Overview:
In this spiritual reflection, Shewanda Riley draws on a memorable scene from *Lady Sings the Blues* to explore what it means to recognize and receive God’s blessings. Comparing Billie Holiday’s hesitation to accept an outstretched hand with the uncertainty many people experience in prayer, Riley argues that a deeper relationship with God can help believers recognize His presence, trust His promises and confidently bring their needs to Him.
“You want my arm to fall off?” is one of the most memorable lines from the 1972 Oscar nominated film Lady Sings the Blues. In the scene, Billie Holiday (Diana Ross) has just finished singing at a nightclub and is being heckled by the crowd for not taking money from patrons. As she stands nervous with her head bowed in the middle of the stage, a hand is held up with a $20 bill in it. Because her head is bowed, she doesn’t initially see the money or the person who holds it up. Encouraged by the bar owner to take the money but still hesitant, she slowly moves in the direction of the hand.
As she moves closer to the money and a well-manicured hand is shown, those now famous words are heard and the face of Louis McKay (Billy Dee Williams) comes out of the shadows. Holiday makes lingering eye contact with McKay and takes the money. She then finishes the musical set and takes more money from other patrons.
This scene came to mind a few years ago as I was having a conversation with a friend about some difficult choices that she was trying to make. She shared how she knew that God could answer her prayers; she was just stuck not knowing what to ask for. As I listened to her, I thought about how God was like McKay. He was ready to answer her prayer and bless her according to her level of faith. All she needed to do was ask Him and he would bless her. I shared these words of encouragement with her and even showed her the video clip since she wasn’t that familiar with the movie.
I think part of the reason why Holiday hesitated to take the money is the same reason why my friend is not sure of what to pray: she knows what is being offered but is not familiar with who is offering it. It sometimes happens when we don’t spend as much time with God; we may not recognize when he is trying to bless us or wants to move in our lives. My friend admitted that she hadn’t spent much time in prayer with God lately and that she missed the close intimacy that came from spending time with God. I assured her that despite feeling that way, God was still waiting to bless her. He was just waiting on her to ask Him.
Jeremiah 32:17 reminds us about the outstretched arm of God:
Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.
We should not just focus on getting the blessing from God but also on getting to know better the One who loves to bless us. When we have that close, intimate relationship with God, we will trust Him and won’t hesitate to go to Him for whatever our needs are.
Shewanda Riley (Aunt Wanda), PhD, is a Fort Worth-based author of “Love Hangover: Moving from Pain to Purpose After a Relationship Ends” and “Writing to the Beat of God’s Heart: A Book of Prayers for Writers.” Email her at preservedbypurpose@gmail.com or follow her on Instagram @shewandawrites. You can also listen to her podcast “The Chocolate Auntie Podcast” on the Alive Podcast network at www.alivepodcastnetwork.com or visit www.chocolateauntiepodcast.com.
