This Too Shall Pass

Sapped strength. Hateful attitudes. Weary souls. People who get paid to aggravate you every week. Bad news. Wicked spirits. Health setbacks. Petty insults. Unexpected losses. Political clowns. Wrongful employment terminations. Hate crimes. Justice not being properly served. Financial strains and setbacks. The death of loved ones and so much more, are all different things that may be contributing to storms and stress and pressures in your own life and/or in the lives of different people you know.

We’re all going through something.

I’ve personally experienced seasons where things were falling apart to the point where I’d cry out, God, why am I going through this? I don’t deserve this. Things should be better than this…

Stormy seasons can be stressful, isolating, and massively painful.

And trying to function as you normally would as if things were moving along just fine can be challenging when storms slide through. During stormy seasons, I sometimes think about David, the Psalms he wrote, and the moments he cried out to God during challenging and discouraging times.

Psalm 39:12 reads, “Hear my prayer, O Lord, listen to my cry for help; be not deaf to my weeping.”

I don’t believe it’s God’s will for any of us to be miserable. Or in perpetual states of stress, fear, or pressure.

I believe He wants us to have peace and to live abundant lives filled with purpose and joy. And while it’s naive to expect perfection or a life without challenges or pain or loss, I know He wants the best for us and is with us through life’s storms. As difficult as things might seem sometimes, know that you are not alone. And if you’re reading this and in the midst of a storm of any kind, I hope you will be encouraged. I hope you know this too shall pass. Where you’re at and what you’re going through is not the end for you. There is a new beginning that awaits you and this is a vital time to draw near to God, listen to what He instructs you to do, and then move accordingly.

The Day I Became A Kidney Donor

About a year ago, I had a dream my dad wanted to talk to our family about something serious. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to discuss, but I knew it was something I needed to prepare myself for. Around the time after I had this dream, I remember stopping by my parents place and sensing something was going on that they weren’t telling me. I tried to dismiss what I’d been feeling, but I couldn’t shake it. Something serious was happening. As I returned to my home after visiting them one day, I was in my kitchen washing dishes when a heaviness hit my heart like nothing I’d ever felt before. Something’s wrong with dad. That’s what that dream was about. God, what’s going on? As I continued washing dishes, I started crying and praying. Then in mid-spring, my dad held an unexpected family meeting that would change all our lives forever. He hesitated at first, and as his voice started cracking and he started crying, he said, “Well, I wanted to talk to ya’ll to tell you that I have kidney disea...

Thoughts From a Black Educator: Qualified, Credentialed, and Constantly Undermined

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...

The Day I Made A Will

When I was a teenager, I remember writing a list of my greatest fears. One of the things I listed was death. Looking back, it was an interesting item to list because inevitably, death is something each of us will face at some point in our lives. Even though it’s no longer a fear of mine, I understand why and how it’s not a comfortable thing for everyone to navigate. But regardless, this past summer I completed a detailed will. I signed it, had witnesses sign it, and got it notarized. As I was getting everything done, one of the witnesses looked at me and said, “You know, it’s just that you’re so young…” I’ve learned that death doesn’t care how young or how old you are. You can be five, fifteen, thirty, or fifty, and it’s still something that happens. Completing my will wasn’t scary. It gave me peace of mind having documentation in place stating my detailed directives and requests. A year ago, I had one of my kidneys removed. It was a surgery that came with risks that were presented cle...

Making Waves