About the Author

Lucretia is a wife, mom of three, and a TEDx and Q Ideas speaker (Charlotte, NC, 2017). As a former college professor, she designed the popular ‘beginners’ course and study guide, What LIES Between Us: Fostering First Steps Toward Racial Healing. She is the creator and director of the Brownicity.com...

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
Find more at DaySpring.com
(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
Recent Posts

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Oof! This is so convicting and encouraging! I resist the struggle. Thank you for helping me reframe it. May we choose to wait expectantly for the good fruit God is producing in and through us!

    • Hi Becky!
      I am grateful that you resonate with my story.
      Thank you for reading. May you recognize God’s presence in the midst of the struggle.

      Shalom,
      LCB

  2. Thanks for this. I seen in my Niece’s and Nephews come out not happy one Saturday from playing the piano for a show for Parents and Grandparents. With other kids playing for their Parents and Grandparents too. My we sister their Mum asked me their Aunt along to see them play too. It something the Piano teacher had organised. For Parents and Grandparents to watch them play in front of them of how good they were doing at learning the Piano. My Nephew was not happy when finished what he was asked to play that day. Because he had with bring nervous playing in front of people made a few mistakes. I can remember his face saying why didn’t I get it right play perfect. I said to my Nephew you know it not about playing perfect. It is about the fact you tried your best to play in front of your Mum and Grandparents along with other kids Parents and their Grandparents watching you. Especially when you where nervous. That is all normal. The other kids would have felt the same. You know I said to my Nephew at least you tried and were brave enough to get up play in front of everyone. Everyone loves a trier. You did brilliant even if you did make a few mistakes. No one is perfect. You ask your Mum I said if she was up playing bet she made mistakes because of nervs. We all are proud of you because you were brave enough to get up and play in front of everyone. Including your Mum me and your Grandparents and others. That is an achievement in it self. So you be proud of that. My Nephew just replied thanks Dawn. I knew what I said made him feel better that day that he had tried his best. We were all proud of him for doing his best. That he was brave enough to play in front of everyone there that day. Like God he proud of us that we try to live right for him. Yes we will make mistakes. We will struggle to always stay to be rip fruit for God in the way we live for him every day. As we will get knocks and bruises from time to time and like fruit show thoes bruises. But we learn from them and if it is because we said or done something wrong. We can ask God to forgive us. Help us not to do it again be the fruit he wants us to be for him live the way God would have us. So we are not feel bad if we struggle with living right for God at times. God still loves us. Love Dawn Ferguson-Little xx

    • Hi Dawn!
      You are a gracious aunt. Your nieces and nephews are lucky to have you.
      Thank you for reading my story. May you recognize God’s presence in the midst of the struggle.

      Shalom,
      LCB

  3. What a timely lesson for my life after endure a 43 day hospital stay with my daughter at the Children’s Hospital in our area.y daughter is medically fragile and medically complex. Life has more complex struggles now. I needed this.

    • Hi Dee!
      May you and your daughter know and tangibly feel God’s presence in the midst of this struggle. May you taste the sweetness of the fruit that flourishes during this time in your life. May you know His peace and comfort.

      Thank you for reading my story.

      Shalom,
      LCB

  4. Thank you for this Lucretia! It’s been a long couple of years of many struggles for me and have been feeling so defeated. I’m having a very hard time believing lately that God loves me. It’s been a difficult concept for me to grasp, especially since I’m not terribly fond of myself right now. Your post spoke to something deep in my soul that maybe I’m not as alone as I’ve been feeling. Thank you for sharing your gift!

    • Hi Cheyla.
      I am so sorry that the number and length of your struggles seem unbearable. I can definitely relate. I am learning to get better at talking with God about the lessons and fruit in the struggle, and celebrating them. That way, as I go, I can see that I am growing. May you taste the sweetness of the fruit that flourishes during this time in your life. May you know His peace and comfort.

      I am cheering for you! Go Cheyla! God’s got you.

      Shalom
      LCB

  5. Lucretia,

    Your story reminds me of the story of the butterfly & the cocoon. Butterflies must struggle in a cocoon before they emerge. We shouldn’t cut the cocoon open because it forces fluid from body into its wings. It is prepared for freedom once it earns its way out of cocoon. Life lesson: our struggles always give us strength. Sometimes the struggles we go through are exactly what we need to grow & develop. Who but God knows what we will need in the future?

    A struggle I faced dealing with aging parents/dementia & psych issues years ago has prepared me for a clerical job in ICU at large hospital. You just never know what God is doing.

    Blessings 🙂

    #Story of a man who cut open a butterfly on youtube.

    • Hi Beth!
      Thank you for reminding me of the butterfly and chrysalis parallel. I’ve had the pleasure of teaching about that process. It’s so life-giving!

      I love what you shared: “our struggles always give us strength.” I am reminded to recognize the strength that has been gifted.

      Thank you for reading my story. May we recognize God’s presence in the midst of the struggle.

      Shalom,
      LCB