TONE DOWN FOR WHAT!

Dear Elizabeth,

It’s been quite a while and so much has happened. One of the things that has really taken 'center stage' is a wide spread virus that has almost all of us under quarantine. That will definitely feature in one of our letters; today it’s more about the effect of the quarantine; a lot of alone time. All this isolation has got me thinking and one of the things I have realized was I often shape shift. Not in the literal sense, that would be really cool though, but in that I can be the jolly , talk a little too much Mary here and the I don’t talk to nobody Mary there. I can be extremely silly here and without a hint of it there. Yes, it would be uncalled for to be silly in a business meeting yet well received in a Sunday school class but what I realized I is that I can sometimes change because am holding back from who I really am.

Am coming to see this is not just a me problem, I believe many of us often change to suit the situation or person we are with. Sometimes it is expected of us to act a certain way in certain places and address certain people in certain way and that is okay, case in point the business meeting scenario. This is not really the kind of change I’ve been thinking about though. It’s more so the change we bring ourselves to because of what I believe stems from a perception we may have. We perceive we could get hurt if we maybe give of ourselves too much, could be rejected if we are as bubbly as we normally would be or maybe that someone will like us too much if we respond to that text too quick like we normally do with everyone else and we ain’t ready for all that . We “tone it down”… we don’t want to seem too eager , or too outgoing or too friendly ..too caring… too forgiving… too accepting…too clingy… too nice.. too talkative…The list is endless.

I know Paul says and I quote:

….i have become all things to all people so that I might save some. I do this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings -1 Corinthians 9:22-23

All this time I believed he was toning it down. I thought he muted His personality, but really , he must have been adding onto it. I believe this because as I read the epistles, Paul is just as charismatic and radical throughout. .He shares the truth the entire time; he is still the same Paul. Sure he may have seemed to take a liking to Timothy and been like a big brother while he seemed not as friendly to the Galatians, but he was still him and still had the same radical message in both scenarios. He still held the truth and still maintained the reason why which was his desire to further the gospel. Are you still you when you change depending on the friends you are with or the place ?.. and when you do change, because you do, why do you do it? Is it really to spread the gospel, the gospel that is love?

If John Legend hadn’t already taken ‘all of me’ as a title that’s probably what this would have been titled (current title sounds like no other song out there) cause we need to always give all of us and trust that it won’t be taken advantage of and that God will honor our sacrifice, because it is a sacrifice to put all of you out there. There is the risk of ridicule, rejection, looking like a teacher’s pet cause you answer all the questions and you’re always right too, looking pretentious cause you are speaking in that foreign accent you picked up from TV even if you never left your home country or even seeming naïve cause you give people second chances even when most people think they don’t deserve it. We need to take the risk and be all that God has made us to all that God exposes us to .

So you know that person that is mean to you ALL. THE. TIME. You are a kind person, be kind to them too .. That person that never shows up ... you know they need someone and you’re real good at showing up.. Show up! That friend that never says sorry .. for once , literally just once you were the one in the wrong ... say sorry . Let us show love. Love doesn’t have a dial where we can give a 10 today and a 1 tomorrow. Give your crush a 9 and that weird neighbor a 5. It’s an all or nothing. I know we give 60% and use 40% as a buffer to avoid hurt but I can only imagine what 60% would have looked like if God played it that way . Jesus telling Simon of Cyrene “That cross looks good on you , how about you finish this race for me”.. So no death on the cross , no salvation no reconciliation with God... but even if He could , we must realize Jesus could have rejected the cross ... He instead took up the rejection and shame from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN2tJQ2r0L8

the world and took up the cross. That is love

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of our faith. For the joy that was set before Him He endured the cross, scorning it’s shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

The Bible says they will know we are Christians by our love . Don’t tone it down ... endure the pain that may come with it for a greater good. There is also a greater joy set before us. In all this always asking God if that’s His will.. I don’t want y’all going to the murderer down the street and saying am not toning down my love for you lets be friends ... most of his friends, are dead.. but am also not saying God can’t use you in that way .. It’s seeking his face and guidance and knowing how He wants you to show the love... However there are things you know you need to do that you’ve been avoiding. It’s time to show that love .

When God made you He knew you needed that bright shade of Orange and a little green... so if what you have came from God meaning it doesn’t lead to sin , so it’s not bringing all the anger to confrontations, like we said , wisdom. It’s more about if God made you to feel a deep joy all the time and you always smiling and people don’t get it. Keep smiling; in His presence is fullness of joy. And anytime you feel like you want to tone it down, remember that if He wanted you to be any less of who you are, He would have made you that way. So tone down? Tone down for what?

He says in His heart, which is His word:

Your borders are in the heart of the seas;

Your builders have perfected your beauty. Ezekiel 27:4

Let your colours shine Elizabeth!

Ps. This is not a blog , it’s my letter to you

Love, Mary:)