Leadership does not guarantee that all decisions made will be perfect or well received; leadership means that you make those decisions with confidence, integrity, and wisdom.

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I remember being younger and desiring to be a Pediatric Neurosurgeon. I have to chuckle a bit because then and now I couldn’t even spell that occupation, yet I wanted to be one so badly! Dr. Benjamin Carson was a world-renowned Pediatric Neurosurgeon based right in my hometown of Baltimore, working at the very hospital that I was born in, and I wanted to be just like him. Somehow in middle school I got signed up to read an essay at an assembly that was honoring Congressman Elijah Cummings and the prize from that opportunity was- as I’ve come to learn- multi-faceted. Yes, on the one hand I won a $1000 scholarship from the Dr. Benjamin Carson Fund, but on the other, I dipped my big toe in a world that slowly became my reality even when I didn’t know or expect it.

Picture it: a pre-teen girl who had been hurt in the worst way and still trying to navigate life as a middle school student. She covered her emotional bruises as best as could be, still showing up to school every day and still showing up to church on Sunday mornings. Yet inside, she was broken and almost broken beyond repair. She didn’t trust men, felt like an outsider around most, and desperately wanted to fly under the radar to be undetectable by all. Unbeknownst to her, God had a specific plan for her life and having her stand in front of a room full of hundreds of people and her district’s congressman was the beginning of His desire to have her step into both public speaking and public servitude.

Beloved, that pre-teen girl was me and from that moment on, I tried hard to run far away from both of those desires of the Lord. I told myself that I was not good at speaking in front of others and that I had stage fright so it was best for me to stay in the background. I had convinced myself that any lifestyle was best for me as long as it did not involve me directly working with others. But God had different plans.

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If you are reading this, I need you to listen to me when I say that God has a wonderful plan for your life. Since before you were ever placed in your mother’s womb, God had already orchestrated the events of your life and it has always been a good thing! Now, here’s the disappointing part- although God promised to always be with us and that everything would work out well, He never said that this life would be easy or without its troubles. It is in those moments that we must press in deeper to God and hold His hand all the more through life’s bumpiest times.

Can I be really honest with you, Sweet Friend? I share these weekly messages, praying that you can glean insight from my lived experiences without ever having to experience the pain for yourself. It is always my prayer that someone will read about what I had to cry through and decide to hold God’s hand tighter so that they can avoid the pitfall that crept up on me. Lovingly, that’s not how God works. I’ve read the Bible and I’ve read the blogs of others, yet most lessons are best received through live experiences. Simply put, you have to GO THROUGH to GROW THROUGH. So instead of trying to block the blessings of growth that God has for you in your life, I will simply say this: make sure you do life with God.

Brave Heart, when we choose to do life with God, not only do we accept His will for our lives, but we also allow Him to guide us and replace our traits with His own. Hear me when I tell you that leadership is not my trait but that it is all Him, okay?!?! Sis was NOT born to lead but sis was born to follow God and His will for her life. (It’s me; I am Sis.) And in following God, He graciously dons me with His attributes to do His will for my life. So, no, I wasn’t born a leader, but in Christ, I am one now- watch out fear!!!!!!

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As a result of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross, we are able to live a GRACED life. My heart smiles as I recall the look on my face in December 2022 when God declared that GRACE would be my word for 2023. Each month I have been amazed at how God continues to reveal the many meanings of this word and the various applications of it to my own life. Today I am in the precarious position of acknowledging the fact that while I am still as fragile as glass and as delicate as a newborn baby, I am graced beyond measure to be in the exact place where my feet trod now. I have to press through in prayer, asking God to hold my hand because THIS WORK AIN’T EASY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Trials, tests, and tribulations abound and I get tired from enduring this weight/pressure for so long!!!!!!!! But God’s got me… and in Him, I’ve got this. Here’s what I do know:

My voice may quiver, but it is still mine to lift.
My knees may buckle, but they will still hold my weight.
My arms may shake, but they will still uphold liberty.
My back may hurt, but it will carry me through.
Opposition may come, but onward will I press.
I may get weary, but I will not quit.
You see, I may be fragile, but I am graced!

Walk in that grace.
Be blessed.