#effortless grace

Fragments of Forgotten Days

"In February 2014, on the candlelit South Lawn of the White House, Michelle Obama stepped into a moment that fashion historians still talk about today, wearing a breathtaking custom Carolina Herrera ball gown that was so deliberately and brilliantly conceived that every single detail of it carried a hidden message. The gown featured a black hand-sewn beaded embroidery applique scallop-edged top with sleeves dipping just below the elbow, cinched by a wide black velvet belt, flowing into a voluminous liberty blue silk faille skirt with a long billowing train that swept the floor as she moved.

That specific shade, liberty blue, was not chosen by accident.

Fashion expert Susan Swimmer noted immediately that from the White House to Versailles it is not that far, and that the gown was more keeping in a French aesthetic than anything she had seen Michelle wear before, honoring the nation of France through the universal language of couture. The color also quietly echoed the blue shared by both the American and French flags, a piece of diplomatic storytelling stitched directly into the fabric.

All praises to the Most High. My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I am so grateful and beyond blessed to be His. I wish I had the right words to express how grateful I am. 

You see. I have been going through it. All the mess: I’ve been jumping hoops through it. I started working for a company, I built up the department by my lonesome, developed a plan for them and they stole it. Then they fired me. Can you say broken? I felt destroyed. Not only because I had just upped & packed my whole life to a new location so I could commit to this career, but also because I had spent countless hours developing a business plan for what I thought was my “team” only to have it stolen from me. I was crushed. Yet, I stood stall. Next thing you know, I find out I’m pregnant and a few hours later, I had a miscarriage. Home, alone & afraid, shit was REAL! Needless to say, I still strapped on my armor of glory and I held my head high in prayer. Well, actually, I bared it all and feel face first to the floor, weeping and praying and thanking God? Yeah, thanking Him. For all that I’ve been given, though much has been taken away, much more has been given to me. 

Let me tell y’all how I sent ONE resume out. ONE! Then I interviewed and forgot about it. I just got obsessive with my worship and prayer, to the point that nothing else mattered. I had completely forgotten about needing a new job. Bills weren’t due over overdue and nobody’s been calling my phone asking for money, so “out of sight, out of mind” was totally in action. I wake up this morning, pray, do my yoga, follow my whole routine and take my baby to the park for a nice little outing and when I get back... I have an email offering me the position!! Not only making more than I’ve ever made before, but also learning a whole new field that is 10000x more beneficial to my livelihood and well-being than anything I’ve ever done. Can you say GRATEFUL?! Look at God! In the words of Tamar Braxton, “Won’t He Do It?”!! 

I have to just give Him all the Glory because I surely didn’t deserve it. I surely wasn’t working for it. I surely needed it and never called out to God for it. So let me say this, give it all to Him. Bare it all to Him and believe that He will. Because He can & He wants to! 

Now let me gon’ and pray, do some night time yoga, force myself to take these vitamins (aint no reason for them to be this big!), and snuggle my baby! I have a long, long week ahead of me!