The Birthing Continues

I remember in December when I wrote that 2021 would be the year of Birth.

2020 had been incredibly hard and we all collectively experienced that pain. We were all looking for an epidural, a respite, relief from the agony. But with all that had happened in 2020 I just knew God had something that would come out of those pains.

At the top of the year, I got promoted which was a birthing of all the hard, taxing but rewarding work I had done in 2020 at my organization. Then I was named to the Forbes Finance Council a few months later. I assumed, incorrectly, that this was what God had planned to birth in me in 2021. However even after this promotion and that recognition I still had expectation for more. That birthing, my promotion, was expected. I had done a lot, I had planned for it. I had labored and pushed to achieve that birthing. The recognition was not but throughout this year I have still felt pregnant. Like God was saying there is more, there is more that I have yet to show you.

At this point, like most women who are almost at the finish line of there pregnancy they are just ready to get the baby out. You are tired, your pregnancy is heavy, both physically, mentally and emotionally and you are just ready to push it out. I’m no exception in this situation. I just wanted to find what this more was and birth it. 

So began my searching for what that was. What that more was. I started looking at new jobs. I started looking at potentially going back to school to get a management certification. I began to push and push but nothing was coming. However, I was still feeling the labor pains and I didn’t like it. This wasn’t the more.

Then, I found The Destiny Collective or I should say it found me. The journey to this moment in my life is one that could only be orchestrated by God. In 2015, I was watching this show on the FYI channel called BlackLove. It followed 5 women in NYC on their dating journey. One of the experts on the show was a psychotherapist named Jack A. Daniels, not the liquor lol. He was so great; his advice was always spot on and spoke to the heart of the issues the women were having and to be honest myself as well. So I decided to follow him on social media. By doing so I learned he was a believer. He would post quick hits on Twitter and Instagram that he would hashtag as a shot of Jack.

Then 5 years later, in 2020, I saw a post of a woman with a very big pregnant belly in my Instagram Search tab. This tab shows you posts that Instagram thinks you might be interested in based on who you follow and what you search for and like. Her belly was so big and she is so skinny, she looked ready to pop. This fits my theme of birthing so well doesn't it? God is so good.

What was curious to me was why she popped up in my search. Who did I know that followed her? My curiosity piqued I just had to click on the post to learn more about her and who I knew that knew her.

That’s when, after I Instagram stalked her lol, I learned that she was Jack Daniels’s wife, Marshawn Evans Daniels, and that she popped up because he follows her and liked the post. At this point, I had been following him for years and had never seen her pop up in my feed or maybe I wasn’t ready to see.

Through that Instagram post I learned that she was (and still is) an absolute powerhouse woman of God and a boss. That she had been waiting and praying for those babies for years and had even thought she may never have kids and here she was about to have 3! Her faith was just so incredible to me especially because I was not in that same place of belief. So, I gave her a follow.

That happened early in the pandemic, so early in 2020. And then I didn’t think much about it after that. Every now and then I would see a post from her about the progress of her pregnancy, her baby shower and then her babies being born. You know, regular Instagram stuff. And then in September 2021, I saw a post about this new thing she was doing.

I see a lot of these things on Instagram all the time; Ads or posts saying join this Masterclass to learn how to become a successful entrepreneur in 90 days or join my course that will teach you the ABCs of how to gain followers on Instagram. I instantly thought to myself, “Oh, Lord what is she selling?”.  I know, I know. I’m a very cynical person but I’m working on it. And I moved to scroll past it but God…

God said to me, “Click it Damaris”. Normally, I wouldn’t question when God tells me so audibly to do something like this but instead I just closed my Instagram app. At this point in my life I’ve experienced so much disappointment, hurt and pain and my faith was not in a good place. I was just like “God what are you talking about? No, I don’t want to do this. I am tired. I just want to be left alone and I want to stop being in pain. I don’t want to try anymore.”. Trying just felt like it hurt too much.

But that post stayed on my mind. I couldn’t shake it. It was pulling me, drawing me to it. Plus, God would not leave me alone about the post either and so I reopened my app and being reluctantly obedient, I found the post, clicked on it and learned about this virtual gathering she was having to talk about Supernatural Alignment to a group of God-fearing women.

That phrase “Supernatural Alignment” spoke to me in a way I never knew I needed, and I signed up. Now I was still reluctant and unsure - we had homework to do after we signed up, one of which was to invite as many women as you could, and I admit I didn’t do it. I was still very much closed off from people as a defense mechanism and didn’t want to put myself out there like that. Don’t be like me. But, in spite of that I was waiting expectantly for this meeting. I really have never been this excited for a Zoom call before. I was checking my email to make sure I didn’t miss it.

And what a meeting it was! It was just incredible to hear Marshawn talk about who she is and her journey and how she helps women get into supernatural alignment with God. I think it was a three hour call but really I wasn’t keeping track of time. At the end of it we were invited to join The Destiny Collective. A group of women who love God and want to step into their calling, bolding following the plan God has for our lives.

When she asked us to join, I didn’t even hesitate. I realized that God was trying to show me something. He was trying to show me that more that had continued to stir in my soul.

Since joining I have felt such a shift in my spirit, in my mindset, in my belief in who I am and who I am supposed to be and who God is and what He wants for my life. The fact that I get to experience this in a safe space with women (I have always struggled to develop relationships with women. I don’t really have a good group of close, saved girlfriends) who love God and are believing bigger and want to go higher in their calling and relationship with God has been the epidural I needed as I continue to push forth what God has still left in my birthing for 2021.

It’s just started and I have already learned so much about myself. Whew!

If you are a woman looking to get in spiritual alignment, I invite you to join The Destiny Collective with me. And even if you aren’t ready, I invite you to get 100 days of Believing Bigger Devotional that we are going through for the next 100 days. Today is day 19 but that’s ok, you can join and catch up with us.

God is still moving, God is still birthing and I am excited for what is to come. 

The Unlikely Missionary

DHW