The heart executes what the mind is seeking.

Let’s talk about it…

Andre is sitting quietly in his room writing a poem when someone bangs on the door. Who is it? shouts his mom. It’s the police, open the door. Mom unlocks the door then jumps out the way of the officers storming in with anger dripping from their brows. Where is he shouts one officer? Where is who shouts mom? The guy who ran in here with the shotgun. You just searched my place; as you can see there is no one here other than me and my twelve-year-old son. No one ran into my apartment. An officer comes from the outside stairwells shouting wrong floor. We have the wrong floor. Without an apology, the officers race out as quick as they came in. Andre is not startled by the commotion. It’s the way of life in the PJ’s (projects). Andre goes back to writing his poem.

“Darkness fills the air even in day light. Hunger is the only trail in one’s flight. Stop; Look; Fight; stay out of sight. Only the blind comes out at night. How can one dream when nothing else is being seen? Look to the sky for answers in the power of the thunder. Tire of walking in fear; tire of walking in shame; tire of feeling guilty for those who isn’t the blame. Nowhere to run; nowhere to hide; how do I fly? Fly away from here.”

Andre begins to ponder on the last sentence in his poem. “How do I fly; fly away from here?” He did not know how to dream for a better life when the only thing in sight is his current conditions. There was no one to mentor him in seeking answers. Andre is the only child. He never met his father who is incarcerated. He doesn’t go outside in fear of gang pressure and violence. He is grateful to be bus to school in another district in order to avoid the calamity in the inner-city school. Andre is an introvert. He occupies his time at home writing poetry that expresses his feelings and thoughts, as well as reading books. His mother works for a motel cleaning the rooms and washing towels and bed linen. Her salary is barely enough to provide for the two of them. Many times, they would run out of food at the end of the month. Andre would watch his mother on several occasions go through the same routine when there isn’t any food and no one to call for help. She would start the routine by praying to God; then she would read her bible; lastly, she would walk around the apartment praising God as she sings spiritual songs. Many times, after she finish her routine, someone would knock on the door with two large bags of food from the local church. The bags would contain, can meat, dry beans, rice, uncooked spaghetti, tomato paste and can vegetables. This act of kindness encouraged Andre to find out more about who is God. He wants to know how do God heard people who cry out to him? And how do people know it is God who answered their cry? His mother would always say, God heard my cry and he has answered me by sending these people here with these bags of food. Andre thinks out loud to himself, “does everyone cry out to God by praying, singing praises and reading their bible? I have so many questions and thoughts about God. How do I get answers? I do not want to bother my mother who is usually very tire after work.” Andre decided he would start with reading his mother’s bible daily after school before she gets home from work. After several weeks of reading; Andre has read through the Old Testament and has completed reading the first four books in the New Testament. The Old Testament helped Andre get a better understanding of who is God. He now knows God created the heaven and the earth and of all living things including people. Also, He now knows God is so great that no sinful flesh can be in his presence without atonement. Andre now understands that disobeying God open the knowledge of evil to man and woman; and because of this knowledge, sin enter into the world. Andre read’ stories of people being disobedient to God’s commandments and them having to take burnt offerings to the priest for cleansing of sin. Also, the Old Testament contained books of songs and books of wisdom and prophets telling stories of things to come.

The New Testament captivated his mind because it talks about the Messiah, the son of God. Andre thinks to himself; this is it, the son of God. Reading about him has to give me the answers I seek. After all, he is the son of God. Who would know how to communicate with God better than his son? I’m sure the way to communicate with God is different in the New Testament; especially since the Old Testament reference leaders like Moses, Aaron and prophets communicating with God on behalf of the people. In the New Testament, Andre learns prayer is how to communicate with God. The first lesson Andre learns from the New Testament on praying is in Matthew 6:6-13; Jesus taught his disciples to pray to thy Father God in private and thy Father God will reward or answer them openly. Jesus let the disciples know they do not need to pray long prayers because God the Father knows what things they have need of before they ask him. He lets the disciples know to end their prayer with the Lord’s prayer he has given to them. Which is: “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.” The second lesson Andre learns about prayer is in Mark 11:22-26; Jesus teaches his disciples to “Have faith in God” when they pray. Jesus tells his disciples that faith has to be in your heart. Jesus declared to them “For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he said. Therefore, I say unto you, what things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.”

After reading Jesus’ teaching on prayer, Andre now understands the purpose of his mother’s routine. His mother would pray to God to supply their need for food; then she would strengthen her faith in God by reading the bible. The strength she got from reading God’s word shield her heart from doubt. The bible declares in Mark 11:23 faith has to be in the heart. Lastly, Andre’s mother would walk around the apartment praising God as she sings spiritual songs. Andre now understands his mother was giving God thanks before the prayer had manifest in the natural by praising him with spiritual songs. This is because his mother had no doubt in her heart. Therefore, she praised God for what her heart believed she was receiving before she receives it. Faith is knowing in your heart the prayer is answered before it manifests.

As Andre continued to read the New Testament, his relationship with God and understanding grew. Andre decided to start a routine similar to his mother’s routine. He wrote down his prayer to God. Each day after school and on the weekends, Andre would read his prayer to God, then he would read the bible on faith; lastly, he would thank God for supplying all his needs and for answering his prayer. Andre followed this routine starting at the age of twelve for many years. He understood because faith had to be built in his heart, it would take some time because of his circumstances due to his environment. Andre knew his heart was beginning to change during his junior year in high school. He had a new song in his heart. He was able to articulate his new song in a poem as follows.

“Light is present and darkness comprehend it not. It shines on a hill for all to see the glory of God. The impossible has been made possible through the heart of belief. What man intended for evil; God turned and used it for good. Girdle with truth; shield with faith and cleansed with righteousness repels the fiery darts of the wicked as my feet stand firm in the gospel of peace. Thank you, God, for making provision in the bread of life; I hunger and thirst no more; from my belly flow rivers of living water. My heart sings Holy, Holy.”

At the start of Andre’s last year in high school, he met with his guidance counselor to discuss his future beyond high school. The counselor is aware of Andre living environment and therefore is very impressed with his straight 4.0 GPA throughout high school. He tells Andre there are several scholarships he recommends for him to apply. Andre desire is to become a screenwriter; a producer and director of films. He would like to get a degree in film production. Four months before graduation, Andre received a full scholarship and was able to apply to the school of his choice. While in college, Andre is writing screen plays and is pitching them to production companies. Two of his screen plays was accepted by two different production companies. Andre and his mother were able to move out of the PJs into a small, rented house in a better neighborhood. Andre continued to sell his screen writing though-out college. He made enough money to retire his mother. He promises his mother the next move will be into a house built from the ground up. Andre grabs his mother by her hands, looked into her eyes, as he asked her; do you believe? “Son, I believe. God showed me a vision long ago when you were twelve years old, that you will become a man of faith and your faith will move mountains.” Andre and his mom hugged as they praised God together. After graduating from college, many of Andre’s movies won Oscar awards for best picture. He also won three Tony awards for best play. Andre is now the owner of a production company and has built two houses from the ground up. One for his mother and one for him to live with his wife and kids.

https://a.co/d/0ZmyVKU