Dunamis: From the Dust to the Power
Yesterday, I learned about the word āDunamisā (Greek: Ī“ĻναμιĻ). It is a biblical term meaning strength, ability, or inherent power, often associated with miracles or supernatural force. The sermon I heard last night was talking about how we often walk a defeated life because we simply do not believe we have the power or ability to change anything. They talked about how this change doesnāt just happen overnight; you have to daily walk in this power and speak positive words over yourself. I was thinking that yes, Iāve been trying to teach myself to rewire my mind not to say that I am ābroken, ashamed, traumatized.ā Iāve been trying to say words of affirmation over myself every day.
My dadās father, who was my pastor in childhood, told my mom, āif you ever stop learning, thatās as smart as youāll ever beāthat you have to be willing to learn every single day.ā Growing up being labeled in school, I did not feel smart enough to learn new things. I didnāt want anyone to teach me anything either; I wanted to do it on my own. I realize now in 2026 that itās because of Pervasive Drive for Autonomy (PDA). School made me feel so weak, I created a protective shield against being taught anything. Yet last night, that sermon about ādunamisā was so inspiring, and it truly made me feel like learning and growing is possible for me.
You ask yourself: if you can actually believe in this āpowerā, what gives you the right to have this kind of power? I believe we were created out of dust and we will eventually return to dust at some point, so how can dust have power? Especially when youāve been labeled in childhood, you donāt feel powerful; you grow up in survival mode, and thereās no power there. But when you believe in a āhigher powerā and you embody itāyou embody God inside of youāyou donāt become God yourself, but you carry His power within you. That is where the authority lies, not in your flesh alone, because our fleshly bodies really are imperfect.
Especially as we are aging, your body is going through aches and pains. My fleshly body has flaws. Iām human; I make mistakes. I do things sometimes that I feel I donāt want to do, but itās hard not to do them, especially when youāve been in old patterns and cycles for so long. Breaking old toxic patterns doesnāt just happen overnight. Itās a daily practice. Everything is a work in progress.
There are things Iāve prayed for that have happened instantly, and there are other things that Iām still praying for to this day. I donāt believe all miracles are instant, but I do believe in miracles. Words have power, no matter what you believe in life. Iāve always said to challenge your beliefs, because if youāve had childhood trauma, you grew up in a trauma script. The world labeled you and gave you names that you have carried, but now itās time to go against it. Itās time to question it and change it around, and you have to believe it for yourself. No one can believe it for you.
I realize that originally, when I started this blog in 2023, I was saying that I felt broken and traumatized. Now in 2026, despite how I āfeelā at times, Iām more careful with my words. I know that I wrote down all the traumatic things I could think of because I was processing the trauma, and there was a lot I didn't understand. I am truly sorry if I misjudged anyone from my past or if I spoke too soon and said anything that wasnāt correct. I was operating out of pain, I admit that, but I allowed myself to sit with that pain. Then at some point, I realized holding onto the pain was no longer serving me. It was time to let the pain goānot forgetting people or deleting people out of my story, but simply saying that the pain they caused is no longer a problem for me and I want to be happy.
I am now going to embody forgiveness and hope. The world can call it delusional or say miracles are not possible, but Iām happier than Iāve ever been. I chose to study human psychology and I tried to compare it to the Bible because I grew up in church. I challenged everything Iāve ever known and let my mind open for growth and transformation. Iām not becoming anything other than my higher selfāthe version of me thatās not a people-pleaser, that has healthy boundaries, but still has empathy. I have more understanding each day. Iām trying to be more patient, more forgiving, and become radically empathetic from a healthier place.
You canāt force people to be anything other than what they are, and itās okay that you are healing at your own pace. Just because Iām rewiring my mind doesnāt mean that everybodyās ready for that. You have to be absolutely miserable with your old pain before youāre willing to truly heal. I got tired of living in the old trauma script every day because I was stuck there for years. Life moved forward, but I stayed in the past right where trauma left me. Now here I am, learning and growing every day. Hearing about this āDunamis powerā was so inspiring; I love when lessons stay with me. For someone who struggled her whole life feeling like I wasnāt capable of learning new things, yet I love the life lessons. I never want to stop trying, and every day Iām getting softer because of those in my life that are teaching me. You have to take life one day at a timeāthatās all you can do. š«
4-20-26 at 11:21 a.m. (222) (111) - 32 33 49 -