Standing on their shoulders

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a conference in Charleston, SC.  You know that Charleston was one of the most lucrative states involved in the enslavement of my ancestors.  We visited Magnolia plantation.

First we entered the “big house” and saw all of the beautiful antiques and family pictures and heirlooms on the wall.  We were told that we couldn’t take pictures for insurance purposes.

Then they took us on a little tram ride and we came to another part of the land, which housed 4 broken down slave houses, one of which was last inhabited in 1992 (descendants of slaves).  There was nothing of value (to the natural eye) but I knew the spirits of my people were hovering over us.

We traveled on foot, through the wooded area, which was surrounded by a swamp filled with alligators, only to end the tour in the African American cemetery.  We walked through the cemetery solemnly.  Some graves had headstones and some were unmarked with just a brick lying in front.

Some of our sisters cried and some just shook their heads as they thought about those who were enslaved.  One of the ladies whose father is from Barbados (The Draytons came to the US with slaves from Barbados) and whose mother was from South Carolina) saw a headstone with her family name and she broke down. 

At the end of the tour, as we were preparing to leave the cemetery, we all joined hands and began praying.  We started out by thanking God for blessing us and keeping our ancestors through all of their hardships. Then we shifted and began praying to the spirits of our ancestors.

·      Thank you for not slitting your throat.

·      Thank you for not throwing in the towel.

·      Thank you for enduring the nights when the slave master came in to rape you.

·      Thank you for not giving up on your children, even after they emasculated your husband and separated him from the family.

·      Thank you for praying that your children, grand children, great grandchildren and generations yet unborn, would have a better life than you.

·      Thank you for taking the remnants from master’s table and cooking a hearty meal that would sustain your people for years to come.

·      Thank you!  Thank you! Thank you!

We stand on the shoulders of great women that have gone before us.

We stand on the shoulders of Sojouner Truth.

We stand on the shoulders of Harriet Tubman.

We stand on the shoulders of Mary McCleod Bethune.

We stand on the shoulders of Josephine Baker: dancer extraordinaire.

We stand on the shoulders of Daisy Bates: civil rights activist.

We stand on the shoulders of:

We stand on the shoulders of Ruby Dee: actress, activist.

We stand on the shoulders of Angela Davis: activist.

We stand on the shoulders of Alice Dunbar-Nelson: writer, teacher; Harlem Renaissance.

We stand on the shoulders of Elizabeth ("Old Elizabeth"): preacher, emancipated slave, and autobiographer.

We stand on the shoulders of Althea Gibson: tennis player.

We stand on the shoulders of Fannie Lou Hamer: activist, sharecropper

We stand on the shoulders of Lena Horne: singer, actress.

We stand on the shoulders of Rosa Parks: civil rights activist, social reformer, and racial justice advocate.

I’m reminded of the words of Dr. Maya Angelou from the poem, “Still I rise".

You may write me down in history


With your bitter, twisted lies,


You may tread me in the very dirt


But still, like dust, I'll rise…

.... Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,


I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

I rise. I rise. I rise.

Embrace all of your past and appreciate the journey as you catapult yourself into your future.

Now walk it out....

Permission granted

I GIVE MYSELF PERMISSION,  NOT TO HAVE IT ALL FIGURED OUT!

I just said this aloud as I was walking into the kitchen.  I know it had to come from God and my inner voice.

I will live in the moment and enjoy it! No need to beat myself up over what has not been accomplished.  The fact that I showed up for this moment has to be good enough.

Now I'll walk it out..........

Grateful in the stillness

Sometimes you need to go on a fast from yourself.  No extra talking.  No meaningless conversations. No gossipy phone calls. No unimportant emails.  No selfies.  No scandalous television (shut your mouth!).  Just quiet.  Not necessarily quiet from the outside world, but rather quiet from the voices inside of your head that tell you that you need something or someone else to complete you.

When was the last time that you sat in a room without the television on or radio playing?  Are you the type of person that needs outside stimulation and noise to soothe you?  Or can you just sit there quietly, without getting fidgety?

I think most of us are so accustomed to the noise of the cell phone with the text message, Facebook and email notifications.  We could be having a nice conversation with a friend, then all of a sudden the cell phone makes a noise and we are instantly distracted.

The bible says in Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God".   You might be thinking,  what does being still have to do with knowing God?

Let's try an quick exercise.

Take a deep breath.  Inhale and exhale.  Do it again and this time inhale much slower.  Feel the air enter through your nose, be aware as it fills your lungs, opening every alveoli or air pocket within your lungs.  Notice how your chest wall rises and your posture straightens.
KNOW THAT'S ALL GOD!

Now exhale!  Hear the gentle hiss that is released from your body as your chest cavity falls.
KNOW THAT'S ALL GOD!

Open and close your eyes,  feel your lashes fluttering.  Look from side to side and be aware that your eyelids gently slide over your eyeballs without getting stuck.
KNOW THAT'S ALL GOD!

Wiggle your toes!  Flex the muscles in your legs, go ahead and crack your knuckles if you need to.  Thank God for every muscle fiber,  tendon and ligament that is crafted together to help you move and function.
KNOW THAT'S ALL GOD!

Recognize the sounds that you are around you.  Are there birds chirping close by?  Is the ocean swelling?  Is there traffic moving outside? Can you hear construction close by?  Was that just a horn blowing?  Do you hear the kids laughing in the distance?  Thank God for the sound waves that have just entered your ear, causing your eardrum to vibrate, is then transmitted to the brain, which then  translates the sounds and helps us to distinguish whether or not it is a bird, a car or a child.
KNOW THAT'S ALL GOD!

It doesn't take much to recognize God's creation...you just have to stop and think about it.  You are God's reflection, his masterpiece, his special design.  Let us not be so caught up in the noisiness of life that we forget to be quiet and grateful.

Everyday I challenge you to do this exercise for 3 minutes.  Recognize every sound, twitch, movement and flutter.

Just be still and quiet, rest in it, be grateful for it and KNOW THAT IT'S ALL GOD!


Now walk it out.......................

Are you an encourager?

If you are an encourager, go ahead and encourage someone today.  Stop living inside of your head.  So many times, someone has come across my mind and I would wonder,"hmm where have they been?"  At other times, I stopped and called their name in prayer.  But lately, God has me using technology and either texting or calling them to let them know that they came across my mind.

Nine times out of 10, the individual needed my word, text or call because they were going through a rough patch and needed an uplift.  Don't despise the gift that lies inside of you.  If you have the gift of encouragement, go ahead and do it.  It only takes a few minutes out of your schedule, but it could potentially alter someone else's course for the rest of the day, week or month.

Listen, you may not say things that will reach the masses, but you can affect the circle of influence where God has placed you.

I encourage you to be an encourager!  Truth be told, it will bless you too.

Now walk it out...

Transition and Transformation...it's all in your mind!

This message was originally intended for the women in our women's ministry, but I couldn't keep it to myself.  God gave it to me to bless you!

Hello my Sister,
This morning I woke up with you on my mind.  Over the last couple of months, I have come across women who are experiencing great transitions in their lives.  Some are going through a divorce; some have just gotten married; some are pregnant; some are dealing with the grief of losing a child; some  are dealing with the fact that they will soon have an empty nest; some have moved to another state; some will soon relocate clear across the country; some are having financial difficulties; and some are on jobs that don't bring fulfillment, but pay the bills. There are other ladies who are depressed because they think they should be much farther along; some are trying to walk out of unhealthy relationships; some are dealing with health issues; and there are some who feel rejected by people and abandoned by God.

Whether you find yourself in any of these situations, you are still going through some type of transition.  The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines transition as a "passage from one state, stage, subject or place to another". We are all on the edge of a decision.  We have a decision to accept the situation that we're currently in or the decision to move past our current location mentally, even if we can't separate ourselves physically.  Transition!!!

Sometimes people look at my life and think that I have it all together.  Look again! Yes, God gave me great parents and family, but I can remember those times when our electricity or water was temporarily cut off because the bill came before Daddy's paycheck.  Yes, God blessed me with a voice to praise Him, but you weren't there the times when I cried and sang myself to sleep at night.  Yes, I went to Spelman College and to Podiatric Medical School, but I'm still in debt over it.  Some might even look at me and say, "hey, but you're a doctor".  Uh yes, I am a PO-DI-A-TRIST (foot & ankle doctor)...  I should be in a hospital somewhere, scrubbing in on a surgery or doing rounds at a nursing home. But Noooo I am here writing to you. What in the world?!  What medical doctor sits and writes blogs to encourage people?  I'm not supposed to be here!!!

Or am I right where God wants me?

I've seen great victory in my life because I transitioned my mind to believe that I am right where God wants me to be.  Yes, I have been blessed with some wonderful things and opportunities, but even still I was "Created for MORE...".
You, too, can make that decision to believe that your transition is the precipice of your breakthrough.

My sister you are:

• more than your bank account
• more than your marital status
• more than your job
• more than your fertility situation 
• more than your physical appearance
• more than  ________________ (fill in the blank)

Even if you are "living on top of the world", you are more than that.  God has created you to do so much more than you are giving yourself credit for.  Stop comparing your life to others, because it's a WASTE OF TIME!  They may have achieved great things, but you don't know what they had to go through to get there.  Focus on what God has called you to do!

Personal note: During the last few years of Mommy's life, I began ministering to her about using what God had given her.  My mother was an awesome singer, songwriter and directed many choirs in her day.  She loved to encourage people. She could sit down to talk to you and preach a sermon right there.  She gave the best hugs and people at her church loved to get a smile, hug or word of encouragement from "Sister Mattison".  However during the last few years of her life she had so many challenges with her health.  Kidney disease, joint disease and cancer was taking a slow toll on her.  She couldn't make it to church as often as she'd like and if she did press her way, oftentimes, she was in excruciating pain.  Oh but she could get a prayer through for you!  I could tell that she battled with moments of depression, because she couldn't get around like she used to.  But as God told Moses, to "use what he had in his hand"....I told my mother to use her words of encouragement to bless someone.  Because she was so respected in the church, I knew that one word from her would brighten someone's day.  My oldest brother bought her a box of cards and she began sending out cards to people on the prayer list.  The month before Mommy passed, I went home and someone from church told me that she had received a card of encouragement from "Sister Mattison".  She was so excited to tell me how special that one gesture made her feel.

See! No matter what situation you're in, God can use you to bless someone's life.  You are Created for More than what you think!  Maybe you can't do everything that you'd like to do, but once you make that transition in your mind, God can use you right where you are!!!

The Bible says in Roman 12:2, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God". (I grew up on the King James version, but I like the New Living translation.) "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect". It's about Transition and Transformation!!!

You have the opportunity to see yourself and your situation differently!  Stop making excuses for what you can't do and begin to celebrate what you can do.  Surround yourself with other sisters who can be real and transparent, who will lift your spirits when you need a boost.  Stop focusing on doing and relish in the idea of being all that God has created you to be. No comparisons! No self- judgments! You have NOTHING to prove!

Transform your way of thinking and embrace the journey.  God has called you to where you are for a purpose.  He has a plan for you and if you stay connected, He will begin to reveal His plan to you.  My sister, trust the process and enjoy the journey. You were "Created for More...".

Now walk it out...

Prayer, Distractions and Fear

Sunday morning, I decided to take the dog for an early morning walk.  It was about 6:30 am, the air was cool, the streets were quiet, and I began praying for my family, as Arby trotted along happily.  My prayers were really getting intense and I felt as if God was really listening to me. Arby and I turned the corner, only to see two unleashed pit-bull puppies tussling in their front yard.  I tried to exit onto another street before we were spotted.  As I headed down the side street and turned my back, I could hear the owner yelling, “come back here”.  I had to make a split second decision.  Do I quickly run down the side street with Arby? Or do we turn around, face the dogs and move closer towards the dogs and their owner?

We opted to face the dogs.  My fear was if I ran away, I would draw the dogs further away from their owners, which would offer us no protection.  So I decided to stay the course. They were puppies and they wanted to play, so they began sniffing Arby and tried to intimidate him.  He froze, as I tried to pull him away from the other two dogs.  About that time, the owners reached us with the leashes, apologized and we kept moving along our initial path. 

After three blocks, the adrenaline began to wear off and I remembered that I had been praying over my family before all the excitement began.  So I started in prayer once again and was immediately flooded with emotion.  It dawned on me that as I began to get closer to God and pray intentionally over my family, the enemy sent something to scare me and get me off of my desired path.  HE LOST!  As I picked up praying, where I’d left off, there was a great sense of calm that lasted for the duration of the morning walk.

Once you decide to place your family before God, there might be distractions sent to get you off course.  There will be a thousand excuses as to why you don’t have time to do this.  But if you face the distractions, overcome the fear, and live with intentionality, God will create such a peace in your life, which will spill over onto the ones that you love.  

In the last few days, I've heard so many messages about overcoming your fears.  Fear is a natural emotion given by God to protect us in times of danger.  There is an alert that goes through your nervous system that uses fear to equip you for battle or to enable you to run to safety (fight or flight).  The thing we must do is channel the fear, so that it propels us to move forward.  The dogs on our path were nothing but a distraction to veer us off of our course.  The fear that I felt was REAL, but when I channeled it and moved closer to confront it, the boldness inside of me sprang up.  We faced the fear, found out the situation was not as bad as I had initially thought, and continued moving in the same direction that we had set before us.

            I praise God for a Sunday morning stroll to reinforce how I can ignore the distractions and face the fear.

Now grab your sneakers and walk it out....

If it doesn't fit, you must acquit!

If you are above the age of 30, you know this phrase quite well and probably know exactly where you were when you heard it. (Hint: The OJ trial).  Well of course we aren't talking about him today, this is about you and I and the great lengths we go to, in order to make something fit.

So let's have a podiatric teaching moment.  I'm sure you have heard of corns and callouses. It's those dry patches of skin on the bottom of your feet or on the bend of your toes.  They are usually caused by an excessive amount of friction that a shoe places on high pressure points of the foot.  At times, they can be unsightly, so we get a pedicure where the nail tech buffs or sands down the extra layer of skin.  No problem right?  Sure, if you don't go back to the same thing that caused the extra friction in the first place. There is another type of corn though that no one else can see but you. It's called heloma molle, or soft corn.  A soft corn, commonly found between the 4th & 5th toes, is usually caused by an abnormality in bone shape of the toes.  Extra pressure is put on this area by adjacent bones rubbing up against each other, especially seen in women wearing high heels and forcing extra pressure to the front of the foot inside a narrow shoe toe box.

Class is in session.  Are you still with me?

The soft corn may get better if you switch to flatter shoes with a wider toe box, allowing for each toe to have space and not abut each other. If this doesn't work though, it may call for surgery to reshape the bones that are causing the problem.  So you do know that you're not reading this, so you can enter podiatric medical school.  There is always a life lesson!

So I must tell you a story...

My husband and I had the opportunity to get away for a few days and last night we went to dinner.  I had packed a comfortable black & white maxi dress, but had forgotten the shoes at home.  Rather than choose a different outfit and wear shoes that I had in my suitcase, I got the bright idea to hunt for a pair of shoes close to the hotel.  (I mean it doesn't take much for me to have a reason to shop.)  Yes, I could have worn the black sandals that were in my suitcase, but I know that my husband likes to see me in heels, because my calves are poppin'.  (Okay, so now that I'm saying that....it's really dumb because the dress was so long that he couldn't see my calves anyway.) Duh!

When I went to the neighboring shopping area (not a mall), I walked into a store that had several black shoes.  I saw one of the cutest black wedges, but they didn't have my size.  The saleswoman showed me another shoe, but all she had was a 9.5, not a 10. She told me to try it on because the shoes ran big anyway. Sure enough the right shoe fit just fine, but that left shoe was another story.  I even said to her, I have problems with my left foot, so I'm really not sure. (Side note:  About 6-7 years ago, while on family vacation, I was trying to convince my younger son to jump in the hotel pool. To show him that I wasn't afraid, I ran and jumped high in the air and into the water to create a splash and squeal with laughter. However my squeal was one of pain...I had jumped into the wrong end of the pool (only3.5 feet) and jammed my left big toe on the bottom of the pool.  Honestly, thank God I didn't break my foot.  Since that time however, my left foot has not been the same and I'm noticing more and more that as I age and fluctuate in weight, my left foot becomes more challenging to fit into a cute shoe.) So back to the story...

I knew that I shouldn't have purchased that shoe, but it was cute AND 40% off.  It was a done deal! I immediately had buyer's remorse, but I went back to the hotel to shower and get ready for dinner.  Of course, my hubby loved the shoe so I put it on.  But before leaving for dinner, I had to take the shoe off, pull out the hotel blow dryer, trying to heat the leather, and stretch the shoe before placing it back on.  Because I'm a podiatrist, I know how to shave the soft corn between the toes; so I basically performed bathroom surgery on myself.  (Those little black sandals were still calling my name.  "Pick me...oooh please pick me".)  I ignored the cries of the sandal and put the heels on anyway.  (I'm not totally stupid though, because I did wrap the sandals and place them inside of my purse.)  Initially walking in them was not that bad.  But as we rode to the restaurant,  I could feel a dull aching pain creeping from my foot to my leg and on up into my thigh.  My foot joints were maligned and it was causing a discomfort that was beginning to affect other parts of my body.  I tried to shift in the car, but it still was uncomfortable.  After a while my body got used to the pain and blocked it out. (The body has a way to adapt and push past or numb the pain.) As I entered the restaurant, my foot was no longer an issue, especially after a glass of wine. (...Don't judge me!) I was fine, until after dinner when it was time to stand and walk back to the car.  As soon as I got in the car, I pulled those sandals out and my little toes began to cheer.

So what do these black pumps have to do with my life, you ask.

They have every thing to do with you and I and how we continue to keep things that are not good for us.  It's about how we keep things around us to "save face".  It's about how easy it us for us to ignore the tiny little voice in our head that tries to warn us to act differently.  It's about how we live in the past, because it's familiar, and we've learned how to numb the pain.  It's how we are afraid to branch out and try something new for fear that we will be judged or not liked.  This is about our lives!

As a I mentioned, my accident happened about 5-6 years ago and it's been progressively getting worse.  Do you think that I should have changed my shoe style a long time ago to prevent this day from coming?  See the problem was not just the jamming of the big toe.  The jamming caused my 1st metatarsal-phalangeal joint to be compromised, so the bones can no longer glide on each other smoothly.  So my big toe is limited, which caused my other joints in my foot to shift, which when jammed into a tight toe box, causes friction between the 4th & 5th toe, leaving me with a painful soft corn that no one else can see.  The problem is that I can lie to myself and act as if nothing is wrong, because the corn is not visible to anyone.   The corn may not be visible, but the effects of the corn are palpable.
People may not see the corn, but they see you limping.
People may not see the corn, but they see you wince in pain.
People may not see the corn, but they can see your change in attitude when you are tested and have to walk a long distance.
People may not see the corn, but they observe how you numb the pain by drinking or snapping or lying and acting as if everything is alright.  But deep down inside, you are hurting at the core.

So what can we do about it now?  It's time to raid the closet and get rid of those things that are keeping us bound and locked into a state of pain.
Maybe it's those green, suede sling-backs of envy....maybe you're jealous of your co-worker or a sibling.
You need to let it go!
Maybe it's those navy patent leather, open-toed shoes of a hard heart...someone hurt you in the past, while you were open and vulnerable, so now you have created this false sense of toughness and speak with a sharp tongue.
You need to let it go!
Maybe it's those strappy, black red-bottoms...for each strap that covers the skin, there is an open space that leaves you exposed.
You need to let it go!

Let go of the past hurts, pains, incidents, accidents, things that you cannot change!  They do not suit you well.  If you keep them around for too long, they will only cause other problems.  So let it go!
Make the decision right now, to let go of the past and live smarter, wiser and healthier, so you can move into the next phase of your life.  When you are no longer living out your past pains, you can move into your future and affect change in other people.

Change your shoes, change you mindset, change your destiny and change your legacy!

Now walk it out...