By Terry Allen
I hope Lucille “Big Mama” Allen is still proud of me because I am blessed for her lessons. She would be so useful today as we see this era of disinformation we are in now! She would tell the Floyd protestors, the Black Lives Matter members and all of those who seek social justice, “Keep your eyes on the Prize as you seek to rid us of wrongdoing”. Just look at the treatment of the Haitan immigrants at the Texas Border because you will not have to go further to understand what she meant.
She spoke from a strong ancestral and biblical core yet although she had to leave the education system at an early age as a 6th grader to go work in the cotton fields. Her Big Mama Playbook wisdom rang deep as I felt targeted and attacked during my journey as a servant leader. I had to stop in my tracks as people who looked like me & gleaned my skills, talents and knowledge as they vilified my humanity and isolated me as if I were a demagogue. I had individuals blocking me from contributing and participating in my two first loves, my work with my company and my advocacy with my beloved NABJ.
Big mama would remind everyone that Biblical peace is more than just the absence of conflict; it is taking action to restore a broken situation. It’s more than a state of inner tranquility; it’s a state of wholeness and completeness. Biblical peace is not something we can create on our own; it is a fruit of the Spirit.
The mental stress along with this pandemic fatigue took its toll on my well-being. I had to remember what Big Mama said, “DO NOT LOSE THE WAR BECAUSE ENEMY HAS SMALL VICTORIES! She was right. I had to execute all 5 of her key points to survive the attack. I was in shock as I processed a way to find peace from the broken pieces.
Do you have the wolf in sheep’s clothing at your door? Let me know terryallenpr@gmaill.com
Terry Allen is an award-winning media professional, journalist, and entrepreneur. He is also the founder of City Men Cook and 1016 Media. Reach him at terryalllenpr@gmail.com