Do Not Block My Blessings!!!

I had a strange dream last night. Actually, it ain’t all that strange because it has been brought to the forefront in several of my pastor’s messages the last few months. So I’ll just say that the dream was bothersome.

I dreamt that I was trying to get to a certain city, which I will not mention, but the folk who I was traveling with kept procrastinating and coming up with excuses so we never made it there. The certain city in my dream in reality is only about two hours away. And in the dream I remember that we were trying to make arrangements to get there by Amtrak. We were trying to meet up with some friends who were to be at a concert at a church in that city. But I kept saying that if we took the train we would still have to find a way to the church. Nobody was listening to me. Finally, my oldest sister broke off several pieces of strings and handed it to each of us. Its obvious what the string represented, so what I did---in the dream---is decided to drive my car.

Ok, once I had decided to drive my car one of my younger sisters had asked to ride with me. She wanted to get to this city as well. In real life, I always get on this particular sister because she can’t make a move without at least one of her many girlfriends. Every family event she brings one or all of her girlfriends. Even to some of our most private and intimate family functions….she brings her girlfriends. Over the years I have spoken openly about this because she has fallen into a very dependent type of mindset. And at times I get pissed because my mother seems to encourage her dependency. Ok, don’t get me wrong…..I love her best girlfriend. And her boyfriend. But sometimes she allows her little ghetto girlfriends to tag along and at one point or another…..their ghetto character is exposed causing embarrassment to the family.

In the dream, I told my sister that I was going to wash my car and that I’d be right back to pick her up, and that she’d better be ready. In real life, she’s also my sister who is ALWAYS late—lol. So I got into my car---it was my old car in which in real life I gave to this particular sister---and I headed to the car wash. As I was driving I ran smack dab into a brick wall. In reality the car would have been totalled and obviously hindering me from getting to my destination. But I turned around and drove back toward the house. I had decided not to get my car washed because we were running late.

When I got back to the house, there was this HUGE leak almost like the size of a pool that was blocking me from getting to the house to get my sister. The water in the leak was muddy. I know from looking up the meaning of dreams that muddy water means negativity. But I was determined. So I climbed up on the side of the house trying to reach a rope that was hanging from the roof. I knew that if I could grab the rope I’d make it over the water. I made it. But when I got to my sister……..she had all of her girlfriends with her. At that point, I woke up. And we never made it to the city.

Ironically, in real life, back in the early nineties me and one of my girlfriends had met these two guys at a concert. The two guys sang with a very well-known group. The two guys were “celebrities” in their own right, one going on to becoming a Gospel solo artist, and so when they took interest in us we were ecstatic. When they would tour we would meet them in certain cities. But one particular time they’d decided that they wanted us to spend New Year’s with them and their family, so they invited us to their hometown. We were soooo excited.

I remember me and my girlfriend had purchased our plane tickets right after Thanksgiving. And up until we were to leave the anticipation had skyrocketed. The way it was planned, still being young students, she and I would share in the travel expenses making it affordable for the both of us. And even though we were young, we knew better not to allow these dudes to pay for anything giving them a false sense of control over us. And we were from DC. We had established this "I'm and independent woman" in which they loved--lol. And besides that, she and I were trying to live a godly life. I mean we were TRYING--lol. But we didn't want to make a negative statement.

The dude who I was “attached” to had become a dear friend to me. Over the course of a year, he and I had established a bond. When they were on tour in real far cities, I’d wait until he’d finish performing, which was usually around midnight, and we’d talk on the phone until the daylight. About ANY and EVERYTHING. He was my friend. And so I was really looking forward to spending some quality time with him on New Year’s. And was even more honored that he wanted to cross over into a new year with me. My girlfriend and her friend were moving a little fast. Dude wanted to marry her, but she was at a point in her life where she was trying to hear from God, but being interrupted with fleshly desires. She was falling for dude and they’d become real public with their relationship.

The day before we were leaving, I was in the hair salon getting done up for my friend and my girlfriend paged me (remember pagers????—I had a purple one--lolol…..oh goodness), but she paged me 9-1-1. When I called her back she told me that she had decided not to go on the trip. I was stunned. Over that month there was no inclination that she didn’t want to go. I knew that she was dealing with her own personal issues, but never thought that it would have a burden on a commitment that she made, not to dude, but to ME! For hours she and I went back and forth. I was stuck. My friend was adamant about me still coming. But it was no fun without my girlfriend. So I’d decided to cancel out as well. Canceling would have meant that we’d both lose hundreds of dollars. I was pissed. Not to mention that…….I really wanted to see my boo!!!

Later that night, in which our flight was to leave real early the next morning, my girlfriend called me and said that she had decided to go. I was sooo happy. When we arrived at the airport of their city, we got another issue. The guys had to be in a mandatory rehearsal so they had to send someone to pick us up from the airport and take us to the hotel. The person who picked us up was not pleased to be picking us up for whatever reason. On top of that, it was raining like cats and dogs. It was cold and wet, and my hair had flopped, and we were mad at their manager because we felt that he tried to sabotage our trip. It was ugly. But then…….

Later that afternoon, after me and my girlfriend settled in our hotel, my friend walked through the door and my world lit up. For the entire time that we were in town he did not leave my side. In fact, his group had a huge concert in their hometown while we were there and when I tell you we got the royal treatment……. They both made sure that me and my girlfriend were well-taken care of, and they made it known that we were with them. During our time alone, my friend and I spent some real quality time together. NO SEX AT ALL. Can’t say that we weren’t tempted and tried, but we were adamant about getting to know one another on a deeper level. Our conversations were very deep. He opened up and shared a lot about his career and personal life, and his love and thirst for God. He made me feel comfortable sharing myself. Up until him, and even after him, I wasn’t used to dealing with guys who LOVES God and shows it in his character. But he did. On top of that, the way he treated me in public was second to none. He did everything from carry me on his back over rain puddles to feeding me. He even taught me how to kiss. YESSSSS…..he taught me how to appreciate a kiss!!!

I remember the day we were leaving we had missed our flight. So me and my girlfriend had to arrange to take a flight that was a few hours later. The guys DID NOT want to see us leave and were glad that we’d missed our first flight. But then they had to take us to the airport to make the second flight. It was sooo cute. They kept stalling, making us push it close. They were making scene's in the airport like they were sad. It was like we were in a music video or making a commercial. I remember the four of us running through the airport, me with high-heeled boots on trying to run for my plane. This was waaay before 9/11 when loved ones could go to the gate. And I remember him holding my hand and carrying all my bags so that I wouldn’t fall.

After we returned home, he and I continued to talk for another couple of months. He adored me and I adored him. I didn’t like the long distance thing but I was willing to give it a try. But then he experienced a horrible tragedy that circulated quickly around the Gospel circuit. I remember when I heard the news. I was floored. I remember I was in a state of shock for days. I didn’t know what to say or how to say it. I just gave him his space to deal with his family. I wanted to hear his voice. I wanted him to call, but he didn’t. From the gossip mill, I heard it nearly destroyed him so I took that as a sign to leave him alone and just pray. Weeks later, I knew that he and I would never talk again. At that point, I knew that he had come into my life for a specific reason. It took a while to accept, but eventually I did. To this day…….there is a standard in which I require in a relationship as far as communication and how a man treats me. It was my friend who set that standard.

Over the last few months, my pastor has been speaking a lot about blocked blessings. I’d even received a prophecy, in which I wrote about in an entry, that my marriage was blocked. It is becoming so clearer now. Satan has literally set up forces to block God’s blessings in our lives. When I was in church a few weeks ago, there was a prophecy given to a woman that her husband’s practice---he’s a medical doctor---had been blocked by satan. The visiting prophet told her that satan had blocked patients from coming in and that the practice was experiencing financial loss. The lady confirmed it even going as far as to say that her husband is depressed because he can’t figure out why all of his patients have stopped coming to him. The visiting prophet sat in a chair and demonstrated how satan was sitting in front of the door of her husband’s practice. When he told me about the block on my marriage, I couldn’t help but to envision satan sitting in front of me.

You know what…….I hear it all the time about Charismatic and Pentecostal Christians trying to fight satan in the Spiritual realm and in a nutshell they say we’re wasting our time. But they can say what they want!!! There are demonic forces set up just for God's people. Satan ain't thinking about the unsaved. He got them. Its the ones with destiny and purpose that he wants. Some of us have demonic forces behind the scenes and because we’re not walking totally in the Spirit and binding the enemy we’re allowing our blessings to be blocked. I’d be the first to say that when I pray I ask the Lord to open doors and to close doors. But there are some closed doors that the Lord has NOT closed. And it takes some serious warfare to remove satan so that those door will open.

Ok, can I just be blunt today? Thanks. Satan is so cunning that he is using the folk closest to us to block God’s blessings in our lives. It could be as simple as a girlfriend not liking your boyfriend. That boyfriend could be the very man that God has ordained for you to marry. Or in my personal case, a girlfriend trying to block a trip that was to teach me a life lesson on men. Yes, yes…..I’d also be first to say that I need the support of my loved ones; especially when making important decisions, but ultimately…….the decision should be from God. And we have to renew our minds daily through supplication to hear from Him. If not, we could be allowing folk to block our destiny. Satan is cunning. He comes in all kinds of packaging. Blocks on God’s blessings are demonic forces that we have to allow the Lord to work on our behalf to destroy!!!! God does not go against our will. Yes, He is ALL powerful. And can do ANYTHING. But He gave us the power to choose.

And I am sick and tired of hearing folk, especially Christians, say that since they are Christians satan can't bother them. That is not so!!! Our minds are the devil's playground. If that weren't so the Lord wouldn't have to continuously tell us through His word to renew our minds daily. Ok, can I take this a step further.......there are some blocked doors that the Lord has allowed satan to keep blocked just because we have rejected His will!!! When we allow our mindset to be coerced into satan's territory we can do and say some things that can destroy our destiny. Not to mention another person's destiny. I've noticed that when I've detatched myself from certain folks over the years and committed myself to the Lord's will.......doors started opening for me. I was able to accomplish some things in my life that I couldn't as long as I was attached to [certain folk]. I'm telling you.........blocked blessings are a HUGE tactic that satan uses on us.

Before closing this entry, I have to REPENT. I repent if I knowingly, or unknowingly, stood as a block in the way of somebody else’s blessings. Lord I ask that you would remove any blockings in my way so that Your perfect will will be fulfilled in my life.

"Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself." --Ezekiel 3:20-21

……….Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way. ---Romans 14:13