Phoenix: Live Love Laugh

Happy Sabbath, my friends.

Everyone has their definition of “the movie straw.” But unless you’ve lived with mental health battles, unless you’ve cried yourself to sleep trying to hold it together for a job, a title, or your pride, please, sit down and be quiet. Mental health looks different for everyone. It’s silent sometimes. But the weight? It’s real. Today, I’m sharing something deeply personal—because mental health matters, and silence helps no one heal.

There are many reasons I stay off social media, but one stands above the rest: my peace. And protecting that peace has become my non-negotiable.

Sometimes, I hear people say things like, “Everyone has struggles, just push through,” or worse, “It’s not that serious.” But unless you’ve lived through mental health battles—fought the silent wars with a smile on your face while breaking inside—you don’t get to speak on someone else’s straw. Because everyone has one. And in 2021, I met mine.

The Job That Broke Me (and Freed Me)

I was working at the Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse in Delaware—ironically, a place meant to serve those battling what I was silently enduring myself.

It was my first truly toxic job. The atmosphere? Draining. The management? Unbearable. The expectations? Soul-crushing. And though I tried to show up fully every day, I was falling apart behind the scenes.

One day, a licensed psychologist whom I had shared that I had a stroke, which put me in a six-week coma, looked at me and said,

“I don’t know your whole story, but this is not the place for you.”

That day, the office manager was on my case for no reason. So I was that woman in the picture looking up at the sky, screaming for God to intervene because I could not do this anymore. When I came back into the building, barely holding on, my co-worker Shelia she grabbed my hands and prayed over me, right there in the middle of the office. We walked through the halls together, rebuking the devil out loud. That moment? I will never forget it.

That night, I barely slept. My soul was restless, as if God was whispering, “It’s time to go.”

The Next Day

I woke up and packed extra bags—just something in my spirit told me I needed to prepare. That day, the office was in chaos: ringing phones, surprise walk-ins—but I handled it all. I smiled. I served. And when it was quiet, I began quietly packing my things.

That doctor passed me again and asked if I had considered her advice. I nodded with peace. “We’ll talk later,” I said.But we never did.

At 4:30 p.m., right after our daily staff meeting, I got a call:

“Your services are no longer needed. Please turn in your badge.”

I calmly said, “OK.”

I was genuinely happy. At peace. That same psychologist passed by and asked if I’d thought about what she said. I smiled and nodded, telling her we could talk after her session.

But I never got that conversation.
then the voice asked,“Do you know why?”
I said, “No—and I really don’t care.”

Because at that moment, I knew—God had already prepared my exit.
There were no complaints. No write-ups. No logical reason. But when God moves, you don’t need closure. You need obedience.

Sometimes people are placed in your life to help you shift, to break your stubbornness, to show you what you’re not willing to see. And when God has your back? There are no surprises—just deliverance.

So if you’re at your last straw, I see you.
Listen to the whispers. Protect your peace. And know this:
No weapon formed against you shall prosper.

There was no explanation. No complaint. No cause. But God had already told me. That wasn’t termination. That was divine release.

Obedience Over Loyalty

Sometimes we stay in things out of loyalty, stubbornness, or fear of the unknown. But when God is moving you out, there’s no confusion. I wasn’t dismissed—I was delivered.

So if you’re at your breaking point… listen closely. God sends people, signs, and stirrings. Protect your peace. Mental health is sacred. And obedience will always cost less than regret.

🕊️ Final Thoughts

“I wasn’t fired. I was freed.
God ended what I was too loyal to leave.”

Mental health matters. Your peace matters. And when the Spirit says go—go.

#MentalHealthAwareness #BlackAndHealing #DeliveredNotDismissed #SpiritualHealing #MentalHealthMatters #ProtectYourPeace #MyStoryMyTruth #FaithOverFear