Year 5

Yeah, those are my five fingers. My Dad says I should be able to palm a basketball with my man-sized hands and that they’re as big as LA Clippers small forward Kawhi Leonard. So I added some glitter to my nails because “I’m a lady” (Sheneneh voice).

Ya’llllll! I come before you to announce that ya east coast bred girl has been on the west coast for five years today. Whatttt!?!?!?!?! I heard someone say that clichés only become clichés because they are true and with that said, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” Or should I just say time flies, periodt.

I moved to L.A. at the tender age of 27 (semi-grown) and here I am going into my Jesus year (grown) and I can honestly say that I’ve grown (my apologies for the overuse of this word) so much. I’ve become one with my Lord and Savior, understanding His ways versus religion and I honestly attribute that to being so dependent on Him; you know, being on the other side of the country without any sense of familiarity.

The number “5” is the number of grace in spiritual terms but your girl uses Google and also learned that "5″ represents balance. Whew! If I couldn’t benefit from some balance in my life. Truthfully though, 2020 has been a year of establishing just that. I am finally getting to a level of maturity where I don’t suffer from much FOMO (thank ya Jesus, keyword is much) and I am critically learning the importance of rest. I will unregrettably sacrifice a girls night out for a Renee day in.

With that said, I took a me day the other day and can I tell you it was everything I needed. I was getting dressed, walked into my living room, saw the sunshine and the 80 degree weather forecast and ditched my 9-hour work shift for a much needed mental health day. I took the back roads to Venice, dug my toes in the sand, laid down and just breathed. Like to the point that my body felt weightless and every care of the week vanished.

As I’ve said in previous L.A. anniversary posts, being in Los Angeles isn’t just about the city for me. It’s about independence yet dependency [on God]. It’s about learning my inner strength, my ability to stretch a dollar and make a meal out of anything aka resilience, creativity, and finding one’s skillset. This may sound like a broken record but I moved here with no idea of why, just a word from God. My why and my how are what these five years represent.

This ministers to me now as I prepare for my next transition. God has given me a clear vision of the what with no clue of the why or the how. But I believe that just as He held my hand and paved the path for me here, He will do the same for me wherever He takes me in this life journey. The great prophet Tye Tribbett said, “If He did it before He can do it again, If He did it before He can do it again, 1, 2, 1, 2….” (ok, I’ll stop).

The tragic loss of one of Los Angeles Lakers’ greats, Kobe Bryant, his daughter and friends, has brought this city, better yet this world together in a way that is indescribable. I’ve seen people of all races rocking their #8 and #24 jerseys and coming together to remember an NBA GOAT. God can use anything to bring revelation to His people, even the darkest most tragic moments.

I believe that the initial response to anything unexpected is shock, fear, reluctancy. But it isn’t until we live a thing out that we get the true purpose of the situation. Moving here I hesitated a lot. I had my resignation letter for my job at the time, printed and ready to hand off to my manager but punked out for about a month. Making the decision to just do it is what led me to here.

God has truly granted me grace, a special covering in this great city. I’ve been blessed with community and a new drive and zeal that can only be attained in a melting pot full of diverse individuals who all migrated here for a common cause, to accomplish something. A special something that staying in their bubble of comfort would not allow. No, they had to push themselves out into the unknown to accomplish this. And while a lot of us are still figuring out what that something is, I believe the accomplishment is in making it; not giving up or succumbing to the fear of failure. Not listening to the naysayers that say move back home and stop paying a house note on a one bedroom apartment.

Part of the grace that God has allotted me requires me to give Him credit where it’s due. I often say that I know God brought me here because He’s allowed me to survive with less means on a higher cost of living than ever. While this statement is true, I have to acknowledge my elevation. I actually did better this year financially than ever. God has pushed me into a boss mentality that exposure has blessed me with. Seeing the possibilities has totally transformed my mindset and given me a winning attitude.

I’m not going to insert another cliché lesson here. Just take from this what you will. But I will leave you with something very simple, TAKE THAT LEAP! It’s always worth it.