Black Women Have It Going On

Good morning from Colorado, where the peaks are tall and the tomb is empty! Today is Tuesday, and my faith is secured in Christ Jesus! Thanks for stopping by my blog, where we discuss life, faith, and the long walk toward healing.

In the Bible, David was just a boy when he was sent out to watch the sheep. He had to face lions and bears while the “adults” were elsewhere. By the time I was eleven, I was a “Little Shepherd” for my brother. My mother’s 16-hour Gethsemane meant I was the one with the latch-key around my neck. My hands were so small to have been forced to carry a world so BIG.

I was responsible for getting us in the house and finding whatever “scraps” were left to fix for us to eat. I remember one day I got a whooping because my brother didn’t come straight home. I was so upset and overwhelmed by the pressure of keeping him safe that when I finally found him, I threatened him out of pure fear. He ran to the neighbors, and they found me in tears—not because I was mean, but because I was an 11-year-old carrying a 40-year-old’s burden.

Those neighbors saw what my mom was too tired to notice: I was giving life everything I had, but I was still just a child. People on the sidelines might have seen a “tough” kid or a “bossy” sister, but God saw a little girl trying to keep a flock together while her own foundation was shaking. If you grew up too fast because someone had to hold the keys, know that God saw your labor then, and He is restoring your childhood now.

The Takeaway for Us

• The Burden of Parentification: Being forced to act like an adult before you understand the “why” creates a deep exhaustion in the soul.
• Grace for the “Little You”: The anger or threats you made as a child weren’t a sign of a bad heart; they were a sign of a heavy cross. Give that “Little Shepherd” some grace today.

Community Challenge

Were you a latch-key kid who had to be the “adult” for your siblings? How do you honor the child in you today who never got the chance to just be a kid?

Scripture & Prayer

• Scripture: “He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom…” — Isaiah 40:11 (ESV)
• Prayer: Father, I thank You for being the Great Shepherd when I was just a Little Shepherd. I ask for healing for the child who had to carry a world too big for her hands. Thank You for gathering me in Your arms today and giving me the rest I never had back then. Amen.

The Spiritual Seal

Remember: You are not defined by the years the locusts have eaten, but by the new thing God is doing in your life today. The tomb is empty, and your story is rising. See you Wednesday!