Aug 31, 2020 | justice, Speak up |
can you feel it
the air is heavy
frustration is palpable
words float in the air
the song of justice
will not be silenced
pain seeps
into lungs
into breath
into words
injustice has legs
and will march
as long as it takes
this righteous anger
is not new
chains still exist
free?
is the
song
noise
the
fight
unwarranted
the
march
selfish
you can feel it
the air is heavy
this anger is ancient
words pierce the air
louder than bullet
the song of justice
will not be overcome
#PermissionGranted
Nov 6, 2019 | confidently, Do The Hard Thing, Speak up |
She prays, she studies, she writes.
She steps into what she is made for.
She leads others to pursue
the heart of God.
There may be some who
think she should not speak,
that she should go home,
but she doesn’t mind.
Let them talk.
She doesn’t answer to them.
She advocates, she speaks, she stands.
She steps into who she
is made to be.
She realizes her worth
and desires to educate others
about a system that still exists
to squelch her people.
There are some who
believe she is making
something out of nothing,
but she doesn’t mind.
Let them talk.
She doesn’t answer to them.
—
She teaches, she heals, she cares.
She pursues her passion
to help others who are sick.
She is wife, mom, and
a leader in her field.
There are some who
believe she should be home,
that she is in the wrong,
working outside her home,
but she doesn’t mind.
Let them talk.
She doesn’t answer to them.
—
She creates, she writes, she spits truth.
She rhymes sick lines
that seep from her heart
onto the page.
She speaks her mind and
she will not be contained.
There are some who believe
that her truth is too loud,
that she should go home,
but she doesn’t mind.
Let them talk.
She doesn’t answer to them.
—
Say what you want,
believe what you want,
truth will prevail and
your words
meant to hinder,
meant to restrain,
meant to demean
will be what we
step on as we pursue
who God made us to be.
We don’t mind.
We don’t answer to you.
We don’t mind –
but we do wish you would
consider what we could
accomplish if we
worked together.
#PermissionGranted
Oct 24, 2019 | Community, Do The Hard Thing, Speak up |
The greatest gift we can
give someone is
inviting them to be
fully themselves with us
and then cheering them on
as they pursue all
they are meant for.
We don’t all receive this gift.
And this is why:
We withhold
permission from
others to step
into all that they are
made for
because it will
personally cost us something.
It sure doesn’t feel great
when this happens to me.
I feel defeated
and it is that much
harder for me to
take up my space.
I don’t appreciate when someone
denies what I see in me,
or tries to keep me small.
And yet I put others through it –
the cost is too great,
and we make excuses.
And what happens then?
We are all miserable.
All of us living out lies,
all of us in the wrong.
We are either wrong for
witholding permission
or we are wrong for
waiting for it.
#PermissionGranted
Aug 7, 2019 | Community, Do The Hard Thing, Lead, Speak up |
The trees, the dolphins, and
the mountains call to me
and demand to be seen.
I can’t look away.
The bird’s song,
the breeze, tickling the trees,
the way a flower grows
from a teeny seed.
I can’t look away.
I see their creator in them.
His design, his joy,
his creativity is in the magenta flower,
the succulents, the manatee,
the neon tree frog, and the terrapins.
They sing a song over me and
I am compelled to sing with them.
I want to join the chorus.
What are the notes?
I don’t know their song.
What are the words?
How do I join them?
Humanity has a song, too.
I can hear it
when I listen.
The song is constant –
everyone taking a breath
at a different time.
Some scream to be heard.
Some sing into a void
where no one listens.
Some are making their
own stages.
It’s hard to listen to the song because there’s
so much to grieve,
so much hurt
and righteous anger
in the song.
So much so that sometimes I try to silence it.
Headphones on.
Head down.
Just make sure
all is well in my house –
that everyone under my roof
can sing.
But.
My song is the song of humanity.
My voice is meant to be
heard and it is meant to
amplify the song that
others are singing.
I can’t not listen to their song
and there’s no other song
for me to join in on.
I can’t look away.
They demand to be seen.
I can’t look away.
I see their creator in them.
His design, his joy,
his creativity is all
over us all.
My voice must add to
their song of long-awaited,
the-time-is-now
justice.
Otherwise,
I
am
just
noise .
#PermissionGranted
Jul 17, 2019 | Community, Lead, Speak up |
A friend shared that
there are voices in her life
that are discouraging.
She told me that my voice is
an encouragement to her.
I kind of jokingly said,
“I will keep being loud!”
And she replied,
“Yes. Be loud.”
Who needs you to
Be
Loud?
Someone does.
Or a group of people do.
And you know what?
They may not be able to
say to you –
“Yes. Be loud.”
They may not know your name
or where you live.
Your significant other may
not be able to be vulnerable
enough to say what they need
and yet the truth remains –
your voice is needed.
We shouldn’t need a request
in order to speak
into spaces that
need our voice.
We need to be loud
in order to be heard
over the deafening
noise of
discouragement
dysfunction,
racism,
sexism.
The world needs your voice
and my voice.
We’re gonna have to shout.
There are those who routinely
try to silence other voices –
even elected ones –
and say that they have no place
and should have no voice.
We must be louder.
There are voices telling your
friends that they are
insignificant and dispensable.
You must be loud.
Our kids are blasted
with noise –
we must be louder
than the chaos.
Use your voice.
speak up.
Be loud.
Someone needs to
hear from you.
#PermissionGranted
Jun 12, 2019 | confidently, Do The Hard Thing, Speak up |
Some things just
need to be said.
They don’t need rehearsed –
there’s no time for that.
If the passion is now –
the time is now.
So often the space when
something needs to be said
is a small gap in time –
and once it has passed
the opportunity for maximum
impact has also passed.
If you wait –
it may be too late.
When we wait for
an invitation,
wait for more research to be done,
hope for the right time,
write draft after draft,
jockey for position,
for platform…
We miss the opportunity that
needed our voice –
It’s gone.
And those who may have gained
strength, peace, or freedom
through the impact of our words
will never receive the power
of our words.
When your heart feels
like it might burst,
when hope is blossoming,
when peace includes a fight,
when truth requires armor,
when fear and bravery hold hands,
when passion can’t be contained –
Speak.
#PermissionGranted
Are you holding back on speaking up, speaking out?
Are the words you keep within you blocking purpose, passion, and possibilities – for yourself or others?
