principle of marriage existing as a triangle. The husband and wife (in this case) located at the bottom comes to a point with the Lord at the top of the triangle, suggesting that the closer you get to Him, the closer you get to your partner….
In a more recent conversation with my Aunt Dawn, our family’s spiritual rock, she too commented that in following the Lord, your life won’t necessarily become easier, but it will be worth it. You’ll know that even through your most difficult moments, trials, and tribulations, it’s all for His glory. And while I acknowledge that it’s easy to write some of these words but significantly harder to live out, this blog post shares some of the Bible verses folks have shared with me over the years.
To the extent you’re going through a tough time and need somewhere to turn, or even better, you’re going through a great time, and want to show gratitude, maybe something in here will resonate. If you’ve never read (or even heard of) the Bible, it’s all love. We all believe in something, and the next time life throws some stuff your way, maybe these verses will help you out too.
In addition to curating the thoughts and verses shared below, I implore you to reach out to whomever one of these verses (or the blog post in general) makes you think of. The outreach I received blessed me – it energized me. Or, as Lekan wrote,
“Maybe encourage readers to not hold back when people come to mind because they never know when they’re unwittingly serving as angels like T & T did for you on separate occasions.”
Trier & Trae, angels at different points, beautiful. Maybe who you think of while reading this is an angel in your life…
*MEE, TH, ML, ME, MF, SD, CW, PH*
*Note* The below are various Bible verses (and the sender’s commentary)…some solicited, some not, and all real. Special thanks to everyone from Nancy Grant to Ashleigh Wade, to Sarah Choi, to Uncle Joe, to Bucknell’s finest Jay, to Cindy Savage, to my moms who have shared Bible verses with me over the years. God bless you, the reader!
Romans 12:12: Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Psalm 107:9: For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
Proverbs 16:24: Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.
Ephesians 3:20: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…
“You already know I got to roll with my life verse. It’s been a scripture I’ve held onto for encouragement since I was a kid. The Greek word for power in this scripture is Dunamis, meaning miraculous power, might, strength and has always been mind blowing to me that through Him we are able to be an agent of the same power that Jesus embodied. Amen.”
Matthew 22:36-40: ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.
“Foundational for me. This sums up how a Christian should live and if everything you do is viewed through this lens you have all the guidance you’ll need.”
Romans 5:1-5: Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
“As I’ve gotten older this probably rivals my life verse in importance to me. I think everyone’s purpose is the same (though we’re called in different ways) – to pursue a life of discipleship. This verse spells that out. Through faith in Jesus and His sacrifice we are reconciled to the Father and now have peace. Only through this faith do we now stand in grace. We can then walk through afflictions (knowing Jesus doesn’t remove these from life) and actually ‘boast’ in them because it produces endurance, then proven character, then hope. This hope never disappoints because we have God’s love through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us now as we wait (and build deep a relationship with Him) to be united with Him when He returns.”
Philippians 4:4-7: Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
“Easily my most quoted scripture when praying. Don’t worry; ask God, and you’ll have God’s peace.”
Matthew 25:31-46: When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ … Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ … Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ … Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
“Off task here, as this is a passage rather than a verse, but nevertheless it is a continual benchmark I use for throughout my life. It has formed my view on moral philosophy and sent me down rabbit holes on topics such as effective altruism, virtue ethics, and even economic frameworks (communist literature in particular) that hopefully I can put to pen in a blog post soon.”
“I’ve struggled with money being a source of security and refuge in my life and try to fall back on these:”
Matthew 4:4: But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Matthew 6:21: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Matthew 6:24-25: No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, ‘Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?’
Matthew 6:31-33: Therefore take no thought, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or, ‘What shall we drink?’ or, ‘Wherewithal shall we be clothed?’ (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Hebrews 13:5: Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
John 2:15-16: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.
“This year I’ve found a need to wait on the Lord and these most recently I’ve been meditating on:”
Psalms 130:5: I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
Lamentations 3:24-25: The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
Philippians 1:6: Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
::
“My favorite verse is Hebrews 12:11 which reads:
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
I really like this verse because I think that it speaks to the mindset that I have when it comes to my work ethic both inside and outside of the classroom.”
::
Romans 12:12: Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
“This has been [ML] and I’s verse since we got engaged. And it’s helped us through so many times in our marriage and just life. It’s a constant reminder that we should always rejoice in the fact that there is always hope in our Savior, and to be patient during tribulation that everything might not be happening at the speed you want it to, but everything is right in God’s timing. And lastly, that we should always be fervently praying.”
::
“‘Trust the process.’ Sounds so simple, yet I take something different away from it nearly every time I read it.”
Romans 12:2: And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
“I’ve always loved this verse no matter what season of my life I’m in. It always reminds me to trust what God not only has planned for me but has already placed it in front of me. And not to get caught up in what the world may want me to think or how to act. But to continue to transform my mind and work on me.”
::
“One of my favorite verses: Proverbs 31:30: Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. … I love this verse because it is a refreshing and honest anchor in juxtaposition to modern culture which is so entranced with beauty and charm and the many more unfriendly synonyms for the two.”
Joshua 1:9: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Luke 19:1-10: Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.’ But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’
Psalm 18:37-42: I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet. You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me. You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes. They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—to the Lord, but he did not answer. I beat them as fine as windblown dust; I trampled them[a] like mud in the streets.
“This was a verse I’ve written on basketball shoes and track spikes since I was a freshman in high school. For me it evokes all of the emotions, visions, and thoughts that get me in the prime mindset to compete.”
2 Corinthians 4:17-18: For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
“When I was in high school, during one of the hardest and darkest periods of my life, a friend near and dear to me at the time wrote this verse down on a piece of paper and gave it to me. I kept it on my desk for the longest time, brought it to college with me, and have had it pinned up on my bedroom wall for the past seven years. This verse calms and centers me, and it puts life and whatever I may be going through at the moment into perspective. The verse also reminds me to reconnect with God in periods of my life when I’ve gotten too wrapped up in my whole life and need to be brought back down to earth. Even when looked at from a secular perspective, this verse suggests that there’s always something deeper than what’s in front of me and what I can see with my own two eyes – I’m instantly reminded that I’m not the one in control. God (or the universe, if you’re non-religious) has plans in store that none of us can even imagine.
Funny enough, the friend (a girl I really liked at the time) that wrote the verse down and gave it to me has been completely gone from my life for years now, so the verse no longer holds that sentimental weight or has that emotional context attached to it but the power of the verse itself remains, making it more potent in a sense.”
Psalms 30: I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up,
And have not let my foes rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I cried out to You,
And You healed me.
O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave;
You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.
Now in my prosperity I said,
‘I shall never be moved.’
Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong;
You hid Your face, and I was troubled.
I cried out to You, O Lord;
And to the Lord I made supplication:
‘What profit is there in my blood,
When I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise You?
Will it declare Your truth?
Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me;
Lord, be my helper!’
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.