Victory Over The Unknown

I remember my first week of college. It was so different yet SO awesome at the same time. It was my first time ever being on my own. I went from having a big community and a boat load of friends to knowing absolutely no one. I went from being in a classroom of 25 to one of 200, mostly being one of the few people of color. During my first day of classes I remember walking to class and a 7 ft tall basketball player looked at me and said “you’re a freshman aren’t you?” Lol. I didn’t know exactly what I was in for, but I knew it was a good opportunity. One that many didn’t have.

I remembered walking in that huge university as an inner city girl from the east side of Columbus who had never been on her own, let alone a college campus. I went from not feeling like I was prepared at all, to walking across the stage with my sister, the first of 6 children to do it. It required a lot of long nights, second guessing, failed assignments and withdrawn classes but thank God that though I felt like it, I never gave up. It was a place of the unknown to me, but thankfully I got to see what the end looked like. That's what finishing does. It gives you a stepping stone for the next venture to conquer.

First it was high school, then it was my degree, then it was living on my own, then my 1st job, then it was the blog ministry, now it’s the t-shirt line and next it'll be something else. Another Unknown. Another life changing event. Another thing that God gets to give me the grace to continue in until it's finished; altogether getting the glory out of it. When the stepping stone is there, those behind me get to use it and therefore get help on the way. It sets the tone.

“…And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”- Marianne Williamson

A different Spirit births a Finishing spirit

There’s a story in the bible that involves Joshua and Caleb. God gave them a promise land and sent them to explore it. When they did they reported what they saw. There were people who went with them that saw the opposition and unfavorable things and became afraid. Though Caleb and Joshua saw the same thing, they had different perspectives and chose to agree with God and still believe (Godly perspective). Caleb and Joshua had a different spirit and God blessed that, and they entered the promised land. Bringing not just victory for them, but for their families. Another unknown, yet another victory.

I say that to say this, it's not easy, it never looked easy, but in the end it was showed to be worth it.

Jesus is a conqueror. Jesus is a finisher. He never made it look easy, he made it clear that there was betrayal, hard times and he dealt with difficult people, but He was dependent on God and endured to the end. The best part about navigating the unknown is that we don’t have to do it alone. Jesus is what empowers us to keep going.

Praying for the finisher in you!

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. - Romans 8:37

Until Next Time,

Jess