Too Hard To Swallow

The best thing about writing on the internet (for me), is that it has allowed me to express my beliefs more clearly with people who I interact with everyday. And in turn, those who are new or curious about the faith seem to be comfortable asking me questions that they feel reluctant to ask 'holy rollers'.

The people who know me, know I get down with my pen.

Everyone in my inner circle knows about Servinemup Ink.

They might not have read everything I’ve published, but they’ve read SOMEthing.

I first jumped on the blogsphere, thanks to the urging of Okokon B. Okon III and implementation help from Trader Mike, two fellow Stanford alums, who were both Electrical Engineering majors (like me..go EE!!). At the time I wasn’t exactly sure how public I wanted to be with my writing, but I bit the nail and rolled servinemup.com out on the block.

The very first post was a welcome and a prayer.

Dear Reader,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to servinemup.com. Whether you're here by personal invitation or just happened to browse across this listing...thank you for coming. I hope that you enjoy the content & material.
- David Earl Washington, II

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer." - Psalms 19:14

Since then, a lot of people have had issues with the manner in which I ‘got down’ on the pen. Just like some Christians don’t like how this brother ‘got down’ with these Mormons. (Doo-Rag Brother vs Mormons) http://thecomforter.info/main/index.php?option=com_xevgfx&func=detail&id=2

I used to spend a lot of time ‘defending’ myself and my methods. Via email, phone calls and face to face confrontations.

I’ve had to sit down behind closed doors with preachers and elders and some have given me grave warnings against publishing material such as contained in Intent to Distribute.

On the other end of the coin are potential investors who dig my prose, they just prefer ‘Jesus-free’ material. The wild part about that, is that a lot of em actually GO to a regular church service.

So like all big decisions in my life, I prayed on it.

I pray daily on it. That Psalms 19:14 is one of my daily staples.

All jokes and fun aside, I NEVER want to be the dude that’s spreading lies and false rumors.

So, I have a higher level of responsibility, because I know there’s a lot of dudes around me who look up to me as a spiritual ‘big brother’. They respect my faith and my walk and the way I get down on paper.

More so than anything, I know my challenge is to stay real.

Don’t front and try to act like something I’m not.

Be D.

It hasn’t all been grim and negative. God has also sent some encouragers in my life, supporters. People that’s ready to ‘get down’ with me. Some preachers and pastors have actually been very supporting of Servinemup Ink. A lot of family members and childhood friends have supported me and passed along the link to their distribution list, I get a LOT of love.

But the intended audience has always been the street world and my distribution manager Curvey has made sure that the brand is known on the street level. Barber shops, beauty shops, car detail shops, hustlers in the hood know what we’re serving.

These past 4 years have availed some things in our mission of serving up ink, that has had both of us tripping at times.

But despite it all, the testimony remains the same.

The great I AM manifested on earth in Jesus Christ.

Jesus IS God, there is no other person, path that you can go through and get to the Promised Land.

He was born of a virgin, He lived about 33 years in the Middle East, he preached, he taught, he healed, he delivered, he commissioned, he was tried, crucified and resurrected.

He hung out with selected disciples in his resurrected body for a few weeks, then he broke back (ascended) to heaven to prepare a place for all Believers once we die our mortal deaths.

People trip on a lot of different things, but THAT’s the gospel message.

A lot of Believers put it out there in different ways, but the main charge is that it’s gotta get out there. Everybody gotta hear it before it’s all over. Where there is no law, there is no sin.

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" - I Timothy 2:1-5

That’s the fervency that you see in a lot of Christians eyes when they testify to non-Believers.

If you knew a judgement was coming and your brother was ignorant to the laws, would you want him to stay ignorant or would you put him up on the game so he can have a chance to win too?

Real Game…for so many, it’s too hard to swallow.

Rest in peace Chad Butler known on the Southside as Pimp C.

I Made It by Marvin Sapp

Marvin Sapp is the name of the dude who sings that song I referenced in Tripping.

It’s from his album called Thirsty and the name of the song is I Made It.

“I’m stronger. I’m wiser. I’m better. I’m SOO much better. I made it.

I never could have made it..without you.”

I heard this song for the first time at a funeral that I went to last week.

It was the kind of funeral where they ‘got down’ and praised the Lord.

You know a funeral is live when the ushers have to carry people out who ‘catch the Spirit’ and start falling out, hollering and screaming all over the place.

A REAL homecoming celebration.

Of course, my wife already knew this song. She stays up on the latest gospel music because she’s into praise dance choreography ministry and she just loves the Lord like that.

I tend to focus more on the Word and hardcore gospel preaching/teaching. It was my first time hearing that song at the funeral. I liked it though. I could feel it..cuz I know I’m stronger, I’m wiser and I’m SOO much better.

I made it mane.

It feels REAL good too, as all blessings do.

I just pray that everyone in the reach of these words are grinding toward your God given purpose. God’s purpose is a safe haven that God grants a promise through His Word.

"For we know that all things work together for good for those who love God. For those who are called according to his purpose" - Romans 8:28

It’s a cold cruel world out there full of wild animals seeking to devour.

I have NO IDEA how people function who don’t have the security of working towards God’s purpose in their lives.

All I know, is that that didn’t work for me.

Tripping

I know a lot of people who visit servinemup.com for the first time get ‘thrown off’ a bit.

My delivery and content can come across as shocking to some, others just think I’m crazy as hell.

The real funny part, is that in my family’s perspective, I’m one of the nicest, sweetest, most mild-mannered dudes in the whole family...

Got a good education. Got a beautiful Christian wife, he didn’t run off and marry one of them white girls like a lot of black men do when they start making some money, beautiful kids that he take care of, know how to keep a good paying job, he don’t have a whole bunch of children spread out all over the place, all his children live up under the same roof with him and his wife and they’re all serving in the church and happy in the Lord, my nephew/cousin/grandson/brother/uncle D is a good strong Christian man.

At least, I used to be the clean cut one. But now a lot more of them know how I really get down. You get a whole different label when you’re found to be consorting with the inner family clique that’s most likely to do hard drugs.

I can’t BELIEVE he was down there in that hotel room with all those smokers!!

Somebody had said he was down there smoking crack too!!!

(laughing) ‘smoking crack’?? It’s funny when the stories start involving crack cocaine. Cuz I already told ya’ll, I only smoked crack ONCE, and that was on accident. And to even further my point, each occasion I was somewhere and somebody pulled out the crack to smoke, I always threw my hands up and said, ‘Ya’ll ngz trippin’ and left.

Actually, being a public writer has allowed me to be closer with my family.

They’ve learned some things about me from my writing that they didn’t know before. The intimacy of the written word reveals a lot more of a person’s character than can be expressed in 3 days at a bi-annual family reunion.

I even had one cousin come up to me shocked, “I didn’t even know you drank alcohol??”

Uhh..well..yeah, I do. But I don’t drink that much though.

I’m through with my days of kneeling on the bathroom floor and throwing up in the toilet bowl.

Getting so drunk that when you wake up the next morning, you don’t even remember how you got home or why you’re butt naked.

Like Luther Vandross used to sing, “It’s over now.”, some things you just know are in your past and not a part of your future. And it can be a tearful moment.

Letting go.

(smiling) Back in the day I used to love to go to this bar on South Main called Carrington’s on Monday nights.

It was crunk Monday nights because they had Monday Night Football on the big screen and $2 ‘You-call-it’ all night long.

Watchu want? Triple shot of Hennessey and 2 Heineken? That’s what I’m go get too. Keep the change. One of them girls that came looking dressed to impress and smelling good may stand next to you while you’re ordering. That’s when you put on your gorilla mack game and look at em like they should already know that you’re that dude they need to get with.

(you gotta know how to give them that cool sexy look) Wazzup?

(I’ve always loved confident women) I’m thirsty..what’s up with you?

You call it. (motioning to the bartender) Tell him what you want to drink, I got you.

I mean $2 you call it can’t hit you TOO bad? Right? I pulled that one time and this girl tried to order drinks for her whole table. I had to put some brakes on her.

Whoooaa. I’m not TRICKING that hard and you don’t look THAT good. You trippin.

People be tripping a lot in Houston, but I’m beginning to understand that people trip everywhere. I ain’t tripping tho.

The great thing about it for me, is that I trust what the Bible says.

The marriage bed is undefiled.

“Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled; but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” – Hebrews 13:4

Whoop..there it is!! "Getcho freak on!!" righ there in the Bible!!

I can shake up some Don Julio Margaritas topped off with some Grand Marnier in my kitchen and me and my wife can sip on em together and listen to some music and have some fun. Give the kids a shot of that cough medicine so that they sleep soundly, we might want to get loud or something. It’s all good, I’m not tripping.

I’m just glad I made it out without any communicable diseases, felony convictions or multiple paternity suits. (My wife said, "Amen! Praise God!")

It’s one thing to know that God has protected you from the valley of the shadow of death.

It’s a whole different thing altogether when you make it out, then turn right around and go right back in there. Testing God’s patience.

Kinda like children who test the limits with their parents.

Trying to see how far they can go before an execution of judgement is rendered.

On the Southside we call em ‘jailhouse chances’.

Felonies and misdemeanors.

I really think that’s why a lot of dudes don’t want to study their Bible. Because somewhere in their mind, they think God will not hold them accountable for their actions if they ‘didn’t know’.

Ignorance is bliss, as some call it.

There’s a lot of drug dealers who ride around with a carload of dope and an open Bible on their dashboard. In case they get stopped by the police, maybe the cop will be more willing to give them the benefit of not having to get searched. Tripping.

I’ve turned all my past felonies over to the Lord. Criminal and spiritual.

I don't have to front about it. Just because I don't have any convictions on my record doesn't mean I never committed any. Ya feel me?

But good thing for me I do believe that Jesus is the eternal judge of us all.

Because if I thought that we could do whatever we wanted to, as long as we don't get caught by the police or our wives? Then I'd be a different kinda dude. TRIPPING fo real.

There is a level of righteousness to which all Believers in Christ are required

to strive toward. The kicker is that none of us will reach our ‘complete’ state until the day of the Lord.

Once I submitted my life to Christ, I had to be real about my actions.

We are saved by faith, but if we truly believe, we will also strive to obey.

God still loves the sinner, He just hates the sin.

And if you KNOW you’re a child of God, you know He chastens those that He loves.

“Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth; therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:” – Job 5:17

“M y son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” – Proverbs 3:11-12

Believers won’t just wallow in, ‘This is just me. I’m not go ever give this up.”

Cuz pretty soon, you’re going to get tired of taking that beating, unless of course you're 'so throwed' that you enjoy the lashes.

Instead the true Believer will ask God for strength and deliverance from whatever sin is shackling them up.

Alcholism. Fornication. Drug Abuse. Shopping addiction. Gaming Addiction. Lying.

There’s a lot of false idols which take our time and effort away from God.

So the problem I had to face was finding that right balance.

I mean, who wants to be one of those Christians who never do anything outside of church??

No parties. No clubs. No movies. No drinking. No theatre..nothing but 100% Jesus.

That’s kinda like those creepy Jehovah Witness kids we used to play with, who didn’t even have a television in their house.

I know there are some people reading this right now who are struggling with addictions of their own. Those who don’t want to be hypocrites, so they don’t go to church and ‘front’. They stay away from the church house, because they don’t want to go in the church until they get ‘right’. Keeping it real. 100. Tripping.

I know because this used to be the obstacle holding me back. I was doing some things that made me wonder if I would burst into flames if I even just touched the door knob to step into a church. Tripping.

My dad was the one that really brought me back to myself.

He was talking to me about getting back in the church and I just knew I was doing some things in my life that didn’t line up to God’s Word.

My dad told me that I would never be able to change by myself. I needed God to help

me.

“Don’t think you can change before you come, just come. God will work with you

r heart, just come.”

It was even worse before then, cuz before then I knew I was ‘throwed’ but I didn’t want to change. I was doing me. I know some folks are just like that now, they don’t WANT to change. Tripping.

But for me, God just took the taste of felonies out of my mouth.

I got to the point where I was no longer at peace with myself about how I was living.

God chastens those He loves.

I got tired of taking that whupping and I bowed down and submitted to Christ. I made it.

But I’m still dealing with occasional misdemeanors tho.

Speeding tickets. Eating too much. Drinking til a get a lil bit dizzy (at the house). Swearing. I still be tripping a little bit sometimes.

God is still working on my heart.

But like that song goes, I’m better, I’m stronger, I’m wiser…I made it.

I ain’t tripping.