Know your worth my brothers...
last nite, it was my turn to lead the discussion for the mentoring group i belong to in Montclair NJ. I had been trying to get out of it for weeks. On the real, i just didn't have it in me. i have been feeling drained emotionally and physically putting out fires at every corner of my life and i wasn't feeling very confident about getting up in front of the group and giving advice on the very issues i am struggling with right now. "give me a minute man" i said to director of the group, a righteous brother i have come to respect and confide in, "my head is not in it right now. Let me get a pass this week." ' No." he answered gracefully. "That's exactly why you need to do this today. These young brothas need to see us vulnerable. they need to understand that we struggle with our situations just like they do. They need to see that our strengths and our worth as men lies not just in our successes but in our failures." I let out a heavy sigh grab a bottle of water headed up to the front of the class and planted myself before the group. I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer asking God to give me enough clarity of mind to speak His words.
One hour later, i opened my eyes and i was done. I had an outline on the topic i wanted to discuss but my brother's words kept ringing in my mind, "share your struggles, show your strength, know your worth." Somewhere between discussing the perils of the illegal drug trade and the prison industry i veered off track and steamed full speed into that dark tunnel where we hide the insecurities doubts and fears we all wrestle with as black men in modern society. After the group dispersed, i was shocked as the older sages in the group walked over and congratulated me on a job well done. The director gave me peace and whispered in my ear, "know your worth D"
I drove home in the slow lane allowing myself enough time to get the lesson from this experience. The Bible says that the humbled shall be exalted and the exalted shall be humbled. I think we as black men are constantly humbled by our experiences in this life. I don't know any brother who endured and overcame situations and conditions in his life without humbling himself before his God. But i do think that we sometimes wait for others to exalt us. We wait for others to affirm our worth as men instead of singing our own praises. My grandmother used to say, "i love me when nobody else will." and i think we forget sometimes to love ourselves even with all our imperfections and shortcomings. We forget how we were built how we were put together. We forgot the sweat and the toil of our ancestors who made bricks from straw that built the men we are today. We spend so much time measuring our worth with the tape of a world that sees us as a "sixth son" of sorts. We forgot that we were made in His image not theirs and it is our birthright our destiny to walk in that authority.. know your own worth brothers and when the music stops playing in your life, sing your own song of praise..tell the world you are worthy..be blessed.. Don
One hour later, i opened my eyes and i was done. I had an outline on the topic i wanted to discuss but my brother's words kept ringing in my mind, "share your struggles, show your strength, know your worth." Somewhere between discussing the perils of the illegal drug trade and the prison industry i veered off track and steamed full speed into that dark tunnel where we hide the insecurities doubts and fears we all wrestle with as black men in modern society. After the group dispersed, i was shocked as the older sages in the group walked over and congratulated me on a job well done. The director gave me peace and whispered in my ear, "know your worth D"
I drove home in the slow lane allowing myself enough time to get the lesson from this experience. The Bible says that the humbled shall be exalted and the exalted shall be humbled. I think we as black men are constantly humbled by our experiences in this life. I don't know any brother who endured and overcame situations and conditions in his life without humbling himself before his God. But i do think that we sometimes wait for others to exalt us. We wait for others to affirm our worth as men instead of singing our own praises. My grandmother used to say, "i love me when nobody else will." and i think we forget sometimes to love ourselves even with all our imperfections and shortcomings. We forget how we were built how we were put together. We forgot the sweat and the toil of our ancestors who made bricks from straw that built the men we are today. We spend so much time measuring our worth with the tape of a world that sees us as a "sixth son" of sorts. We forgot that we were made in His image not theirs and it is our birthright our destiny to walk in that authority.. know your own worth brothers and when the music stops playing in your life, sing your own song of praise..tell the world you are worthy..be blessed.. Don
As always, so well said. I agree, it is far too easy to get caught up in the worlds standards and the worlds way of seeing ourselves and we forget to see ourselves through God's eyes. Really, that is the only view that matters. I applaud you for 1) keeping God first and acknowledging Him in all your ways and 2) for being a true MAN and being real, and vulnerable and brilliant and as I have told you many times, compelling! Job well done Mighty man of God!! 
MSW Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass: Eat sensibly & enjoy moderation
Links: Are you a compulsive eater? for help OA meets on-line Keep Coming Back, One Day At a Time Overeaters Anonymous
L
V'N MY RNY. WORKING FOR ME BECAUSE I WORK FOR IT.
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