#identity

Scripture: Psalm 34:4

I stayed long after the first signs of harm, believing endurance was loyalty. This chapter reflects on abuse, fear, and the painful realization that staying was not faith—it was survival shaped by fear.

A day built on repetition and responsibility, interrupted by small moments that quietly reshaped how I see my role in other people's lives.

Scripture: Matthew 11:28

I didn't grow up believing love was spoken or shown. I believed it was earned—measured in hours worked, sacrifices made, and how much I could provide.

Scripture: Romans 8:38-39

Growing up without love taught me to believe I was unworthy of it. This chapter reflects on how absence shaped my identity, how that belief followed me into relationships and faith, and how I am still learning to unlearn it.

Scripture: John 10:10

For most of my childhood, I didn't know there was a difference between surviving and living. It wasn't until I became homeless at seventeen that I realized how much of my life had been about endurance, not experience.

Scripture: Psalm 10:14

Avoiding attention wasn't about being quiet or obedient. It was about staying safe in a world where being seen often came with consequences.

Some choices look irresponsible from the outside—until you understand what they were protecting on the inside.

Scripture: Psalm 56:8

Somewhere along the way, my body decided that controlled pain was safer than unpredictable love. And that realization still explains more about me than I'd like to admit.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:16-17

I didn't leave my beginnings behind. I carried them with me—into adulthood, into love, into fatherhood, into faith. This is what survived with me.

Scripture: Proverbs 27:17

When no one protected me, I learned to protect myself. Discipline became my refuge, and strength became the language I used to survive.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:9

Even after growth begins, old versions of ourselves still surface. This chapter reflects on recognizing lingering patterns without shame—and choosing awareness over denial as part of the becoming process.

Scripture: Philippians 1:6

Becoming doesn't wait until everything is healed or resolved. It unfolds quietly in the middle—while questions remain unanswered and growth feels slow. This chapter is not about arrival, but about honoring the process God is still writing.