Through the Valley

7 Minute Read, Word Count 885

I’ll be honest…

There have been seasons in my life when I’ve felt like I was in a valley— stuck, lost, and afraid with no direction.

What’s worse is I felt like I was there alone. Sometimes, it even felt like I was the first or only woman to encounter this “unique” valley.

But our feelings are not necessarily the truth. God was with me the entire time and He is with you too— always.

I asked myself…

Is it just me?

I can’t be the only one, but when I looked around me, all I saw was women who had it all together— pictures of perfection, prim and proper with poise and grace.

I wished I was more like them. And if I couldn’t be like them, maybe I could just pretend I was okay— you know, “fake it ‘til you make it."

Problem is, I couldn’t figure out how they looked so polished and there I was looking like I fell off the back of a pickup truck and rolled down a hill. 🙃 

Surely, they were not in a valley, nor had they ever stepped foot in one; even though they sometimes said they had.

It was difficult for me to relate to them as they stood on their mountain top giving what felt like surface level wisdom- “trust God, be patient, be grateful”.

Sure, it was good and Godly advice, but it told me the what, not the how. There had to be more to it.

How do I trust God? How do I wait another day, week, or year for my prayers to be answered? I thought I was grateful. Am I not?

In a world of oversharing and sensationalism, it can be difficult to find balance between prying and being “nosey” and genuinely sharing and seeking wisdom and connection through another woman’s story.

But we have to try.

More than anything, I was just looking for transparency and relatability. I needed to hear real stories from real women who overcame. How else would I know that I’m not the only one? That I’m not alone? That I can get through it?

How else will you know?

As women, we war in the spirit, we fight, we go all in. Some of us have gotten so good at it that we make it look easy. We even look good doing it without breaking a sweat.

I think sometimes we forget to go back and teach another sister how to fight too.

But I was forced to search myself…

Have I done that for anyone? Have I been the hope that leads someone through the valley and closer to Jesus? Have I shared my journey?

Maybe, but not nearly enough. Admittedly, I am probably the most guarded, anti-social, I-don’t-need-no-friends kinda girl on the planet.

For women like me, vulnerability is a curse word. 😆 

But it’s not about me.

I wholeheartedly believe that God is leading me to create this platform. And I’ll be honest, the Lord led me to do this a little over two years ago and I’ve been running from it ever since.

Frankly, running is exhausting. Ya girl is tired, and this is a burden of my heart that I need to lay down; for myself and for the woman that needs whatever God plans to say and do through the platform.

I decided that fear and disobedience cannot enter 2024 with me. It has to stay in 2023. This is my public declaration. Can you help hold me accountable? 😅 

Here’s What I Know Now…