...ironically aaronica...

it’s rare to find someone who can really inspire you to live your life differently but i’ve actually stumbled upon this person. i think that funnier thing is that he has no idea how inspirational he is.

who is this person? well, his name is shaun king. some of you may know him and many of you may not but i know that i’m happy that i do.

i remember shaun from my spelman days. i always remember him in a suit with a smile. it seemed as though nothing could take his joy away and that resonated from his spirit. his eternal optimism was contagious then just as it is now. so what’s making me write this? well, i have a lot of things that i’d like to say to him, or rather things i would just want him to know and since this blog is my outlet, i’m going to do it here.

shaun started the courageous church. in 2008, we got back in contact. at the time, i was with my ex-husband and loved interacting with a young couple. shaun is only a couple years my senior but he was many many years ahead of me in wisdom and maturity. at the time, only part of me wanted to accept that. see, shaun and his wife rai are truly a beautiful family. i think that shaun could see when my marriage started falling apart. he tried to hold me accountable by “checking” me on some of the things that i was writing and saying. but due to my own immaturity, i didn’t accept it.

he would watch me on twitter saying things about the demise of my marriage and reached out to me time and time again to help. but my ex and i just couldn’t hold on. because of my anger, hurt, and pain through this ordeal, i opted to block shaun on twitter and out of my life. big mistake. what i’ve realized now is that the ones who love us most will always tell us the truth despite our readiness to listen. shaun fought with me to hear some of the things he was trying to say but i just wouldn’t listen.

then recently as i’ve gotten over myself and grown, i started following shaun again on twitter. per usual, shaun would tweet funny and inspirational things. for the longest, i was too embarrassed to respond to any of his tweets because of how my immaturity had manifested in my past. but then the tragedy in haiti occurred. i don’t think that shaun has an ounce of haitian in him but the way that he has been fighting for these people is amazing.

why is it amazing? you know, God’s love is the purest love that we know. He loves us without conditions. shaun’s love of people, the world, and God is the closest i’ve witnessed to replicating God’s perfect love. despite people threatening him, people not responding to him, people’s lack of faith in him, shaun has continued to fight to get these people help. one of my favorite quotes was “you have to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything” and shaun’s fight for PEOPLE is the embodiment of this quote.

everyday his twitter updates amaze me and help me to continue my own fight. no, i’m not quite ready to fight for all of humanity. but he’s inspired me to fight for myself and not give up on others. he’s inspired me to be better and continue to push myself to my greater self.

You have to focus on what God is calling you to do and know that if some folk don’t think you’re a little crazy then you either aren’t fighting hard enough for what you believe in or need a cause to get behind! I triple dog DARE you to get back in the ring. Get a little more fight in you for a cause. Hurting people need YOU!

~ shaun king

shaun, if you read this, please know that your efforts and greatness are seen. keep walking in the gift the God gave you. you are making a difference.

xoxo

me