Sisterfriends,

Start. Stop. Start. Stop. Who’s familiar with that? I am hands up guilty! The visuals look like a battery operated toy running on depleting cells. Eventually we come to the point of  figuring out or asking the question, “Whats depleting my energy?” I pose the question to you. Would you be honest in your response? Listen, I wouldn’t know unless you shared it with me, so your secret is safe, but is it healthy for you? Initially, the truthful answer really only benefits you. But I believe we are all here with a purpose to positively influence the lives of others. We all have a story to tell that will assist someone else in their journey. In asking myself that question, I find myself in this continual purge of transparency.

My younger self could not understand how anyone would stay in an abusive relationship. I’d respond with a snickering side eye, “Humph I wish a He would”! but abuse begins mentally and isn’t exclusive to romantic relationships. So while I was puffed up big Willy Style, I was being broken down with mental assault. I was allowing my energy (my Dreams and Visions) to be depleted. But Grace, showed me that love isn’t abusive and neither should my relationships. Grace empowers me to say NO! NOT ANYMORE! It is the power to love and continue to be open to receiving it. The power to move forward. While religion says, “When I say jump, you say how high?” Grace reiterates that good behavior acrobats aren’t needed or solicited in order to be cherished.  He continually lavishes me with worth.

There are times when I felt like giving up, questioned my purpose, knocked down from ended relationships and doubted my Godfidence. I would hear my mamas’ voice,  my sisters’ voice, my aunties voices, what I imagined to be big mamas’ and mother dears’ voices, sisterfriends voices and a strange and strong willed, woman’s voice who I had yet to recognize as mine own!, speak in Harriett Tubmanesque tone  “GET! UP! YOU CAN’T STAY HERE!

As I come to peace with removing myself from abusive relationships. I pray that you will receive the Grace to make the same choices. We MUST accept healing, we MUST refocus, WE MUST BE WHO WE ARE CREATED TO BE!  A hard but liberating decision, we MUST move forward.

I’m extending my hand to YOU! GET UP! YOU CAN’T STAY HERE!