The Grief of the Unexpected Shift
Embrace the beauty of colliding
Hey Family,
As I got on the plane, I felt defeated. Here it was: I had done everything God asked me to do, only to end up going back home to Philly. Don’t get me wrong, I love my city, and being with my family means a lot. But from all the dreams and downloads God had been giving me over the last couple of years, Dallas was supposed to be my next move. So, imagine my surprise when, on July 18, 2023, I found myself boarding a plane from Atlanta to Philly.
I was headed back home to a room after losing my apartment. Confused, hurt, and even a little depressed, I headed home. What I didn’t realize was that my niece, Quiana, would end up having her baby five months early, literally twelve days after I arrived home. Over the next five months, my family and I prayed for baby Zhuri, believing that she would get to come home, completely healed. She’d gone through a lot, between brain surgeries and different procedures after being born at only one pound and twenty-one ounces.
She came home on December 24, 2023. Our Christmas miracle.
That’s when it hit me. While the shift was unexpected, I would end up colliding with a beautiful moment in my destiny. Shifting can lead to colliding when it’s God’s will. I’ve been home for almost 3 years, and in that time, baby Zhuri has grown to a healthy 25 pounds. I get to spend weeks at a time with her, and God strengthened my relationship with my niece, Quiana (her mother).
Also, during this time, my mother and I have drawn closer. I’ve healed on a deeper level, and I’ve been able to rest. If you know anything about my story, you know that I’ve lived in several different cities and even another country over the last fifteen years. While I will always go where God sends me, it can be tiring leading a nomadic lifestyle (fyi: I didn’t choose this path).
Lastly, I’ve grown closer to God than I have ever been. I studied His word on a deeper level, my prayer language has strengthened, and I know how to lean into worship, during the good times and the bad.
Unexpected shifts can be frustrating, especially when God tells you what’s next and you prepare for it, only for Him to pivot you in a way that you weren’t expecting. It hurts because even if you initially didn’t want to do it, you start getting excited about it. While Texas was never on my mind, I began to get excited about the idea of living in Dallas (and I’m still moving there, it just didn’t happen when I thought it would).
So, what do you do when delays come, shifts happen, and pivots out of your control take place? My prayer is that you don’t complain but ask God what’s next. Let Him guide you into the truth about your situation, instead of creating your own narrative. Be open to hearing the new strategy for that season. This doesn’t mean He’s changed His mind about the promise, but He may have changed His methods. I’m still moving to Dallas—He’s just taking me a different route.
And I get to enjoy seeing my great niece grow up while I’m waiting. This April, we’re doing the March for Babies walk with baby Zhuri, as we prepare to celebrate her 3rd birthday in July. God has moved mountains, and we are forever grateful for her.
As we close out this month’s theme, please take the time to donate to Quiana and Zhuri’s March for Babies fundraising page. No amount is too small. I’ve seen God do miracles in her life, and I know He’ll do one in yours as well.
So, trust God in the shift, don’t despise the pivot, and walk with the confidence that God has you right where He needs you.
Ya Girl,
Mya Kay