“Well, son, I’ll tell you: Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.” This line is from a 1922 poem written by Langston Hughes titled Mother to Son. The poem is about the struggles and triumphs of life for a Black mother and her son. The phrase "life for me ain't been no crystal stair" is a metaphor for the reality of hard times in the journey of life.
Hard times can make one bitter. The sting of dreams dried up, visions that have vanished, and hopes that seem to be dashed can leave you feeling like Naomi in the book of Ruth. Her husband and both sons died, and it left her so bitter that she was angry with God. Ever been there? You prayed for healing for your loved one, but they died. You had plans for a future together with your spouse, but they left you. And you find yourself taking offense. Naomi even changed her name to match her offended state:
“Call me no longer Naomi; call me Mara,
for the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me.”
Ruth 1:20
Naomi must have felt that life for her ain’t been no crystal stair! And she blamed God for letting it all happen. She took offense. And it made her bitter. Friends, we have a choice when we feel offense creeping into our hearts. We can either let it in like Naomi and be bitter about life, or we can do like the mother in the poem:
“But all the time
I’se been a-climbin’ on,
And reachin’ landin’s,
And turnin’ corners,
And sometimes goin’ in the dark
Where there ain’t been no light.
So boy, don’t you turn back.”
This mother had learned the key to winning the race over offense – keep climbing! Keep setting your sights on the goal.
Offense is a vision problem. Something happens to us, or someone does something to us, and all we can think about is the offense. We take it everywhere we go. We sleep with it, wake up, and put it on again. Offense becomes our constant companion, and we lose sight of hope. Hope isn’t dependent on our circumstances. It’s not a thing. Hope is a person named Jesus. And we have hope because Jesus is alive and living in us. No offense can overcome that!
In a recent Cardinals ballgame, Willson Contreras was at bat. He was hit by a ball so hard that it fractured his wrist, and he was out of the game for a few months. He was probably angry about it and maybe offended by the incident. But when he was cleared to come back, there he was at bat, ready to move forward. Like the mother in the poem, we have to keep moving forward. Offense can paralyze you. But if you take a word from King Solomon, it might help you to overcome offense:
“Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.”
Proverbs 10:12
“Those with good sense are slow to anger, and it is their glory to overlook an offense.”
Proverbs 19:11
So, what happened to Naomi? Her daughter-in-law, Ruth, married their kinsman, Boaz, and had a baby boy. So not only did Naomi become a grandmother, but her grandson, Obed, became the grandfather of David! And Naomi blessed the Lord who had not forgotten her.
What we can learn from Naomi and the mother in the poem, is that offenses will come, but that’s not the end of your story! God’s plans for us are not always visible. Sometimes we have to “go in the dark where there ain’t been no light” (paraphrased). Don’t let an offense stifle you. Keep moving, keep worshiping, and let God deal with the offender. Our job is to forgive and keep it moving, trusting that God has a glorious plan for our lives.
Is there an offense that you’re holding onto? Let’s talk about it on Sunday as we continue the Olympics sermon series, GT 2024: Winning the Race Over Offense!
See you on Sunday!
Vision for 2024:
A House United:
Strong Faith, Strong Families, Strong Future!
Blessings,
Pastor Linda
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