Do The People Around Me Feel My Love?

Blooming Season Family! 

I hope you all have having a good weekend so far. 

If you aren’t? I hope this weeks blog can shine some perspective into it. 

On August 28th, I remember looking at my phone a few minutes after midnight, opening my google app to check latest news articles and seeing the shocking news of the passing of Chadwick Boseman. 

I sat on the floor next to the chair that I had just gotten out of, covered my face with both hands and cried. 

An audible cry, with a steady flow of tears from each eye, wetting my face. 

I feel asleep crying that night and woke up crying the next morning. 

I have never cried this way for a stranger before. 

It was as if his legacy had sunk into my chest all at once and I was feeling the weight of the example he left for us to follow. 

In a statement written by his family, they revealed that Chadwick had been battling colon cancer since 2016, with chemotherapy and countless surgeries. 

He had filmed many incredible films during that time and chose to battle cancer privately. 

The supernatural strength of God, through that battle, is evident. 

There is no other explanation as to how a human being could endure the demands that it takes to be physically prepared, mentally prepared, to be present and excellent in films while battling cancer. 

The majority of the films he chose to act in were stories that portrayed black heroes. 

• Jackie Robinson, the first black baseball player in the major leagues, in the movie titled 42. 

• James Brown, the Godfather of soul, in the movie titled Get On Up. 

• Thurgood Marshall, the first African American justice of the Supreme Court, in the movie titled Marshall. 

• King T'challa, the first black super hero, in Black Panther. 

His entire body of work, including the historic icons he portrayed, overflow in excellence and shine so bright with his God given gift of story telling. 

That, alone, is admirable but beyond his films, it is who he was as a person that leaves me in awe. 

I’ve been reading countless stories from the people who knew him personally and the kind of person he was is clear. 

He loved people. 

He really loved people. 

With action, with encouragement, with kindness, with generosity and genuine care. 

I remember seeing videos of him visiting children who were battling cancer in the hospital. They were so exited to meet their Black Panther super hero and he was just as exited as they were. 

I had no idea that he was fighting the same fight, yet he took the time to bring joy into the lives of many children. 

Ryan Coogler, the directer of Black Panther, wrote that Chadwick had been texting him healthy vegan recipes that Ryan could make for his wife and children during quarantine. 

One of the producers that Chadwick had worked with, wrote that a few weeks before he passed away, they had arranged something special for a child whose last wish was to meet him. 

Due to quarantine, they were not able to visit in person but they sent that child, who was battling cancer, a special voice message from Black panther and a bunch of awesome toys. 

His stylist wrote that he was there for her when her husband became ill, when she lost family members and she said that he was like a brother to her. 

There are hundreds of stories like this. 

He loved people. 

He really loved people. 

A life well lived, like his, became a mirror to my own and I realized how far I am from really loving people. 

I realized how selfish I am with my time. 

I realized that I never call any of my family members. 

I realized that I don’t check on my friends enough. 

Do the people around me feel my love?

Is it going to take the death of a family member for me to show my love? 

I’ve been focused on my life and taking all of my time for myself. 

I’ve been saying that I am an introvert and using that as an excuse as to why I don't spend too much time with others. 

This past week, I’ve been thinking about what it really looks like to love people, as God commanded us to. 

I’ve realized that I’m actually incredibly selfish and not as loving as I thought. 

Love is a verb. 

It is not enough to think lovely thoughts about someone. 

Love is action. 

• Love is a phone call or text message to ask how the other person is doing.  
• Love is giving time to listen to a friend. 
• Love is sharing something that could help someone else if you have it. 
• Love is taking care of yourself so you’re overflow of love reaches the lives of others.
• Love is why we are here. 

“If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth” - Ecclesiastes 11:3A 

Chadwick was full of God given gifts, he emptied himself on the earth and I was one of the many people that he touched. 

The glory of God shined through his life so brightly and I am encouraged to be better. 

His faith in God was ingrained so deep into his life that it was apparent along side every gift that he decided to water, nurture and share with the world. 

Faith isn’t loud or have declare itself as it walks into the room. 

Faith is evident by the way in which we love. 

 “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13:35

We do not know when our last day on earth will be so let us not waste one single minute. 

Let us love freely. 

Let us do the work it takes to heal whatever it is that gets in the way of us being able to give love to others. 

Let us do the work it takes to fulfill our God given purpose because when we do, we will have left the earth better than how we found it. 

Chadwick left the earth better than how he found it. 

He showed us what excellence looks like, he gave us our first black super hero, he fulfilled his purpose, and now he’s home. 

He has fought the good fight, he has finished the race, he kept the faith, all while fighting cancer and loving people. 

Thank you Lord, for the life of Chadwick Boseman. 

Let’s keep his wife, parents, family and friends in our prayers. 

Here’s a link to a wonderful inspiring speech he made in 2018 : https://youtu.be/RIHZypMyQ2s

I hope you're encouraged to live a life filled with love towards others, towards yourself and towards your purpose. 

You can start today by showing love to someone in your life, in any way that you can. 

Let's continue to bloom. 

Rest in Power King Chadwick