Rambling Thoughts at White Rock Coffee

I walked up and down the cereal aisle at the Certified. A grocery store my mom, sis and I would walk to in the inner-city of Chicago. It wasn’t far, just a couple of blocks. Back in those days, we walked everywhere. 

We grew up without a car and without a telephone and lived in a 600 square foot apartment.  We learned early how to take the bus, ride the subway and the “L”…and occasionally faced a gang leader or two.

It was a good childhood!! 

As other children played in their backyards, we had the Chicago River, condemned buildings, and a huge grassy lot between buildings in the projects where we played soft ball, jumped rope and played jacks. 

After my mom’s divorce, we moved to the projects. I was nine years old and my sister, seven. I remember years later, my mom telling me that she told God she could not watch us all the time, but He could!!! She asked Him to watch over us. 

I believe He did. 

The laundry mat was near the grocery store. On laundry days, we carried our baskets down three flights of stairs and walked to the laundry mat where we would wash clothes and fold them. Then walk back home and back up three flights of stairs. Ha!!!

Living in the projects was a bit adventurous. 

I do remember one day, somebody driving down the street and shooting while we were at the laundry mat. We ducked behind the washing machines until the danger was over and went back to washing clothes. 

There are too many stories to tell. 

What came to my mind as I was sitting here at White Rock Coffee, was how I used to walk down the grocery store aisle wondering if there were hidden cameras between the cereal boxes waiting to discover the next famous actress. 

I am sitting here laughing. 

What in the world made me think that? Maybe it was Candid Camera. Does anyone remember that show? They would stick a camera in unusual places and catch people’s reactions. It was hilarious. 

I remember one in particular. Let’s see if I can describe this. In those days, ladies wore hose. You might find a mannequin or fake leg sticking out of a table with hose on it. One day they had a lady under the table with her leg sticking out of the table. At first glance, it looked like a fake leg…until she wiggled her toes. The reactions of people were so funny. 

So, who knows? A hidden camera could be stashed between the cereal boxes. 

At any rate, I did dabble a bit in the dramatic realm. 

“Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou, Romeo?”  

One of the methods of acting is…actually, I don’t know what you call it, but it’s not method acting. It’s more like finding the emotion within and pulling it out. The problem with that is you are stirring up emotions and being led by them. 

Not a good thing. 

Easy to see if you pay any attention to the tabloids. 

Oh, how grateful am I that the LORD looked down from heaven and rescued the three of us and transferred us from the kingdom of darkness into His glorious light!!! I have been on the other side and know what it is to see the difference. 

The Scriptures tell us that those who know Christ have the veil removed that separates us from the glory of God. Moses witnessed the glory of God when God’s finger wrote the law on tablets of stone. His face shone with the glory of God. Yet, the glory Moses experienced was a fading glory. 

But we with open face behold the glory of God, not the letter of the law that kills.  What we see is the manifestation of God’s glory experienced in the transforming work of the Spirit of God in our lives. Changing us from one degree of glory to another.  

This glory increases as the Spirit continues His work in us!!! Check out 2 Corinthians 3 & 4.

I am trying to wrap my mind around this. The Holy Spirit of God dwelling in me, changing me from the inside out. This is the New Covenant. And His work in me will continue until I see Jesus face to face in all His glory. This is the greater glory!!!

Just sitting here with my coffee, rejoicing in the power of God at work in me!!!