A little while ago, I had a dream I was standing
over my own dead body. I could see myself laid out and in the background, I saw
different people I used to be acquainted with, and environments I used to
frequent. I looked peaceful and after I saw myself, I walked away. When I woke
up from this dream, I wondered, “What does this all mean?” I did a little
research and found out this kind of dream symbolizes moving forward. It’s a
representation of ending one chapter of life, and starting another -- which
makes sense considering I graduated from college about a month ago. Since
schools been done, I’ve found myself in a new and uncertain season of
transition, a season that at the beginning stages, freaked me out as none of my
plans came together like I thought, however, things have actually gotten
better. In the early to middle stages of this transition, I went on a fast and
I wasn’t prepared for the level of clarity, direction, and breakthroughs that
God had for me on the other side. I’m not just talking about the kind of
fasting where one turns down their plate, although I did do that, I also fasted
on secular music and social media for awhile, too, and gained a new level of
insight that I hadn’t had before. I was able to connect with God, and be vulnerable
and honest with Him, in ways I hadn’t before because I chose to die to my
flesh, sacrifice, and draw near to Him, while facing one of the most
challenging seasons of transition in my life. Removing the noise from my life
helped me to really hear. Whenever I
fast, I can definitely see the areas in my heart and spirit that are in need of
some tune ups. This is a process that takes work and intentionality on a
regular basis. I think there’s so much to be gained from fasting, taking a step
back from all the noise in life, and going to my Father, instead of my family,
friends, or social media to vent, trying to get help with things no one can
physically help me through, and rely on God to heal and help me in the places
that I don’t talk about, with the things no one can understand the way He does.
I’m a Black educator in my fifth year of teaching middle school English, and in my third as the 8th Grade English PLC (Professional Learning Community) Lead. And while I genuinely enjoy the purposeful work I get to do, seeing the growth of my scholars, and continuing to hone my skills in a content area I’ve loved since I was a little girl, I’ve had to confront some unpleasant experiences in this space. I’d been through much worse when I was an academic advisor at a Christian university. Racism, sexism, harassment, and workplace bullying were sadly norms in that environment. However, some of what I’ve experienced as a Black educator hasn’t been normal … It doesn’t seem normal to be the only Black educator in my department – in a predominantly Black school. One of my Black colleagues once said, “It should look like a Tyler Perry movie in here.” But it doesn’t. It didn’t feel normal being reprimanded in a meeting (during my second year of teaching) by an administrator who went in on...