Jesus admonishes us (in Mark 10:15) to remember that “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter in.” This is precisely what Layla’s Corner is all about (learning how to receive the kingdom of God as a child would). Layla’s Corner coaches us on how to take life lessons from a child (Layla Bug) and apply them to our journey (sometimes a very ‘difficult’ journey) down the road to greater faith, greater love, greater forgiveness, greater maturity, greater destiny and, ultimately, greater righteousness. Who is Layla? Well, as you can probably already tell from the image, “Layla Bug” is the little piece of Heaven that God recently chose to bless our family with. Born in September of 2010, she has been the joy of our hearts every since. She has a number of nicknames. Her mom (Brandi) refers to her as mommie’s little “Stink, Stink”. Her dad (Ernest) calls her “Tuda” [you’d have to be very ‘old school’ to make sense of that little pet name– 🙂 ] . Her grandmother (Earline), affectionately, calls her “Granny’s Baby Girl!” Her oldest aunt (Revette) has deemed her to be her little “Fat Pig”. Her other aunt/godmother (Minister Moten) warmly refers to her as “Auntie’s Baby.”
“I’m Ready, Lord, but I Need Some Help!”
Well, it’s 5:19 on Saturday morning and the last time any of us have slept was Thursday night! The reason being that (on yesterday—Friday—at about 1:30 p.m.) Layla Bug decided she was ready to leave the Heavenly dimension and break forth into this new, earthly one. It’s funny, though. She was ready and not ready at the same time. Mommie went into labor around 1:30 on Friday afternoon and, yet, by 3:30 on Saturday morning little Layla Bug was (unbeknown to any of us at the time) clutching her very own umbilical cord! Seemingly, she had been the one to initiate this whole birthing process (with Mommie’s water having broken around 1:30 on Friday afternoon). However, after 13 ½ hours, Layla Bug appeared to be having second thoughts. She worried us all. We were beyond concerned. We were scared! Scared about Mommie’s well-being and about Layla Bug’s well-being. Each time Mommie experienced a contraction, Layla Bug’s heart rate would drop to dangerously low levels. Again, we were scared (we were beyond scared). We didn’t know it at the time, but apparently, Layla Bug was holding on (for dear life), clutching her umbilical cord and, thus, cutting off her own blood/oxygen supply. Finally, around 3:30 on Saturday morning, the doctor came in and, essentially, told us (Mommie included) that we had no choice. They (the hospital staff) were going to have to take Layla Bug, via a C-section. So, at 5:19 a.m., Mommie & Daddy gave birth to a beautiful 5 lb. 5 oz, 19 and ¾ inches baby girl! When she finally arrived, I wanted to ask her, “Layla Bug why did you “pull the plug”, set the birthing process in motion and, then (in the 11th hour), seem to change your mind?” It was as though she decided she was “ready” for this new realm (this new and different dimension) and, then (in the final hours) determined that she would much rather continue residing in the comfort of the place she had come to know as “home” over the previous 9 months. It wasn’t until later that it became clear to me that this would be Layla Bug’s first life lesson to us……
As individuals (whether committed to the cause of Christ or not), we often choose (as Layla Bug did that night) to ‘back track’ on, perhaps, the dream, the vision, the destiny, the closer, more intimate walk with God that we previously “self-initiated”. We are ‘gung ho’ in the beginning! We ‘pull the plug’! We are motivated! We are encouraged! Nothing can stop us! We, even, travel part of the way down the birthing canal. Mommie (figuratively speaking) is pushing! Daddy (figuratively speaking) is right there awaiting our infamous arrival! Family and friends (who love us severely) are all rooting for us! Then, in the precise moment in which we are to emerge, we become scared. We reconsider. We question. We begin clutching (vehemently so) to that which we have come to know as our safe place (our home, our source of life, our bloodline). In other words, we retreat! All of the work, energy and investment that we may have put forth (up to that point) mean absolutely nothing. We give up. We resign. We choose to stay where we are (the place we’ve always been and the place we’ve always known). We do all of this, despite the fact that our clutching (vehemently so) is threatening our very existence. Our heart rate is diminishing. Our oxygen supply is depleting. Our mind is gasping for new life (a new dimension). Notwithstanding, we continue clinging and clutching (desperately so) to the past (our past life, our past choices, our past places of comfort). Ironically, we are the ones who initiated this new life (this new dimension). We are the ones who first pulled the plug. We started all of this! However, we, then, become afraid. So, we begin clutching and clinging, clinging and clutching. We, mistakenly, believe that we are “holding on” to our life source. However, in reality, we are actually “choking” it out. That’s what Layla Bug (unbeknown to her) was doing that faithful night. God, however, in His infinite wisdom, mercy and grace made an executive decision (via the doctor) in the wee hours of that morning. That decision was to provide help to Layla Bug. Help that she could NOT provide to herself. She had gone as far as she could go. She had managed to travel three-fourths of the way down the birth canal. She could, however, go no more. She was weak. She was tired. She had accessed the full extent of her own (and, surely, Mommie’s) strength and vitality and she (Layla Bug) needed some help! That help came by way of someone (the doctor) who was well equipped to address the situation. She (the doctor) had come to this impasse many, many times before. She (the doctor) had frequented this path more times than she could recount. The entire circumstance was overwhelming and completely terrifying to us, but not to her (the doctor). She had, in effect, “been here before”. So it is with God. Even when we cannot “close the deal”, He can and He will! He has something far greater in store for us (if we would just “let go”). Stop strangling ourselves…. Finish (or rather allow Him to finish) what we began….. If we would just trust Him for that which we cannot see and for that which we cannot understand, He has a new life for us (a new dimension). Remember, He (God) has been here before. We haven’t (but He has). He knows what is at the end of the process (the birth canal). When we run out of strength…. When we have depleted all of our energy and all of our resources…. When we become afraid and retreat… He will make an executive decision and provide the HELP we so desperately need. He will go “into” (our specific world, our specific circumstances, our specific fears) and lift us out to a new life (a new dimension).