Saturday, September 1, I went to a worship service at Elevation Church in the Ballentyne area of Charlotte, NC. It was an experience like no other in which I came away with two words. The first being freedom and the second being association. Today, we'll discuss the second...Association.
We were pleasantly surprised when the pastor and copastor announced that there would be a guest speaker - Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts. During the course of the introduction, they talked about her being a wife and mother and the daughter of Bishop TD Jakes. It is always amazing to me that before we are who we are called to be, we are seen by our associations. She preached the Word straight from the throne room of heaven - Everything Must Go - using the scripture Matthew 26:69. It you would like to hear it, visit the Elevation Church webpage.
Growing up I was Bro’s daughter, Val’s daughter, Marc’s sister, so and so’s granddaughter, niece, cousin. I didn’t find my name as a description of me until I went off to college. Around the halls of high school and throughout the city, I was Lil' Dozier. These associations used to irritate me growing up because I always thought "I have a name. I am me. Why don’t they see me." It wasn’t until I got much older and much wiser that I realized the association wasn't a bad thing. People associate you with your family because they don’t yet know what you’re capable of and what you stand for. People knew my mother, father, brother, grandparents, uncles, aunts and some of my cousins because they had established themselves and their reputations. I was associated with a family that gave back to their community, that fought for their country and for some, had partied all night long. Their reputations preceded them so much that when people saw me, they saw them. I think back now and realize that this was a generational blessing and not a horrible experience in life. I also realized once I got to college that the expectations of the community lived within me as I challenged myself to uphold the morals and values of those who’s shoulders I stood upon - my family’s. And what monumental shoulders they are. What a blessing it was - it is - to stand upon the shoulders of people that make a difference in this world.
Certain associations are not bad. In my case, they are generational blessings.
Be a Blessing and not just Blessed.