Are You Being Used?

What I love most about what I do, is that like Martin Luther King, I get to use my pain to serve the world.

But it wasn’t always like this. Once upon a time, I couldn’t see past my pain.

Growing up in the projects in an extremely abusive household, my constant prayer was, “God, when you get me out of here, and I know you will, use me. Just use me to change the world. To bring healing to hurting girls like me. Use me God. I don’t know what my future holds but I know there’s a vision for my life that is greater than my pain. I don’t know what it is- I just ask that you use me.”

May years later, that dream, that prayer brought me to start The D.e.v.a In You Group- a self development and leadership company for women and girls at risk. At risk of what, you ask? In my eyes, all girls are at risk. At risk of dropping out of school, getting pregnant if their having sex, doing drugs, getting their heart broken, being abused mentally-emotionally or physically or just falling into the wrong crowds. Like many girls and women, as a teenager in and out of foster care; running the streets, I questioned my ability to survive. But each time I thought of giving up (for a few seconds), I reminded myself of what I knew God had in store for me, once I was able to heal. I may have struggled to see how that healing would take place, but I knew it would- one day. I was able to find resilience in my darkest moments because I had faith the size of a mustard seed.

Failure for me became a new opportunity to begin again, only each time- I became wiser. I knew that in order to be used, I needed to stop bleeding. Leading while bleeding was not an option for me. I needed to get through my own “stuff” before God could show me what He was going to use me to do. I was fighting the pain when the very pain I was fighting was bringing me to the front door of my purpose.

Through my pain, I made it my mission to ensure people everywhere have the opportunity to live up to their God given potential. I never quite understood the power of my pain. I saw it as a negative thing so I couldn’t look past it. I never imagined it would be my very weapon and tool for success one day. We all love and highly respect Martin Luther King, but are we forgetting that it was through his pain that he was able to discover and fulfill his purpose.

Once you know what you want to do and what you want to be, that’s it! That’s where it starts. It’s all about perseverance from then on. Yes you will fall. Yes you will experience hurt and failures. It’s apart of growth. It’s apart of success. But as long as you want to be used in this world to bring forth change, peace, love and healing, than YOU CAN!

I had to understand that pain was temporary and that eventually something else would take its place. For instance, purpose! But if you give up, the pain will last forever. Which do you prefer? To live life on purpose or to die with no purpose?

Dream BIG, Think BIG but start small. Start right where you are with what you have because what you have is BIG- it’s your story.

I was putting off my business idea and my movement because I was waiting to be perfect. I was scared of my own potential. I was afraid to come out of my own comfort zone; my story.

All I needed was God. It’s exactly what we all need.

Do you want to be used? Do you have a desire to do more? To give back in a bigger way? Than YOU CAN! Start right where you are.