Caught in the Midst

Often times we miss small bits of blessings because we aren’t focused on living and breathing in the moments as they come to us.  I’ve tried to be awake at all times as not to let life ease past me without me noticing.  In doing so, I have been blessed enough to catch the midst of other people’s blessings.  Recently I went to the E. Willander Wells Carnival of Fashion and this experience was no exception.  Needless to say, I was blessed over and over again and little had anything to do with the actual show.  Although, I was blessed by it as well, as my life goes, my most significant blessings came from my sisters.

Let me just walk you through that Saturday night.

First, I had planned to go with a good friend that I knew would enjoy the show as much as I would.  She wasn’t able to go and of course, I was discouraged as I don’t particularly like going to events alone and I could not get my husband to go with me.  But I was determined.  I got all dressed up and stumbled out into the cold, November night – anxious to see what Mr. Wells had been working on this year.

When I walked in the door, the first person I saw was my bestie, Chirvona and, as always with her, laying eyes on her put my spirit at ease.  I knew this was going to be a great night.  If all else failed I could just infuse myself into her date with her husband.  That’s how we roll. 

Then I looked up and saw Pam Confer dancing with the microphone in her hand.  I said to myself, “Wow, this is awesome.”  I began at that time to just relax and once I did, the energy of where I was and what was going on around me started to take flight.  There was a powerful feminine spirit guarding me there.

We started on the journey into the showroom.  I looked over my shoulder and I saw Tonja Murphy.  She’s another very strong force of a woman.  I could hardly contain my excitement. 

Then, I heard this powerful and familiar voice coming from back stage.  It was my mentor, Pam Junior, the show’s MC.  Oh my goodness she was gorgeous when she stepped beyond the curtain.  Such a powerful voice lives in her tiny-little frame.  She and I had recently had a conversation about her mother giving her a recorder to become familiar with her voice.  Now, I sat watching her and listening to her and I felt the blessing of being comfortable in her own skin and loving the sound of her voice.  I felt the midst.

The show started with Shelsie, a TAPS model.  WOW!  She was so beautiful.  She took strong strides and looked just like a pro.  I could see the growth in her from when we met during last year’s TAPS class.  She told me at that time that she wanted to model and was often told she was too big.  Well on that night, she was being celebrated for being full-sized and she was the ONLY full-size frame in the show.  I felt the midst.

I looked over at this woman who was smiling from ear to ear and recording Shelsie from the top of the runway to the bottom.  Since I was doing the same thing, I had to know who that was.  It was Sham, the TAPS Model Instructor.  She’d been Shelsie’s model coach at JSU and she invited Shelsie to come to the TAPS model call.  I could see the pride in Sham’s smile.  I was proud, but I can only imagine the blessing Sham was embracing just from seeing a product of her instruction being recognized by someone like E. Willander Wells.  AWESOME!  I felt the midst.

After the show, and after a plethora of emotion, I did a walk thru of the area just to feel the energy – it was very high.  A sister walked over to me and said, “I’ve been watching you.  I knew that I knew you.”  I said, “Where do you know me from?”  She politely said, “Facebook!”  Side note:  During the showcase, Pam had called this woman on the stage to introduce her to the audience.  She had founded an organization to help victims of domestic violence and Mr. Wells had gifted her for her work with women in the community.  But here she stood with me saying, “I’m Eva, I follow you in the JFP and on Facebook and you have the sweetest spirit.  God wanted me to tell you that.”  (Smile).  This sister, was blessed just an hour or so ago with recognition from others for her work, and then turned around and blessed me with recognition for mine.  Yep, that was all I could muster without shedding tears.  Eva held me and I held her and we blessed each other just for being sisters in the struggle and trying to be blessings to others.  Why?  Just because God says so.  I felt the midst.

Just before I was ready to exit, I ran back into Sham.  Now, Sham has taken a very precious place in my heart.  I could explain it in detail but I won’t because it’s her story to share.  But what I will say is that I have an enormous amount of respect for her.  Not only has she dedicated herself to what started out as just my vision (TAPS).  But she gives of herself to many others in this area on a regular basis.  God has blessed her with many talents and skills.  While she could be around this city acting very Hollywood, like some other folk with similar skills, she is still humble and very approachable.  She is friendly (most of the time) and she is open to growth.  We don’t see that every day in this city.  So, I cherish her heart and her soul.  I know that she struggles with certain things, but she continues to work hard and bless other people with her gifts.

Sham’s sister was the poster child for this event.  Sham was/is very proud of her sister.  She’s a beautiful model and finally someone had taken notice of it.  But, she fell ill and wasn’t able to be in the show.  By the end of the night, Sham had become overwhelmed with that fact.  I was there to listen and to take some of the emotion off of her.  It was heavy.  But I was there; I felt the midst of the blessing that is sisterly love.  

Now, I know this night wasn’t about me.  But this is how we often miss the blessings that come to us by being closed off to the universe.  Everything I do is about me if I welcome the universe to let it be.  Sure the show was outstanding.  But the blessing that I got from that evening was just a reflection of the Creator’s will for my life.  SISTERS.  They were all over the place that night.  The energy of womanhood was enormous.  The universe used this magnificently fabulous event to show me, yet again, that the power that we have in us is all around us.  His blessings for others are also blessings for us – IF we pay attention.   We can easily miss our small little midst if we don’t remain awake and astute to the power of living; the power of the living GOD. 

E. Willander Wells told me a few weeks ago when I was planning the TAPS showcase and visited him and Pam that “It will all be ok.  God will take care of it all.  Just don’t miss it.”  Well, that night his words sang out to me.  While he may have meant, don’t miss the show.  That night, I realized that God was using his voice to reach out to me and let me know that I was not to miss HIS blessings.  He sent that message through E because his show was the vessel by which God’s blessings would rain on others and I might catch the midst. Blessings were in abundance and I indeed felt the midst.