While listening to a training webinar featuring Tamara Lowe, she shared an experience she had, when she started a remodeling project in her home. It seemed as if one of her neighbors felt compelled to come over and share the nightmare she had experienced when remodeling her home. Consequently, when the lady left Tamara, said she began to feel discouraged and had thoughts of scrapping the idea altogether
Then she said all of a sudden she heard herself say, wait a minute, I am not signing for that package. Remodeling my home is going to be one of the greatest experiences of my life. It is going to be wonderful and my house is going to be beautiful, and in the end, that is exactly what happened.
It was at this point I got a revelation. I realized that at crucial times in my life I had also received 2 packages, one spoke a blessing bringing life, the other spoke a curse bringing death, and my choice would have a major impact on the course of my future. It reminded me of Deuteronomy (30:19) where God tells us he gives us a choice between life and death, blessing, and curses. And we should choose life.
My first 2 packages arrived early in life. One package said I was doomed to the failure of being a statistic. I was poor, with an alcoholic teenage mother, and absentee father. But the second package said that In the Ghetto only the strong survive. I decided to be one of the strong, so I signed for that package.
Then as I entered my teens some traumatic events of the past caught up with me and I launched a reign of terror on my own soul. I began fighting, ditching school, running away and going in and out of juvenile hall. Finally, the system threw in the towel on me and I was on my way to Ventura correctional facility, which was a prison for juvenile offenders. It was during this time that I received the 2nd set of packages. One of my teachers told me I was no good and I would never amount to anything. I burned that package. The second package came when I went before a judge for sentencing and he told me that after reviewing my case, he felt that I had a tremendous amount of untapped potential, but something in my life had gone terribly wrong so he was going to give me another chance by getting me the help I needed. So I signed for that package. And My life of criminal behavior ended.
Years later I got married and had 2 children when I received another set of packages.
One revealed to me my husband, an excellent father and provider was a serial cheater.
I set that package to the side. The second package reminded me that this man loved me and honestly felt I was the best person that had ever walked the face of the earth. So I signed for that package.Fast-forward, I ended up leaving years later not because of infidelity but due to disagreements on how the children should be raised.
Shortly after the divorce, I received another set of packages. One came through meeting some foreign university students, who convinced me that I had what it took to enter the university and receive a degree in a field of my choice. I filed that package away. Then the second package came in the form of me discussing the idea with my mother to hear what she thought. She started laughing telling me what a stupid idea it was. I did not have enough education, I would be competing with kids 3 times younger than I was, I had 2 children and a job to deal with. I would never make it. Then I started to remember how as a child she was always talking about how dumb I was and laugh about it with her friends. I decided not to sign for that package, I went to junior college transferred to the University, made Deans list, president's list. Graduated with 2 degrees in one.
Moved on through life hit another ruff patch. Got involved with the wrong people started using drugs and living in a very fast lane. When another set of packages arrived. One told me this was a life choice I would not recover from, addiction is not something easily controlled. Life as I once knew it was over. But the 2nd package came in the form of receiving a Bible from a friends mother. There I met a man named Jesus who explained to me that he had given his life for me and that I would be able to live the abundant life, so I immediately signed for that package. That was almost 40 years ago, I never turned back.
Went on serving the Lord with all I had to offer. However, when I hit the seasoned years, I began to have regrets about past mistakes, Felt I had missed the plan of God for my life and walking out my destiny.
Thank God, I received another set Of packages. One agreed that I missed God, And all my gifts and talents would be buried in the grave right next to me. I have to admit I almost signed for that package. But when I looked at the other package It said I had not missed the plan of God for my life, my life experience was actually going to be used to usher me into the assignment God had for me to complete, so I rushed to sign for that package and wrote and published 2 daily devotionals. One for adults and one for children.
But as I went back and looked at my life I realized the highlight had been the time I overheard a guy I was dating at the time telling my son what a bad boy he was. I deliberately did not intervene because I wanted to hear what my son's response would be and after he let him get it all out and say everything he wanted to say. I waited and after a few seconds, I heard my son say. But my mom thinks I am good. My heart leaped for joy because I Knew that as a man of color I did not have to be concerned about his future because he also knew which package to sign for.
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