Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Foreign.
[00:00:08] Hello and welcome to the Second Row Conversations podcast. I'm Letitia, also known as Lady P. And I'm so grateful that you decided to join me on today. Guys, it's already April. The year is flying by, is going so fast.
[00:00:23] And so I wanted us to kind of come together and talk about a little bit today about obstacles and how we overcome obstacles. And as I was thinking about that, what came to mind was April showers brings May flowers. Oh. Saying we know that April usually is a rainy month. And so when April in. In the month of April and it's raining and all of those things, and it's even like yesterday it was raining, it brings Mayflowers. And so in our life, we go through things. We go through storms, we go through hard times, but on the other side of the storms, we are fruitful. Great things come to flourish. And so I wanted us to talk about April showers brings Mayflowers and how we overcome obstacles with faith. So join me on this journey. Get you some tea, get you some coffee, have a seat, get your little notepad and take some notes. I hope this is. This will encourage you like it has encouraged me. Okay, again, we are overcoming obstacles with faith. And as a visual, think about how rainy clouds transition into blooming flowers. And that's what we're going to talk about today. Okay, that's really stuck with me as I was thinking about what we're going to talk about. That's what came to mind. April showers bring me flowers. And so as we go through April and maybe going through some struggles right now, let's talk about how we can get through those. Okay, so the purpose of storms. The first point I want to go about through is the purpose of storms. Life struggles can feel like endless storms, leaving us discouraged and weary. However, every challenge has a purpose. Just as rain nourishes the earth, hardships prepare us for future blessings and growth. Our friend, our faith. I'm sorry, Our faith is strengthened not in comfort, but in trials. We as people, we don't like to be uncomfortable. And I've said that before, we don't like to be uncomfortable. We like life to just be smooth sailing, peaches and cream, just easy going. But that's not reality. Right? And so just as storms pop up, you know, in the earth, that's how it is in our lives. Storms will pop up. And so it could feel like life is just. It's always something. You take one step forward, life hits you, you take 10 steps back.
[00:02:49] But we have to remember, like I said, every challenge has A purpose. There's something that's in it, that, A lesson that we need to learn through it.
[00:02:57] And so our faith is strengthened not in comfort, not in easy times, but through trials when life gets hard. That's. That's how our faith is strengthened. And we have to remember that. The scripture I want to talk about through this point is Psalm 30 and 5. And, and it is a very, very familiar scripture. And it reads, reaping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Okay, so things happen. You may cry, you may struggle through what we consider the night. And it may not be a night of like within the 24 hours. Right. It could be a night that lasts months at a time. But just remember that as you're going through that storm, as you're going through that night season in your life, joy is coming, okay? So we have to remember that. So let's reflect, write this down, or think about it and write your answer.
[00:03:49] Have you ever gone through a difficult time and later realized how it shaped you for the better?
[00:03:56] Transparent moment. I remember I had this job. This is before where I am now. This was back in like 1999, 2000. I had this job in Charleston. And it was a struggle where I worked. It was tough with my employees, my employer, my boss, my supervisor. They made it tough for me, and I didn't understand why I was going through this. Plenty of days I would go home crying.
[00:04:21] They hired the boss's daughter to do the job I was already doing, but they gave it to her like it was just a lot. And my dad talked to me and he was like, there's a lesson in this. You just have to keep fighting through, don't give up, keep praying, fighting through and fast forward. I left that job, I went back and got my master's, became a school counselor, and now I'm a leader. I mean, I am in a position of leadership. And I remember one day at work thinking, you know what? Everything I went through through that previous job, it taught me how to interact with people, how to, how to deal with conflict management.
[00:04:59] And so I appreciated what I went through. That trial, those struggles that I went through, it indeed made me a better person, a better leader, one that encourages my co workers, one that appreciates my co workers. I didn't feel appreciated at that, that job, but it pushed me. And I realized that God was working through me and working through that situation so that I would understand that later on he was going to put me in a place where you're going to remember what I brought you through the lessons you learned there, and that's going to help you. So that's. That's just a little bit of a testimony on my part when it comes to understanding that going through a difficult time helps shape you to be a better person.
[00:05:42] All right. Facing the storms of life is a necessary process.
[00:05:47] Obstacles come in many forms. Loss, failure, disappointment, rejection, and setbacks. Can I get an amen?
[00:05:56] Sometimes challenges feel like they are breaking us, but they are actually shaping us into who we are meant to be.
[00:06:03] Without rain, flowers wouldn't bloom. Without trials, our character wouldn't develop.
[00:06:11] Wow. And we can all attest to that. We have all been through trials. And again, think about those trials and the things you went through and how that build. How those trials built you to be a better person, to be a better friend, to be a better daughter, to be a better employee, to be a better vessel for God. Right? So think about those.
[00:06:32] Without trials, our character wouldn't develop. Some scripture to kind of think about and reflect on. James 1, 2, 3. Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And also Psalm 23 and 4, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.
[00:06:56] I have no reason to fear. That's one of my favorite songs. So we have to remember that even though we're going through the shadow, the valley of the shadow of death, we don't have to fear.
[00:07:08] No storm lasts forever, and no struggle is wasted in God's hands.
[00:07:13] So even though we are struggling, we have to trust God through it and remember that is building our character, is making us a better person, and is shaping us in who we are meant to be. Okay, next point. Strength through faith. Trusting God in the rain. When we go through difficulties, it is easy to feel like God is distant, but in reality, he is closer than ever. Faith is not avoiding, is not about avoiding the storm, but about trusting God to carry us through it. Okay. Just like a tree grows deeper roots in strong winds, we grow stronger in times of hardship.
[00:07:57] So we have to trust God through the rain. The scripture for that point is Psalm 46 and 1, God is our refuge and strength and ever present help in trouble. And Isaiah 43 and 2 says, when you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. So in those times of going through the storms, going through those trials, we have to remember that he is not. God is not far. And I know that there are times when it Feels like he is just not there. And you're crying out like God, okay, I got to go through this again. I got to continue to go through this. Like, will this storm ever end? He's right there with you.
[00:08:39] He is. Just like when the disciples were in the boat and it felt like he wasn't there and they were crying out to him, he's in the boat with you. Even through the storm, he is right there. Through the rocking and the shaking of your life and the chaos in your life, God is right there with you. It may not feel like it, but he's right there. So we have to remember that, that no matter where we go, when you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. He won't leave you or forsake you. All right, so question for you. What small step of faith can you take today even if the storm is still raging? What small step of faith?
[00:09:21] God, I trust you. I know you with me.
[00:09:24] Continue to go through the struggle and try to find the silver lining in. In it. Try to find the rainbow in the storm, right? Just knowing that I will take it one step at a time, one day at a time. I will not give up. I won't give in. So what small step of faith can you take even if the storm is still raging? Okay, the next point. Lessons from the rain. What we gain from challenges. What do you gain from a challenge? So some things that we gain. Patience.
[00:09:56] Growth takes time. Flowers don't bloom overnight, and neither do we. Okay? So you have to plant the seed, you have to water it. You have to nurture it. You have to. Even if the rain doesn't. We don't always like the rain. Especially if you have something planned, right? We have a. A cookout we want to go to, or we want to go to the park. Rain makes it really hard. We don't like it, but there's always a purpose for it. And so we have to remember flowers don't bloom overnight. And neither do we. And sometimes God delays our breakthrough because he is preparing us for it. Now, how many of you can honestly say there are things that you've asked God to give to you, provide for you, and he hasn't. But you think about it. If God really gave you what you always asked for, it would be a whole situation, right? So he knows what we are ready to do. Like, if you have a child and they are, let's say, 10 years old, and they ask you for the keys to the car, would you Give it to them?
[00:11:00] Absolutely not. Because they're not prepared. So God looks at us, at us the same way. He's not going to give us certain things because he knows that we're not ready for it. There's a process that we have to go through, and some of that is going through the storm. I need to build your character. I need you build your strength. I need to build your patience. I need to build certain things inside of you so that when I do give it to you, you know how to handle it, right? So I have a friend slash coworker, and she and I were talking the other day and she said there that she had been praying for God to do some things for her. And patience was one of those things. And I said, God will grant you the patience. It just may not be the way we want. It may be uncomfortable situations. It may be things that you feel like I'm going to lose my mind in this situation. But it's his is God's way of building our patience, of building our faith in Him. And we're going to talk a little bit about faith. It's. It's what he knows that we need in order to build those things. So he just not going to say, here's patience.
[00:12:07] He's going to let you go through situations. And I've heard people say, be careful what you ask God to do for you, because it may not come the way that you want, may not come through that smooth, easy way. It may come through a storm, okay?
[00:12:21] It just may not look the way you want it. So we have to be mindful. I'm not saying don't ask God to give you things because we. He wants us to. He wants us to come to Him. But it's just understand that it may not look like you want it, but you have to trust him through it. Okay? So that's a lesson that we learned from the rain, what we gained from the challenge. Patience, resilience. Challenges strengthen us for future battles.
[00:12:44] Without struggles, we wouldn't develop perseverance or the ability to bounce back. We wouldn't be able to. We don't build grit, okay? So we don't know what battles that are going to come later down the road, right? So God prepares us through those challenges because He. He knows the end from the beginning. So he sees that things are going to come and he knows what you're going to need to make it through those battles. So he's preparing you for that. He. You prepare for war in the time of peace. Okay? Prepare for war. In the time of peace. That's what my mother in law would say. So. So my husband was in the military. They went through training from the time he enlisted all the way through, he was in the National Guard. So those weekend times, those weekend sessions, he was preparing for war, never went to war. He enlisted in like 1994, 95. He didn't go to war until it was time to go to war.
[00:13:47] Okay. He went to war in 2003, the first time. So everything that he had been taught, everything that he went through prepared him for that battle. Okay.
[00:13:58] He couldn't wait. They couldn't wait until there was war for them to say, okay, now we got to teach you how to put your gun together. Now we got to teach you how to look for the enemy. That was too late. So they had to go through the training before. And so that's what God wants to do with us. The challenges that we are going through prepares us for battles later on. Even though it doesn't feel good, loss and disappointments, those things are going to prepare us because that's just life. But he wants to make sure that we are prepared when those battles come. And how does he do that? Through these challenges, through the rain, and he wants to see that we can bounce back.
[00:14:37] You're going to make it through. Think about all the things that you've gone through before where you felt like you were in the middle of a tornado and it was just. Life was just spinning you around and around and around and you felt like, I am not going to make it through this. But then on the other side you did.
[00:14:52] And so that's your bounce back. That's your, I can make it through on the other side of the storm. You can't get to the other side of the storm until you go through. That's what my buddy. That's what my friend Dr. Ali E. Brooks says you got to go through to get to the other side. Right? So you have to remember that each challenge that you goes through, that you're going to go through it to get to the other side. And when you get to the other side, you will look back and say, I made it through that. Now I'm ready for the next battle. Now I'm ready for the next challenge. Okay.
[00:15:25] Gratitude. Gratitude. Even storms have a purpose. And we don't appreciate the sunshine until we've experienced the rain.
[00:15:37] Okay. After every storm, the sun does come out. It does. After every thing that we've gone through, the sun does, does still shine. Okay. When my dad closed his eyes to go be with the Lord in 2017, that was a very, very tough time for me. It's still tough for me. But I just remember going through that, and it was so hard every day. It was just a challenge for me. And I just remember after a while, I. I just had a sense of peace because I knew the life that my daddy lived, and I knew that he's sleeping in Jesus and he's gonna. And I'm gonna see him again, right? And that reminded me that even through that, that the sun does still shine. We are, my brothers and I, we are reflection of the life that he lived. I talk to people, and they tell me how my dad impacted their lives. There's sunshine after that. Even though we are struggling and it is hard, there is still. God is still good.
[00:16:46] He did allow us to have the time with my dad. And even in my prayer, even in the prayers with my dad, when he was going through that. That time in the hospital, there were prayers that he prayed. He didn't want to suffer. He didn't suffer. He didn't want to.
[00:17:02] He just didn't want to go through a hard time. And it was in his sleep, basically in his sleep. And so those are the things we have to be grateful for. That even though we are struggling and it's hard, God is still good in all of it. And there's a lesson in all of it. And I remember even asking God, why did you take my daddy? Like, why my daddy? And he reminded me, because your daddy was ready. He had done everything that I purposed for him to do. And that gave me a little. A little bit of sunshine, even in the rain, okay? So after every rain, after everything that you go through, after every tornado, after every hurricane, after every rainstorm, there is, the sun does come out. Think about when you see the rainbow. We all get excited when we see rainbows. That lets us know that the storm is over and we've made it through. So we have to be grateful. Always be grateful. Okay?
[00:17:56] Romans 8 and 28 says, and we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love them. All things work together for the good of them. Not separately, but they work together.
[00:18:08] Okay?
[00:18:10] Together. Each piece has its own specific purpose. And when you put them together, it is a beautiful result. Okay? So we have to remember that even when you don't understand why things are happening, trust that God is working behind the scenes. Lord, I don't know why you doing it. I don't know why I'm going through it, but I Trust you. Even when I can't trace your heart, your hand, I trust your heart. I think that's how the saying goes. Even when I can't see what you're doing, I trust that you have my best interests at hand. And so I'm going to trust you through this storm. Okay? So we have to remember that God is not asleep. He doesn't sleep. He sees it all and he knows what's best for us, even when it don't feel like it, right? And you in your head, it's like there are millions of people on this earth. Why is God so concerned about me? But he cares about you. Okay? Cast your cares upon the Lord because he cares about you. He cares for you. So in that knowing that he cares for you, when the storms of life are raging, we got to remember there's a purpose behind it. And God, I trust you. You working behind the scenes, I don't see it, but I know you working.
[00:19:26] Blooming in due season. Our next point, Blooming in due season, holding on to hope after every storm. Flowers bloom in the same way. Our trials lead to a season of blessings, restoration and renewal. The key is not giving up before your season of blooming arrives. God's timing is perfect even when we don't see it. So we can't give up, right? So, like when you are planting flowers, I'm. I'm not really a flower girl. I'm trying. I want to become one. But I know you plant the seed, you water it, you tend to it, you make sure the weeds don't get there. But what if you dig that up before the flowers bloom? It's never going to bloom, right? It takes time. The roots have to set and, and, and, and God has to do his work. The sun has to shine, but the rain has to come. Because if the rain doesn't come, the sun will burn it. So what if you pluck it up before it's time? Then they won't bloom, right? So we have to remember that after every storm, after everything that we go through, there is a season of blessings, restoration and renewal. So trusting God through that process, through the storm, through the rainstorms that come, we have to remember that once I get through it, I'm going to get through it. And on the other side, there's blessings. I'm going to be renewed. Something great is going to come through this. And you have to keep reminding yourself. It may have to be affirmations daily. God, I don't know what I'm going. I don't know why I'm going through this, but something good is going to come from this. There's a lesson in it, and I'm going to learn the lesson. God's timing is perfect. Even when we don't see it, his timing is perfect. And we live in a microwave society where we want everything quick. You get everything quick. Now you can get your. You can go Google, find the answer. One time we didn't know the answer. We would have to search, get encyclopedias, do all the things. Now you have Google, get it in a matter of seconds. Okay? You can cook quickly, you can, you can do everything, you can do fast. But God's timing is perfect. So even when we don't see it, his timing is perfect. And we have to trust that. It may take days, it may take weeks, it may take years.
[00:21:45] But in the end, whatever it is that he wants to provide for us or the lesson he wants us to learn, we're gonna get it. He's gonna make sure that we have it. Okay? So you. But you can't give up before your season of blooming arrives. And it's your season, not your bro, not your, your next door neighbor, not your friend, not your cousin, not your mama, your season. So don't compare. Why are they going through. Why are they being blessed that I'm not being blessed? Because their season of blooming has arrived and yours hasn't.
[00:22:17] Okay?
[00:22:20] You do your best. You go through your storm and they go through theirs. Okay? It's your individual blooming season.
[00:22:29] Okay? Is for you. And God knows what you need at what time again, it's like giving somebody the keys to a car who is 10 years old. That's not their time. When it is their time to drive, they will drive. But you can't give it to them too early. And so God knows the same thing about us. Hoping on. Sorry. Holding on to hope. Blooming in due season. There are flowers that only bloom in certain times of years. There are trees that only bloom, are.
[00:23:00] Let me go back. There are fruit and vegetables that are supposed to be planted in a certain time of year, and they only bloom and produce in a certain time of year. Right? There are flowers that do the same.
[00:23:10] So it's the same thing for us. There's certain times that God knows. This is what, this is their season. And this is time, or it's not time yet. They got to go through this pruning season. They got to go through this storm, this rainy season. This is what I'm talking. This is what I need them to go through, and then in their due time, their individual blooming season time is when they will be renewed, restored, and able to produce. Okay.
[00:23:37] Galatians 6 and 9 says, Let us not grow weary in doing good, or at the proper time. We will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
[00:23:47] Okay, I know this is not King James version. I think it's the new Living translation version. Version. Let us not grow weary in doing. In doing good. For at the proper time, in our do, in our bloomings due season time. I added that in there. We will reap a harvest if we do not give up. So you can't give up. You got to keep going. Okay.
[00:24:09] What sees of faith, perseverance, or kindness can you plant today that will bear fruit in the future?
[00:24:17] Ooh, who did? The spirit. What can you do today? What. What can you plant today? What seeds of faith, perseverance, or kindness can you plant today that will bear fruit in the future? And listen, it may not even be sometimes. The. The bear. The fruit may not come to you. It may come to your children. It may come to your parents. It may come to your spouse. You just don't know. But if you do right and you plant those seeds, God is going to bless it. So what can you do today so that you can bear fruit in the future? Just something for you to think about. Take a moment, write those answers down. All right?
[00:25:00] Encouragement for the journey. Keep walking in faith. Every storm has a purpose. We've talked about that. Even when we can't see it in the moment, trust that God is leading you to something greater. Just like the April rains bring May flowers, today's struggles are preparing you for tomorrow's victories. I want to say that again. Just like the April rains bring May flowers, today's struggles are preparing you for tomorrow's victories.
[00:25:29] All right, just a few reflection questions on that. How has the past hardship shaped you into a stronger person?
[00:25:36] What area of your life do you need to surrender to God's timing? Whoo.
[00:25:43] What area of your life do you need to surrender to God's timing? We like to be in control so much. Okay, I'm gonna say I like my husband says, I can only speak for myself. I like to be in control, and I have to remember that my life is not my own. Okay. It's God's. And so I have to trust that his timing is perfect, and I have to surrender areas of my life to his timing. And last question. How can you encourage someone else going through a difficult season? You may have a friend, a coworker a parent, a cousin, someone in your life that's going through a difficult season. They may be in the middle of a storm. How can you encourage them to remind them. How can you remind them of God's goodness, um, and that his timing is perfect? And sometimes they don't want to hear it. People don't want to hear it when you're going through. You don't want to hear it. You don't.
[00:26:40] But they had to understand that God won't leave you, won't forsake you, and he can use you as that person that can encourage the one that's going through. So how can you do that? What are some ways you can encourage someone else going through a difficult time?
[00:27:00] All right, in conclusion. Wait, before I go to the conclusion. Jeremiah 29:11. For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to give you a hope and a future. There's victory on the other side. You just got to go through. There's victory.
[00:27:17] So some key takeaways I hope that you got today.
[00:27:21] Hardships are temporary, but have lasting benefits.
[00:27:26] Hardships are temporary, but they have lasting benefits. Trusting God through challenges. Challenges leads to personal growth and blessings.
[00:27:37] And keep sowing seeds of faith, kindness and perseverance. Your time of blooming is coming.
[00:27:47] Okay, April showers, rain, May flowers. So some action steps, some things I want you to do. Things I want you to do. Pray for strength and guidance in difficult seasons. I'm one that believes in prayer, and I think I've talked about it before. It doesn't have to be a long formal. All thou shalt don't have to be that. It's just talking to the Lord, how you talk to the Lord. He knows our the way we talk.
[00:28:14] So you just talk to him. Lord, I need your help through this. I don't know why I'm going through this, but Lord, I need your help. So. So pray for strength and guidance. Trust that God is working all things for your good and encourage others who may be struggling. So we're going to pray, we're going to trust God and in our. Even through our storm, we're going to encourage others to not give up. Okay? And when you're going through, you are so focused on yourself and what you're going through that you don't even want to talk to somebody else. How am I going to encourage somebody else who's going through what I'm going through? You can encourage each other and it's not about what you going through, but let me tell you what I'm going through. Because my story is worse than your. So it's not about that. It's about, I know you're going through. You know I'm going through. Let's pray together. Let's find some scriptures that's going to help both of us that we can meditate on. Those are the things you do. It's all about encouraging each other. Okay.
[00:29:12] So I want. I hope this podcast has encouraged you to know that you can overcome obstacles and that even in times of storms, even in times of rain showers, in times of difficulty.
[00:29:25] And I keep thinking of tornadoes. And if you've ever seen a tornado and see how it spins, or if you've ever seen document. I just watched a documentary about a tornado. It's just spinning and things are just flying through the air and it's just chaotic.
[00:29:43] And sometimes I feel like we're in the middle of that things. Life is just spinning around us and it is just so chaotic and we just don't know what is going on and this and that, and it's just a lot. But even through that, the tornado lives. And there may be destruction all around, but there's. The sun comes out after that.
[00:30:03] Okay. And in your life, it may be destruction all around from that tornado, but we still have to remember that God is going to get us through this. The sun is shining and it's a moment. It's a time of blossoming, and we will persevere. We will make it through. And I hope that this encourages you. If you life is either you're in the middle of a storm, you're about to go through a storm, or you just came out of a storm. That's life.
[00:30:34] It really is. And so wherever you are in, in those three scenarios, remember that God is right there with you and you're going to bloom. You're going to have the victory in all of it.
[00:30:47] The flowers. You are the flower and you're going to bloom. Your roots are deep and God is going to protect you and he's going to help you through. I hope that this has helped you. I hope this has encouraged you. This is where we're going to be focusing on this month in May. I'm sorry, this month in April start. Not May yet, it's April.
[00:31:05] So I hope this encourages you and we look forward to our next sessions together. I hope that you are following us. Continue to follow. If you've not followed us, hit that, that, like, button. Hit the follow button. We on all the podcast platforms and we're also on YouTube, send us a message, talk to me. Let me know if this is helping you. I hope it is. Share it with your family and your friends. Not just first ladies, but everyone can can utilize this. Everyone can help. Everyone can and get this encouragement and make it through. So I hope that you will continue to join me on the second row. And remember, no matter where you are, no matter where God has placed you, just accept it, embrace it and flourish in it. April showers, bring me flowers and I'll see you next time. Thank you.
