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Black Folk Don’t Do Therapy

One of my goals this year is to dive into black poetry and literature at a whole ‘nother level. Doing so has helped me in healing, as well as being able to aide me in one of my current book projects: writing a 300 page poetry book.

As with any particular group of people, you can’t assume that what works for one, works for all. As a whole, there is a stigma behind black people doing therapy. This poem deals with that stigma, and hopefully will get some of us to open up at a deeper level. Due to blacks having to suppress their emotions way back from slavery times, it is both difficult, and deemed as unsafe for them to show their emotions in front of others.

The reality of the situation is that when blacks show emotions, particularly that of anger, we are labeled as the angry black man or woman, having a higher chance of the police being called. What is natural for others is a luxury when it comes to black people, and demonstrating emotions goes along with that.

I hope that this poem gives you some food for thought. I would love to start a discussion down below on your experience growing with emotions, and how it was handled. Be blessed!

Black Folk Don’t Do Therapy

Black folk don’t do therapy

We pray and we cry

Yep we cry in private

But in public our tears run dry.

Black folk don’t do therapy

We’re strong as a people

We just slay in the Spirit

Till our Prayers hit the steeple

Black folk don’t do therapy

We just hope and we pray

That our unhealed

Brokenness

Will up and leave us some day

Black folk don’t do therapy

‘Cause we think it’s a sin

If we bring down from

bondage

Generations had to win

Black folk must do therapy

‘Cause then we can negate

Ev’ry game that’s been

Played

‘Gainst the enemy

Called hate.

Black folk must do therapy

Till we break all devices

That’s been sewn

Into seeds.

Then planted

With preciseness

Black folk must do therapy

So our kids

Will one day see

That our growth,

Faith, and healing

Was a bicycle

Made For me.

Black History Part 2

Black History Part 1

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Episode 44: Remembering the Sabbath

The Valley of Grace Podcast
The Valley of Grace Podcast
Episode 44: Remembering the Sabbath
/

Remembering the Sabbath Podcast Outline

  • Meaning of Sabbath
  • My Childhood Sabbath
  • Why Did God Create the Sabbath
  • Podcast Transcript:
emotional health, mental health, physical health, slavery, blogging, church, lifestyle, Egypt, Pharaoh, Moses, Egyptians, episode 44, traditions, Passover
Photo by Matthew Henry at Shopify

Welcome to Healing Our Brokenness Episode 44: Remembering the Sabbath.

What does the word Sabbath mean?

Sabbath means to rest or to cease.  Sunday, the Sabbath, was my favorite day of the week as a child.  It still is.  It was a time when I knew that I had that “rest easy” deep down in my soul kind of feeling.  Sundays could be enjoyed to the fullest because Saturday was used as a preparation day to deal with meals, clothes, hair, cleaning, and laundry.  On Sundays, we went to church for a good portion of the day, and if there were no other programs going on at church, we bought a soul food meal from the church, along with pop and pound cake and headed home.  Other times, we stopped at the grocery store’s deli department to pick up Kaiser rolls, crab meat or tuna, and muffins.  The rest of the day was filled with reading, listening to music, and enjoying family time. 

Why did God create the Sabbath?  God created the Sabbath for our benefit.  God didn’t need to rest, but he rested on the Sabbath as an example to us, to remember to take time out to worship and rest in Him on this holy day:  “Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” (Genesis 2:3, NASB)

Another reason why God created the Sabbath is to make sure that we don’t go back into a slavery mentality:   “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.” (Deuteronomy 5: 15, NIV)  When you are slaves, there are no breaks.  You’re constantly on the move.  You wear yourselves out to the point of exhaustion.  Sabbath puts a boundary around this mentality.  Observing Sabbath demonstrates to God that we know he is more than capable of giving us the strength and endurance that we need to get things done during the remaining six days.  It forces us to meditate on the fact that God’s gift of freedom given to us via the cross is enough.

Dear God,

Thank you for the Sabbath.  Thank you for the realization that we don’t have to work ourselves to the point of exhaustion in order to keep up.  We praise you for your promises, and the freedom that only you can give.

In your name we pray,

Amen 

Thank you for listening to Healing Our Brokenness Episode 44: Remembering the Sabbath. Have a blessed week!

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Freedom or No Freedom: Reconciling Past Hurt

Are you walking in the freedom of Christ? What are we refusing to let go of as a result of someone else’s unhealed brokenness? What did someone say or do to us to make us want to keep hustling for self-worth? Why do we continue to void out the cause of the cross? What are some coping mechanisms/survival strategies/weird behaviors have you found yourself in because you are still trying to prove to your offender/person who hurt you, that you are enough? Would love to hear your comments!

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Episode 15: The Sin of Complaining

The Valley of Grace Podcast
The Valley of Grace Podcast
Episode 15: The Sin of Complaining
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Background on the Sin of Complaining:

When was the last time that you complained? Was it this morning? Did you complain because you had to get up out of the bed, and you didn’t get enough sleep? Did you complain because you had to cook breakfast, and no one washed the dishes the night before?

emotional health, mental health, psychological health, complaining, podcasts, podcasting, podcaster, author, blogger, blogs, Moses, Aaron, children of Israel, upset, reframing, thinking, changing our thinking, wilderness, trauma, PTSD, slavery
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

What about going to work? Did you complain about the fact that you barely had enough gas in the car to get to work? To make matters worse, someone cut you off on the way to the office, and then they mouthed a few words that you wish you hadn’t seen. We all complain at one time or another. However, complaining is sin, and it affects everyone else around us when we start doing it.

Take a listen to this week’s podcast to find out what complaining does, and how we can do less of it.

Outline of The Sin of Complaining Podcast

  • Six Truths That Come From the Sin of Complaining
  • Bible Verses to Meditate On:

Numbers 11:1-11 New International Version (NIV)

Fire From the Lord

11 Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. 2 When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the Lord and the fire died down. 3 So that place was called Taberah,[a]because fire from the Lord had burned among them.

Quail From the Lord

4 The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. 6 But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”

7 The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin. 8 The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into loaves. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. 9 When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down.

10 Moses heard the people of every family wailing at the entrance to their tents. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled.11 He asked the Lord, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?

Click here for the last podcast: Episode 14: Broken Pieces Introduction.