Strategic Thinker -TBCL

No profile on my life would be complete without a look at my spiritual journey. Man is after all a trichotomous being Spirit, soul and body. The things that really matter in life are the things that will last in eternity.  When I join Toastmasters I am planning that my icebreaker will be entitled "My Conversion". These days I find myself in a constant state of gratitude, thanking God that I am still alive and through all my folly He has preserved my life.

 

MY COVERSION

I suppose in life everyone has a "ha-ha moment". If you have never had one you need to examine your walk.  Moving right along, so after my awakening I decided that my life was going in a direction that I did not like, it was now time to go to church. However, since my mother was older it was only logical that she started first.  I went to a church nearby to spy out the land.  My mother visited a couple of times and stopped.

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However, the Lord had a plan.  Everyone say "The Lord had a plan". I was invited to a Women's Aglow meeting.  I dont even remember who invited me.  All I know is that I accepted the invitation.  Little did I know.

 

Before we proceed let me backup, The Aglow meeting was taking place on a Saturday.  I dont know about any other culture but in Jamaica on a Saturday you go to the hairdresser or wash your hair and braid, plait or chiney bump.  If you were like me you washed it and plaited or chiney bump.  Who remember those days of chiney bumps? I had especially strong kinky hair.  They lovingly clung together and resisted any attempt to separate them. Those days my mother combed my hair (may the Lord rest her soul).  It was not unusual to hear shouts of "Teacha that is hot!"(I called my mother Teacher) and we would wrestle until I had some fat plaits or chiney bumps. These days I see my hair in the brush and say oh for the kink again.

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I hope you see my dilemma with this Saturday invitation, I had to conceal my plaits.  So I resorted to my red, green and gold bandana.  I had it in two colours black and white .  They were very versatile.  All in all I thought I looked quite well for a Saturday evening at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel, in my sandals, my little blue and white dress that I had just gotten from my dressmaker and my wrap (by the way the Lord created the rainbow not the Rastafarians and the other people who do not believe in God but is using His symbol Psalm 14 verse 1 has described those people).

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It is no big thing to be invited to a hotel in Jamaica.  Hospitality is our business, most hotels are either 4 or 5 stars.  If you are not in this category you are not serious about the industry. I turned up with my happy self. Wonder of wonders somebody forgot to advise me that I was being invited for high tea at Buckingham Palace.  To say I stuck out (I have been sticking out for a long time) like a sore thumb was an understatement.  These ladies were dressed to the hilt, lots of fancy titles and highly polished well spoken upper St. Andrew queen's English all the way people.  However, I was not intimidated.  I said to myself this is quite nice.  Prior to this I did not get the impression that Christians lived a very prosperous life. Having been exposed to the Roman Catholic doctrine of poverty is humility.

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The evening went quite well I felt quite at home, as if I had finally reached family.  I remember Dr. Patricia Morgan shared. Please dont ask me what the topic was.  I was not writing in those days. If you ask me about the dress the speaker was wearing I can still picture her in that fancy cream dress. Then the time for the call for action section (I was in a hotel people I have to use the language of the day) in the church language you call this the altar call. You can build an altar anywhere.  So they asked who was present and not a Christian?  I raised my hand and looked around and my hand was the only one raised.  Dr. Otabil would call this serendipity some other people would call it karma.  Whatever it was the next question was Would you like to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour?.  I really did not hesitate.  I just said yes.  Did I really have a choice, only God can write these original sort of scripts.

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The Sunday after when I went to church and the Altar call was given, I responded and walked down the aisle smiling, Pastor Winston Malcolm had to comment that it is the first time he saw someone coming down the aisle with such  big smile.  All I was doing was just doing publicly before the church so there would be no problem with my baptism.

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Suffice it to say, people here I am I have been baptized twice, I have done all my sinning in the church. I have been an integral part of two startups  which are still vibrant fellowships. I have also been a part of establishing a Women's Aglow Chapter.  I have worked in every ministry in the church except for the kitchen.  I am domestically challenged in this area.  if I go to any church and they want me to work in the kitchen, the Lord is getting a message over to me that they have not discerned me in the Spirit.  I have to be careful of them.

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I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to thank my brother, Granville Taylor for his support in those early days.  If it was not for the resources of Taylor's Wood Products, computer, stationery etc.  those early days would have been more difficult.  I have always been in charge of Finance and Administration and it  was unheard of to go to meetings without a financial report.  When my brother saw me coming with my bag at certain times of the month he knew what that meant.  Fortunately, for me he never outrightly forbade me from utilizing his resources.

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As God is no man's debtor I pray that God will reward him.  He has a good heart.  There are many things to say but at this point in my walk I am just waiting for the next move of God Isaiah 40 verse 31. I am excited my spirit is ignited.