It is the Holidays, uhhh…. Family!

It is the Holidays. The time where everybody goes and meets with family that they have not seen all year. A time for old friends and fun times…The Holidays are supposed to be about honoring the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and celebrating how thankful we are for what we have;maybe even for who we are. However, many of us might also have a lot of problems going on in the family. We may even dread getting together with our families. For some, this is because your mother thinks she knows everything about how your kids should be raised, which irks you. Or it maybe it is because of the brother or uncle that always has to point out how financially secure he is or how his house is bigger and better than yours. Or the family members that always find a way to look down on you. Or the fact that it is a major challenge to keep your cool when certain people walk into the room.

Numerous families all over America are being torn apart. Our nation is riddled with murder, rape, homicide, suicide and drug addictions. Each one of these issues rips thousands of loved ones away from their families on a daily basis. So you would think, when we see each other, there would be lots of love and comfort because we are finally together again, but no. We are all worried about how quick can we get out of there; how soon can we be freed from the burden of this thing we call a family gathering.

There is so much family division going on it is not even funny. Some will try to say the people that cause division are cousin Pookie that gets drunk all the time, smokes his weed, and acts like a fool in front of the whole family. Or Aunt Suzie that knows everything and makes sure everyone else knows how wrong they are; the list goes on and on about who is causing division and keeping the family from coming together. But understand, it is bigger than one person. One of the main jobs of the devil is to cause division. No business can be run by one person’s opinion, nor can any great organization or ministry.

If you go behind the scenes of great businesses and ministries you will find that everybody is not the same. They will all have different opinions on everything. Some may not even agree with a majority of what they do or how it is done. But if you ask everybody what the goal is of the company and what their position is within that company, they will be able to tell you. You can see that they are working consistently to fulfill their position and to reach the goal of the organization.

About eight years ago, I was working for a construction company and out on a job. It was just my boss and I that day, and we were driving through a huge apartment complex that was a whole block long. My boss told me how the tenants of the buildings were all Mexicans. He said that over sixty percent of them had come to America without a green card, and that they moved into these flats, four people to a room. Everybody had their own specific position in reaching a common goal. The goal was to come together, and own the whole entire apartment complex. I asked him if he thought they would ever be able to do it. He told me the whole reason he was telling me the story was because they had already accomplished this goal.

Some of us live 40 to 50 miles away from our family; some even across the country. Yet when we get together once a year, we have a hard time coming into agreement with anything. The devil knows that if we could just focus on what we do agree on, instead of what we disagree on, that we might actually come together and create change. Everyone has their own agendas. Individual families have their own dreams that have nothing to do with the rest of the family. What is your family goal? I bet most of you do not even know, or do you? Its ok, neither do I.This year at my family gathering, I want to try to do something different. Instead of getting mad at my family members for judging me the wrong way, or getting mad at Pookie because he drinks, and then cutting myself off from them. I am going to try to understand why they do what they do. I am going to pray that God will bring us together in a way that we never thought of, and restore all that the enemy has stolen from us.

You might say, “MiNiMe, you have not met my family!”and you think there is no way that can happen in your family. Well, not only do I have an immediate family, but I also have my MSP family. I have been upset, offended, and discouraged by every member of MSP and each of them has been upset, offended, and discouraged by me. Even to the point where each of us just wanted to give up and walk away multiple different times. As the head, I wanted things to go my way so I did what I wanted and it went on this way for a long time. However, the MSP team and I just kept going in circles. One day, we all came together offended, discouraged, and hurt by one another, some even disgusted, but we came together anyways and we prayed. We cried out to God. We said, “God what is Your will, what is Your way for this team?” God said we had to forgive and confess our sins to one another; each individual had to let go of their pride and personal agendas. We had to give into God’s will to follow one goal and one plan.

Shortly after we did what God asked of us, He opened many doors that we did not think would open. We have had all kinds of resources come to us. However, most importantly, we walk in unity with one another. I hate to admit this, but I have a better relationship with my MSP family than I do with my immediate family. But think about this, if God can do it with MSP, He can do it with your family too.

This season I challenge myself and all of you reading this, to not just come together during the Holidays. Instead, make it a priority to come together all year long; find out the goal and plan that God has for you and your family.  Always be mindful “To love one another, forgive one another, put away all bitterness, wrath and evil speaking and be ye kind to one another.” (Ephesians 4:32)

I want to say thank you to my MSP family, I love them with all my heart. I want to say thank you to my immediate family; I love each one of you with all my heart.

Merry Christmas Family! Love you.  –MiNiMe & The MSP Family