Love Lifts Us All
Bishop Eddie L. Long
So, the last two days have been not the best. The passing of my almost eight-year spiritual father has made me very emotional. Yes, even your Positive Princess Sister has her days when she just needs answers….
When death comes, it brings about questions on so many levels. You start to question the very existence of life , and sometimes it’s very hard. You want to go back to a time when things were good. These are the times when we have to, “Lean not in our own understanding.” We have to keep that glimmer of hope, because God is Hope and he doesn’t disappoint us. Romans 5:1-5.
I was blessed beyond measure, going to church and experiencing this fire that was placed in my spirit Sunday after Sunday. I was blessed to continue to go forward, by our pastor when he made himself vulnerable and told us the stories about his life. For example, Bishop spoke about when he was younger and how when the counselor asked him if he was going to college, his response was, “No mam, I’m too dumb for college.” He went on to say how she invested in him and he went to college. My son was young at the time and I was in and out of meetings because of his academic struggles at the time. He struggled greatly in elementary school and even now, I still have to attend meetings, but he gets better every year. I remember praying hard one summer in church, and my son was tested for special ed. However, he didn’t qualify because his academic ability was too high. You see Bishop gave me the hope, that my struggling son could do well. My baby boy could go to college, and in the name of Jesus he will go! My son is very athletic, and he will go to college on a basketball scholarship.
Pastor Long has given many people hope in despair, cars, houses, food to eat, the church donates to Hosea Feed The Hungry. Many lives were changed at the Easter Services at the Georgia Dome and at New Birth. I was lucky to experience this. It was acts like this that made me proud to be a member of New Birth. I loved every single Sunday that I was there. Every single message that Pastor Long preached elevated my thinking and my mindset. He made me feel like, this little lady from a small town called Albany, Georgia could be great!. I am grateful for the years that I was poured into. I have to not stay at this place of sadness, I have to get back up and continue the dreams that he sparked in me. The days to come will be hard, but at times, life's journey can be a strain. But, we as humans always get up. We find the desire to continue on our quest.
And to the people who say such harsh things, they don’t know him like his family, friends, and congregation members-both past and present. We know of all that he spoke of and we know how he ministered to our lives, hearts, and souls. We all are able to feel the way we want to feel, so I am asking that you please give peace to those of us that loved him for who he was. Despite of any allegation. Despite of any humanness. We love him and we will always love him, just as he was. In the words of a sermon, “Love lifted me.” Love will lift us all.
May God Bless,
Erin Johnell Dickey
