Episode Fourty Eight
“Who You Wit” is a title from a hit song many years ago by Jay-Z and Co. Although the lyrics and delivery of this particular song is neither my choice of words nor music I would listen to, or endorse, the title however remains universal and applies to us all.
Who Are You With? What is your base, your anchor, your dependency? Where do you draw your strength, what stabilizes you, your zone of safety etc, is a powerful and necessary question to ask.
Since 2018, a small group of women and this year a man, and I have gathered on the phone and prayed at 5:30am 5 days a week, reducing to 4 days a week during the summer. We enjoy and honor our time in prayer. We understand the power and benefits of prayer as an anchor. The prayers we pray each day, the discipline of the early rise is not only for that day’s life events but for our future journeys as well.
During these prayer times, we are anchoring, laying a sound foundation, for ourselves and our families’ future, including generations to come. We are also leaving a profound legacy of faith and discipline.
As a prayer group, we love, support and pray for each other, our children, husbands, partners, future husbands, work, life, community, government and any challenges we are individually facing. Many challenges have come, (sickness, death, imprisonment of one of our sons, accidents, financial, work, our children’s life transitions, marital challenges, personal losses, mental health issues, etc).
Yet through it all our faith in God has not dimmed, but has grown stronger. We all know and affirm daily, that our most powerful and reliable anchor is not only in our prayers but in God himself. We would anchor no other way. Each woman has her own journey, conversations and intimate time with him. Knowing without any doubt it is in him, through him and for him we live, have our children, marriages, life, identity, purpose, strength, favor, internal peace, gifts and joy.
We go through the challenges by HIS Strength not ours, HIS Wisdom, not ours, HIS Grace, not ours. Even our daily breath is given to us by him.
As a Christian I am also inspired by the faith of friends from other religions. Their peace, comfort and commitment to their active faith is very influential in my life. It is our faith as humans in a source more powerful than ourselves that anchors us. An unanchored light boat left alone drifts. Likewise we too can drift without direction, or can be taken away from the shore of safety without an anchor.
Family and Community Anchors
We have a large Cuban family here in the US and in Cuba. Currently, our family in Cuba is in crisis with only 2-3 hours per day of electricity, limited water, medicine and food. Yet they remain steadfast and resilient. How? They have lived with limitations and economic crises for so long, they are not anchored in promises, external help, material possessions, or economic prosperity like many of us are.
They are anchored in pure faith, love and support of community, family and a shared unspoken resilience that has been building in them for over 60 years. They have learned “the art of survival”.
We have lived in our home for over 19 years. The stability of our home is an anchor, manifested out of prayers. The first few years in our home were financially difficult. However, we remain anchored in our faith and experienced the manifestation thereof.
In many cultures, the family and community is the anchor. Even our wise elderly parents, family members and grandparents can be anchors. Many adults in crises or have experienced losses go back home, (the anchor), to live with their families.
The Single Mom Anchor
With so many single parent households, globally, many men, regardless of success, prominence or stature, count their moms as their anchor. She sacrificed, cared for and encouraged them. She supported and helped them develop and use their gifts. She stayed when she had the choice to leave.
Our anchors do not perfect our journey, nor promise us a balanced and un-scathed life. It does keep us buoyant in turbulence. Moving forward even in the midst of fear. Peaceful in troubled waters, and shows us the rays of hope. It reminds us of our identity, that we are not alone, we are loved, and that we will make it through this too. It keeps us from drifting too far out to sea with no land in sight where we may easily capsize or get lost and never return.
So back to the powerful Question “WHO YOU WIT”?
“You dance over me, I am not aware, you sing all around but I never hear a sound.”
“Lord I am amazed by you, how you love me”
Song AMAZED
“A lot of people struggle with sleep because sleep requires peace”
Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.
African Wisdom
Sonia M. Wignall
Sonia M. Wignall is Co-Founder//Board Chair, Diaspora Global Foundation. A STEM Education Organization. www.leanintostem.org. She is also a Freelance Cultural and Lifestyle Writer. Her articles and monthly column “Perspective”, and “Perspective on the Arts” can be found here.