“Then Rizpah, daughter of Aiah, the mother of the two men, spread burlap on a rock and stayed there the entire harvest season. She prevented the scavenger birds from tearing at their bodies during the day and stopped wild animals from eating them at night.”
– 2 Samuel 21:10
Motherhood is a trip. Christian motherhood is a voyage. Mothering young black men is a journey. Of course, I’m exhausted. I’m a mother…a Christian mother…a Black mother. I pray and slay all day. This passage in 2 Samuel speaks to me. Rizpah, a mother who knew that her sons were the sons of a king, refused to allow her sons to lay dead and be devoured. She knew they deserved dignity and honor. So she lay on that rock until King David came to collect their bodies and bury them with their father, Saul, in the tomb of their grandfather, Kish.
“I have to watch police, politicians, teachers, coaches, store clerks, and strangers who might consider skittles to be dangerous.”
All mothers have a natural instinct to protect our children. As a mother to young black men, that instinct is ferocious. In the current environment I’m fighting like Rizpah to keep the scavengers from tearing away at my sons– their dignity, honor, self-esteem, self-image, and life itself. I have to watch police, politicians, teachers, coaches, store clerks, and strangers who might consider skittles to be dangerous. Every night I fall into bed, I thank God that my sons are alive and pray they live another day. It’s a real, not at all irrational, fear of this Black mother.
A few weeks ago I was praying about all of the ghosts of racism and hatred that surround us right now and the voices that scream to make America the way it used to be. These are people we thought were dead, but it turns out, they were only quiet until given the permission to speak loudly again. These voices marginalize anything and anyone that isn’t exactly like them. As I prayed, my heart burned with emotion. Then, the Lord spoke to me. He simply asked, “Do you trust me?” Before I could answer, all of the scriptures of my heart came pouring out.
“For God has not given us the spirit of fear and timidity but of love, power, and self-discipline.” – 2 Timothy 1:7
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11
“For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.” – Psalms 91:11-12
“Though the wicked sprout like weeds and evil doers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.” – Psalm 92:7
God said, “Relax, believe in me.”
Remembering the scriptures calmed me. The over excited vigilance I had began to wane into normal maternal instinct – which is still extremely powerful. I realized that nobody, not even a mother like me, can protect my sons from all that is happening around us. My best weapons are prayer, godly wisdom, and walking in my power as a spirit-filled woman of God. I wake up and command evil to flee. I pray a hedge of protection around my sons at work and school. I pray that God keep the Word tucked deeply in their hearts so that they remember who he created them to be. My sons are born-again Christians. They don’t belong to me. They belong to God. They have their own destinies and testimonies to build. For that, I am grateful.
Christian mothers, breathe, relax, trust God. Black mamas, pray, have faith, believe the promises of God. Don’t take your eye off the real enemy to our children. Pray. Don’t get so focused on the circumstances that you lose sight of the real source of the evil.
I pray. I slay. All Day.
“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” – 2 Corinthians 10:4 NIV
Get “The 365 Most Important Bible Passages for Mothers: Daily Readings and Meditations. by Sheila Cornea.
Kamryn Adams is an author, screenwriter, blogger and coach. She is the Principal and Chief Executive of The Kamryn Adams Company, a media holding company that promotes spiritual health, emotional wellness, and purposeful living. www.KamrynAdams.com