"Brokenness"

SPEAKER_03 0:46

You can find us wherever you can see.

SPEAKER_02 1:32

It's June in the moon. Now, first of all, I just want to say happy birthday to my lovely sister. Happy birthday. Even though it was yesterday, I just want to say happy birthday. Look at those lovely roses. And I also want to thank you. I want to thank her so much for allowing me to have this spot this morning. And before we go into our subject, I just want to see every listening out there to please open up, open up your heart, your ears, because this is a very, very serious subject that we're about to uh embark on. Yes. I say that because I lived it. And I feel through this lesson that I'm still going through something. So I just need y'all's prayers. Because God is so awesome. And uh thank you again, June, for this opportunity to do that. Thank you, Jesus. I'm trying to keep my composure. That's all right. But um, this thing is real, y'all. Oh, it is. And then we're gonna be talking about brokenness.

SPEAKER_00 2:45

Um second though.

SPEAKER_02 2:49

Oh, I'm sorry, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:50

Oh, you're fine.

SPEAKER_02 2:50

See, that's why I'm gonna be able to do it. Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:54

By the way, this is Antoine speaking. Hope everybody's having a good day out there, and another happy birthday to my wonderful, beautiful mother over to the side of the room.

SPEAKER_08 3:03

Amen, amen.

SPEAKER_01 3:06

And I'm Richard Shaw, and I'm just glad to be here. And again, happy birthday to the greatest godmother of all time.

SPEAKER_03 3:14

Mercy, thank you. Definitely to go. Thank you, Jesus. I'm June in the room, and I'm so humbled. Uh, I know it's just a blessing to be here. Uh, I'm just thankful for this podcast. I'm thankful for uh Pat, Antoine, and Rich, my godsons, they spoil me so much. These are roses from my son. And then my son, my other son, is taking me to see the thorn this afternoon. So I'm just a blessed, I'm a happy camper today.

SPEAKER_02 3:49

Thank you, Jesus. Yes. All right. So, and thank you so much, Antoine. They're trying to loosen me up. I know what y'all are doing. Thank you so much for reminding me of that. Um, but um, when you think about brokenness, you have to think about broken first. Yes, you know, um broken by itself, uh, it's just it's just uh a deep emotional uh pain or or some type of um damage that's have been done to you. Um and it's also uh external uh trauma or internal failure of some sort on your own doing. Um thinking about that um it affects the heart. When you when you're broken, you think about uh when you were younger, and I I won't get into that a little bit more, but when we were younger, you know, we got our hearts broke a whole lot, especially when we was um expecting something, you know. Uh like your parents say, well, if you do this and do that, you know, uh I'm gonna get you something or what? And you you expecting it, right? It don't come, your heart be so broken. You know what I mean? And sometimes we carry that. We carry that too long till it becomes brokenness. And what when I say brokenness, that that means you haven't let go. It you can't lose from that and it become a stronghold because what you're doing inside or what's going on inside of you is gonna come out and you're gonna start reacting. And just to tell a little bit about the natural part of being broken, is that my life, uh, I was in a foster home. I couldn't understand uh at eight years old why why I'm in a foster home and the rest of my similians, nine of them, is still at home, you know, that broke me. It really, really broke my heart because I couldn't understand. Come to find out by hearing, you know, hearing things that, you know, I was bad, uh, you know, just unruly, uh, you know, I wouldn't never listen, and different stuff like that. And I did have ADHD, I really did. I I I know that. And when somebody jumped off a roof and turn them back, was flip onto some, you know, something is going on with them. Yeah. Climbing trees and jumping out of trees. Yeah, some something going on. Uh that's normal for a boy, I believe. But um just thinking about that and sitting there, sitting there in the corner with a dog, you know, like this this don't feel good. So being broken, it it makes you feel so, so bad. And it became uh anger in me, bitterness, unforgiveness for a long time. Um, and so that's that's part of um the brokenness that I want to talk about today. The that natural part. And then I want to stop here too and open up to the panelists that and ask you guys, you know, what do you think about the natural part of being broken? Because we we're gonna go into the spiritual part, but let's talk about these natural things, you know, what happens to children um at a young age and stuff like that, the trauma.

SPEAKER_03 7:12

I'll start with uh a couple of things that I've gone went through in my childhood that I've prayed about uh because here lately, uh the last over the last month and a half, I've been praying and I asked God to reveal what needs to be healed inside of me that I forgot about. And one thing that I remembered uh that came to my mind is just having a granddaughter. Um my friend of 40 years reminded me last night that um my granddaughter is spoiled. But what I'm getting at is when I was her age, I was obese. Um there was no clothes that I could wear. Figure I was in the the 60s and early 70s. So back then they didn't have plus size clothing for girls. So I was broken because I got taunt taunted and made fun of my because I had eczema and I was overweight, and uh I went through a period of depression in my teens where I actually just stopped going to school. I wouldn't get out of the bed. And uh my mother used to sweep up piles of my skin, literally. And uh they prayed for me over me uh because uh I was just in a I was broken. You know, and um when I came out of it, uh I felt better because once I got out of the bed, I had lost weight and I was able to wear different clothes. So that kind of helped my self-esteem, but I still dealt with the uh problem of having eczema. That broke me, you know, because I was like, Lord, why do I have to have eczema? And I I wore long sleeves till I was 40. Y'all probably don't even realize that. I wore long sleeves until I was 40 years old, because I lived in a state of brokenness and self-consciousness at the same time. But this really, that's why I said the brokenness uh is really relevant for today. It is because a lot of people are going through, believers, which I'm talking about now, a lot of believers are going through the brokenness that they don't even realize. What Pat just said, you it's for your family, for your mom or your mom and dad to make sure that you were given away, you know, that had to put you mentally and physically, you know, in a state of dang, absolutely it breaks you down, yeah, is what I'm getting at. Yeah, it does. It does. That was that's what resonated with me as being when I was a child.

unknown 10:13

Yeah, my God. True.

SPEAKER_00 10:16

That's a deep one, especially once you go into childhood, because the one thing that that I learned later, a lot of different ways that we handle things in life, especially as we get older, is extends from then. And I had just to keep it uh real plain to try to keep it fast, I could say there's two key things that that broke me as a child. The first, well, and the the first thing I'm gonna say was a motivational thing as I grew older. But the the first thing was just the broken promises of my father saying he's gonna come be there.

SPEAKER_08 10:50

Come on.

SPEAKER_00 10:50

And sitting there at that window or door just waiting. Yep, and wondering what did I do wrong and all these different things as a child, because that's the natural you're gonna think it's you and not per se the other person, especially as a child, because you don't know any better.

SPEAKER_04 11:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:09

But the key part of that it motivated me to be where I'm at now, the polar opposite of that.

SPEAKER_04 11:14

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 11:14

To make sure to endure the storms I went through to even get my daughter when it could have been so easily to say, forget it. But that was something through brokenness just to give some hope on the aspect of that. That was one thing that honestly meant, then the second thing was going through a lot of death at a young age. Um, growing up and with a having a large family and losing a lot of aunties and uncles to by the time I even I think maybe even a teenager. Just seeing like certain families lose um limbs and and some just passing away from whether it be maybe cancer or health issues of or not taking care of self. And again, those different things is what pushed me to be more into health and be, and even got into it because I wanted to kill that stigma within my family. But just saying my grandmothers was the two most impactful when it comes to the death thing, and it impacted me farther in life. To where, and even back then, when I was a kid, I took it out as what you said, anger. And it turned the things psychologically where when things of sadness, for most people, they may cry or feel like a worry feeling. It brought rage and anger out of me.

SPEAKER_08 12:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:33

So I started bullying and acting up at school, and and lo and behold, I said, God is always good because my mother put me in football and I got into weight training. So that was another form of way for me to release that instead of letting my anger out on others. That's right. But even farther than that, just to wind out to the end, even farther in life is still impacting me. Because even like now I'm doing good today, because I ain't even cry talking about it. She knows that. That's how I know the impact of my grandmothers on me. Yes. Because it'd be hard for me to talk about them without even shedding a tears. But that let me know that I just showed me that I'm a little bit farther, because I can do it without crying.

SPEAKER_08 13:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:12

But just going through those different things, life broke me and it it made me look in the mirror more as I got older. Because even though I was older and football was gone, weight training wasn't every day, that anger came back. Depression came in. I invited the enemy in in the wrong way, going to the bottle or going to sitting like with my mom, similar to my mom said, sitting in the house in the dark, just drinking, crying, facing adverse times instead of where I'm at now, where I know what to do. Then I knew what to do, but I just didn't choose to. Because it was always putting at me from the way I was raised. But going through those different storms in life, for one, but we're gonna get to later, the brokenness, it helps build you. And the key part is keeping God first and asking for revelations of the things, such as what my mom said, to help us get past those things.

SPEAKER_03 14:04

Yes, right.

unknown 14:04

Amen.

SPEAKER_03 14:05

Can I interject one more? I wanted to reiterate, uh, because I said my granddaughter was spoiled. The reason why, the reason why is because when you are uh a lot of times when you're preteens and teens, early teens, you get you go through a transition physically and your emotions, and and she went through that state of being, I'm ugly, nah nah. No, you're not girl, as pretty as you are. And and I I made, I told my son years ago, I I know it was discernment, cutting it short. I knew that he was going to have a little daughter with red hair. I kept telling him that even when you were a teenager, you're gonna have a daughter and she's gonna have red hair. And boom, here we go. But I made a vow back then I didn't have two nickels to rub together, like Craig used to say on the uh Snoot Sandwich. But I said, I'm gonna, I'm gonna make sure if I have a granddaughter, she's gonna be clean and she is going to represent. And that's what I God has blessed me with enough income to be able to make sure that she doesn't be self-conscious like that. You know what I mean? And and I did just hit me. That's why, yeah, she be clean too. She told me this, all right. Yeah, amen.

SPEAKER_00 15:33

Sorry. No, but I think a lot of kids go through that too, though. That's the key thing.

SPEAKER_01 15:37

Kids gonna go through those different times, it's brokenness. Um a state of being badly damaged, emotionally shattered, or deeply humbled to the point of realizing one's own limitations and need for healing. The term carries distinct meanings depending on whether it's used in everyday life, psychology, or a spiritual context. So when I was researching this, it it it's it's wild how you guys just brought up a whole different side of this. Yes, you know, like a uh a real deep internal reflection of the things and remembering the things that uh in areas where you were broken. And researching this, I never went to that side until y'all just started to share it. And it made me say, okay, where were some of the the areas where I were where I was broken or feeling broken? Like, man, not having much. Um I remember when we had to go live in my grandmother's basement. We had shower curtains divided as bedrooms. You know, uh and you know, it was whispers throughout the family. Yeah, I said it. Um and I stand on it. Um but I had certain people like my friends I grew up with never um that's okay, brother.

SPEAKER_04 17:15

Thank you, Jesus. Thank you. Thank you, Jesus Thank you, Jesus never made fun of me. Thank you, Jesus. My brother. Thank you, Jesus. Well then the shares closed with me. Thank you, Jesus.

SPEAKER_02 17:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 17:42

Love you, bro.

SPEAKER_00 17:43

Love you too, my James.

SPEAKER_03 17:45

Amen. Come on. It's all right. It's okay.

SPEAKER_01 17:50

It led me to street activity. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I knew I had no business out there hustling.

SPEAKER_04 18:01

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 18:02

But I didn't want to be a burden to my parents. Trying to get the things my friends had. Nice clothes.

SPEAKER_04 18:14

Yeah, yeah. This is healing understanding. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord.

SPEAKER_01 18:24

Hi, mother.

SPEAKER_04 18:25

Thank you, Lord.

SPEAKER_01 18:28

You deserve more flowers than that.

SPEAKER_04 18:30

Yes, you do. Yes, you do.

SPEAKER_02 18:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:34

Because the first time I had my own bedroom was at her house. I don't know if she ever knew how much that meant to me.

SPEAKER_08 18:50

That's okay.

SPEAKER_01 18:51

Being able to come to her house every weekend. Thank you, Jesus. Never being turned away. Even when we were in trouble.

SPEAKER_03 19:02

One time I did.

SPEAKER_00 19:05

Yeah, I really didn't know. It was on and only one time. Lord, I'm mercy. That's all right. That's beautiful though.

unknown 19:12

That's beautiful.

SPEAKER_04 19:12

Thank you, Jesus.

SPEAKER_01 19:13

Wow.

SPEAKER_04 19:15

This is healing.

SPEAKER_01 19:17

That's why I knew uh the real meaning of a godmother. Like the cause when my mom went on to glory. And my siblings understand it. That understood what it was to make room for my godmother. She would always be there.

SPEAKER_04 19:52

Thank you, Jesus.

SPEAKER_01 19:53

Brokenness.

SPEAKER_04 19:54

Thank you, Jesus. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 19:56

Sometimes uh I had a lot of I was good at writing music. Things I was doing. Having an addict father. They just talk about you. Trying to treat you differently. They treat you similar. It's divisive. But I never stood for that. I remember telling a family member you might as well treat me like you treat them.

SPEAKER_02 20:39

Come on.

SPEAKER_01 20:41

Because I remember my mother saying one day all y'all gonna have is y'all. Even when you ain't got nothing.

SPEAKER_04 20:50

Thank you, James. I told you.

SPEAKER_01 20:52

So I'm thankful to Father for when I was going into the areas of employment. Maybe fugal with my money and to look after my family members. It wasn't nothing that they couldn't get from me. Because I know what it was like to not have. And I always share it with my wife. I know what zero look like.

SPEAKER_02 21:23

Come on. Come on.

SPEAKER_04 21:24

Thank you, Jesus.

SPEAKER_01 21:26

Thank you, Lord.

SPEAKER_04 21:27

Thank you, Lord. Yeah, yeah. You're worthy, Father.

unknown 21:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:30

And with God's help, I'm never going back to that.

SPEAKER_04 21:35

Yes. Thank you, Jesus. Beautiful.

SPEAKER_01 21:39

So yeah, Miss Bet, I thank you for this uh topic, Carrie.

SPEAKER_04 21:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:44

Brokenness. Because uh sometimes we we just bury it in our subconscious.

SPEAKER_02 21:50

Yes. Oh no. No, we're still on the narrow part because that's part of the heart. I just want you to finish up so I can go ahead and finish this. So we're actually talking about the natural part of brokenness, the natural part, what's in that heart, what holds us, you know, back. Um it is not a primary basic emotion, y'all. Yes. But it's rather a complex state of being overwhelmed with pain and despair. And it develops into the brokenness because we haven't dealt with the element that broke that um caused us to break. We haven't dealt with it. Brokenness is a universal thing. So know this that everybody born into this world will experience some point, at some point, will experience a time of brokenness. Yes. And uh in in the research I looked up, um there are more than 66%. That's three uh two-thirds of children that have experienced being broken already. And broken because of once again, trauma, like events like uh being neglected, abused, verbally, yeah, uh physically abused, you know. And then also natural disasters. Maybe the house got burnt down, you know, or the tornado hit or flood, you know, came back. You know, people are devastated and they're broken in that, but children experience these things too. So we can't forget that. And those are the natural things that I was wanting us to bring out, you know, about being broken. Um, because God, He's there to fix the heart. Yeah, you know, when we're we're broken heart, and we'll get into the scriptures, but I want to say too, in the US, um 70% of adults uh have experienced some type of um traumatic uh event once or twice in their life. And we don't know how to let go. I think you mentioned about you know growing in it, you know, letting loose of things. And this is what we want to talk about today about brokenness. Brokenness is not uh permanent, no, it's not a permanent state. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord, thank you. He's here, he's here, he's here to help us. Um, I don't have my Bible, but in Psalms, this is how God He wants to fix us. In Psalms, it says, the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. Yes, and save those who are crushed in spirit, yes, or a contrite spirit, which is the same thing. So we're talking about two different things here again. We're talking about the natural part of the heart part, the natural part, the emotion of things that happen. Then we're also talking about the spirit when people can crush your spirit. Yes, they can, they can crush your, they can people say your dreams crush your dreams, but it's your spirit that people crush. You know, because they'll tell you you can't do that, or you, you know, you ain't worried of that or whatever. You know, you you your spirit is crushed. Yeah. Because you you going on like, you know, I'm confident I can do this, I can do that, you know, whatever. And then all of a sudden you get this, and then you let go of what you know within yourself that you're able to do. And so we carry that that brokenness, we carry it. You know, and uh and speaking on the theological or the spiritual part of it, it is necessary, it is necessary for transformation.

SPEAKER_08 25:55

Yes, it really is.

SPEAKER_02 25:57

I didn't even see it like that when June gave me the topic or whatever. I didn't see it like, you know, how you get transformed, you know, by it's and so that's why we have to study, we have to, you know, seek the Lord for, you know, revelation uh in the word. And so with that, um brokenness can lead us to surrendering to God. It strips away everything that you think you know and that you somebody hurt my feelings, and you know, they took me down that road and all that, it strips away all that. And it's basically pride. That's why we keep walking in that brokenness because we don't want people to be saying, like, oh, she she still crying, or she she ain't got no job yet. You you know what I'm saying? We have to be transparent. God knows what's in our heart, he just don't know our heart, he knows what's in there, yeah, and so we want to put on a facade of like everything is hunky-dory, yeah, but you've broken like a cracked egg. And and and God is me and my sister. I hope she's listening today. But years ago, about 20 something years ago, we were trying to sing this song. I forget who singing, but it says the potter wants to put you back together again. Oh, that's my song. I can't, I don't even know who's the artist. The pot. That's uh yeah, there you go. Yeah, because we are what broken and um that's uh Bashawn Mitchell and uh uh uh she got it.

SPEAKER_03 27:29

What's up?

SPEAKER_02 27:31

I don't know, I'm telling you. All I know is the old old I'm talking about that real old. Can I uh comment? Yeah, oh I'm sorry, yeah. Go ahead. I'm just trying to get into the spiritual.

SPEAKER_03 28:00

Oh no, yeah, yeah. Uh Keisha, good morning, Keisha. She said, good morning, everyone. Jokes on y'all. I wanted to cry today. Oh god. Crystal, uh Christmas. She said good morning, and uh Rich said, I mean, she said uh Keisha said, You're right, Rich. A lot, a lot of things buried in the subconscious, a lot of people don't know how to deal with it. I truly believe verbal abuse is the biggest issue of all. And Crystal says, Amen. I'm a true testament that it's not over. I said, I put I said over, but she said it's not.

SPEAKER_00 28:48

All right.

SPEAKER_03 28:48

Tremaine Hawkins, okay. Tremaine Hawkins, yeah. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 28:52

Mike May, I knew she'd know.

SPEAKER_03 28:54

Crystal said, I miss y'all. We miss you. We miss you too. We miss you. Yeah, we wait for you to come back in the studio, girl. I'm trying to make light. Because yeah, y'all know we've been boo-hooing in there, but um go ahead, Pat.

SPEAKER_02 29:11

Thank you, ladies. Appreciate y'all. Yeah, but um brokenness it often bridges deep um personal uh hardship with spiritual reflection. I think one of y'all said, I'd be forgetting who said what, but y'all said something about reflection, uh reflecting on something or looking in the mirror or something like that. You said that, yeah. And so that's what it does, and it brings uh also uh physical healing to us. And so uh brokenness is not like I said, it's not a permanent thing. You know, your life is not in ruins because of what you've been through. I'm a living witness. I can sit here and tell you a whole bunch of stuff that I went through. Yes. Uh but I'm here today by the grace of God because I let go of the brokenness. I let go, I yield to God and say, hey, I can't I can't do this, I can't handle this. You know? And it I don't know, it probably was pride, but I couldn't recognize if it was. But I always had to be this strong person, you know, like, you know, because of the childhood trauma. I had to, you know, defend myself. And so it could have been a part of pride that I didn't let go a lot of stuff. But I thank God today that I'm free from that. I know I'm dealing with some more things, but that's not that old stuff though. We're talking about that old trauma stuff people still carrying on. You know, it's time, it's time out. I'm just, you know, I'm just being real, it's time out there. But it is a spiritual state of uh humility and total surrender to God once again. And um, I had uh listened to a couple of sermons. Um, I do my studies a little different, but uh this time I kind of listened to a couple of sermons on um brokenness. And uh each person um seemed like they ended up with the same thing uh or whatever, but me, I wanted to read Isaiah 50 57 and uh 15, and that's in the NIV. It says, For this is what the high and exalted one says, talking about God the Father, he who lives forever, whose name is holy. God says this, I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite or crushed once again and lowly in spirit. Know that God is there, he's there to revive us, our spirits, he's he's there to help us to be lifted back up, he's there to heal our hearts. And so that's why I say this is two parts to this to me. Don't ever forget the natural part because we're in the natural, we're gonna be in this flesh until Jesus take us home. But the spiritual part is what God is concerned about, you know. Um I'm sorry, Isaiah 57 and 15. And I read from the NIV. But God said, but also, so don't forget that part, everybody. Uh, and that's what I was kind of missing in the sermons. Um, I picked up a lot of things and stuff like that, but when this scripture hit my soul, I said, Lord, I believe I am on the right track with this, you know, because we do, we go through so many emotions in this world because we we're flesh. But God wants that spirit man to be strong. He wants to revive that, that spirit that's been broken in us. You know, just like when the people said, uh told me that I wasn't saved because I had on pants. That broke my spirit. I had to question my own salvation. And I said, wait a minute, I'm not saved because you know what I mean. And my spirit is broken now. I'm broken in spirit. Why would they say that? You know, when I opened my mouth, like the Bible said, I confess with my mouth, I believed in my heart that God raised these from the dead. And the Bible said I'll be I should be saved. So I don't understand. You know, I was crushed. So I stayed away for a long time. I really did, because I thought, you know, I wasn't saved. Because I was gonna wear my pants. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_03 33:35

Um just to give another perspective. I know you said that you didn't re you didn't know if that was pride. Sometimes people, I can vouch for myself, some people keep all of that stuff, I call it spiritual squat tissue. Keep all that stuff inside, the brokenness, the resentment, because all that comes together, they keep it inside because they don't want to deal with it. But eventually it'll come out if you pray and ask God to help you get through it. Just like my God, son, he just had a breakthrough. Thank you, Jesus. Unknowingly, that that was still in you. But praise God, with you admitting it, confessing it, that goes to show that God is answering prayer, whether you know it or not. Because he left you let that out. You was holding that in unknowingly, and that's what my prayer is for people that are dealing with brokenness, unnecessary brokenness. Because sometimes you sometimes you ain't gotta be, excuse me, you ain't gotta be broken. You just be an extra. But for the those that have gone through uh the hurt, excuse me, and the pains that life gives you, pray and ask God to reveal it to you and to want, and if you reveal it's revealed, ask God to help you deal with it. If not, talk, call the somebody that's godly, that loves you, and you can talk to them about it, you know, knowing that they ain't gonna share it with nobody else. That's right. That's the key because a lot of us uh are dealing with hidden issues. They're not willing to let it come out because of the it's gonna hurt too bad, because there are some hurts that God has revealed to me in the last month. I'm like, God, that's why Pat is doing brokenness. You see what I'm saying? Because we, as we grow in Christ, we have to empty all that stuff out so we can be, that's how we become new creatures. That's right. You can't be new with old stuff bottled in you, is what I'm getting at.

SPEAKER_02 35:58

You just came. And amen. Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_00 36:02

You don't realize how deep that was, because the same thing that my brother said, when I studied this, that perspective never came up. That's how you know the Holy Spirit is perfect. And today happened that it did. The one thing that you said that is very important, that I realize brokenness does start when you are young. And you know why? Because you don't have the knowledge, the wisdom of the things to come later. And that's what creates our testimony and and give us the opportunity to witness through the different things that we've been through in life. But I didn't never think of that perspective of how starting like from a child, the different things you're gonna face, because God already predestined our life, right? Yes, and through that is when those different times and trials come in. Because again, I never thought we'd be going back to then. But when you did it, it gave me a whole different view on broken, right? Right. Because the key part of this is which I know we're gonna get to it, brokenness is always around some type of trauma. Yes, somewhere. In some which way, form, or fashion. Like even what Keisha said, it could be verbal, it can be uh mental, physical, abusive, and things like that. It's a very broad trauma, it's a very broad thing, and everybody handles it in different ways. Yeah I never would have thought that I had anger issues that long, stemming from when I was nine to eleven years old. Who would think like that? But that's the beginning, the foundation of where a lot of the different brokenness starters when we're a child. Because again, we don't know no better. Growing up being tall and bigger than everybody like, dang, you big, you got bubbl the chili face. And all these different things I had acne. Well, somebody said when we were kidding. That's how I got tough skin like that. Yeah, we should don't like. But anyway, but growing up, going through them, going through those times, it I honestly, and I can only I know I speak for myself. For one, it gave me tougher skin and uh a stronger faith in God to know that no matter what people's opinions are, how they feel about you, the experience you went through was made for you and for that purpose only. Because the whole purpose is to save souls. And the one thing that I, when we did that test at uh Precious World Long talking about our strengths and whatever, like that, the get the pretty much the strengths that we have within us that can help bring souls to Christ. Mine was witnessing. And after that, story after story from different people, younger people, when I was young and not thinking nothing like this, was coming like, man, you don't know. Seeing you do that, or you telling me that, help me.

SPEAKER_08 38:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:41

Never would have thought that. But I'm let me sorry, I went too far. But the main thing with me was that not realizing that the brokenness starts from when we're young.

SPEAKER_02 38:52

Yeah, that's good.

SPEAKER_00 38:53

That's the that's that hit way different. Cause I never thought it was like that.

SPEAKER_01 38:58

Something uh uh I feel the need to uh pray for those people who've been through like uh sexual abuse because uh it's easier to get over uh things being said about you than it is to get over things being done to you. So uh I take a few seconds to just I just want to uh pray for those people who dealt with uh sexual abuse. Uh Lord, we come to you, just ask you to reach in those homes and reach down and pull it out by the root for those things that they're willing to talk about and the ones who are not willing to talk about it, Lord.

SPEAKER_08 39:47

Yes, Lord.

SPEAKER_01 39:48

We pray for them right now, we pray for those families. Yes, Lord. We pray for those victims, Father.

SPEAKER_08 39:53

Yes, Lord.

SPEAKER_01 39:53

And we pray that you visit them right now and make them a supernatural intercession prayer for them, Father. We just fill in the gap for them right now, Father, and we send this prayer out over the airways for anyone who's dealing with that type of trauma, Father, of the sexual abuse, Father.

SPEAKER_08 40:12

Yes, Lord.

SPEAKER_01 40:13

We we we love them, Father, and we want them to know that you love them, Father. They can't do nothing wrong, Father. It wasn't their fault, Father. Yes, father. All of the ones who need to forgive themselves, Father, give them the strength, give them the courage, give them the wisdom to forgive themselves and walking upright in front of you, Father. Yes, all these things we ask in your son, Jesus' name. Amen.

SPEAKER_02 40:37

So it is.

SPEAKER_03 40:40

Um, sometimes people like, this is good. Sometimes people like staying in their brokenness because it's their comfort zone and they don't know how to get know how to get out to.

SPEAKER_02 40:54

They don't know how to get out.

SPEAKER_08 40:56

That's true.

SPEAKER_02 40:57

But that at that point it becomes a stronghold in your life. So that's why it's hard. You know, it's just like a flag getting stuck in a spider's nest or something, you know, it's just hard to get out. But I want to go refer back to uh Isaiah 47 and 15. Um it it reveals that um even though a person uh even though uh a person is experiencing um brokenness, once again, uh it shows that it's not a permanent ruin, but a uh birthplace for divine transformation. Once again, by surrendering to the Heavenly Father. And we have to know that God is attentive to our soft heart when we give up. And a lot of times we we we feel this follow ground within our hearts, you know. Like I was talking about myself, you know, trying to be tough and you know, all this stuff, and I'm toe up inside or what have you. But God knows how to come in and break that stuff up, but we have to yield to him. And uh going back to that pride thing, June, uh, when I was coming up and I had that stuff in me, that's what I was saying. I didn't have Christ. I didn't realize that back then it was pride until I got talking with the Lord to life, and God was showing me that that that was pride because I should have reached out to somebody, but it took me to other places, like suicide and stuff, you know, and all that crazy stuff. So yeah, and a lot of times we do, we guess our own self-try. But uh once we surrender to God, He's there, but you know, brokenness is sometimes viewed as a weakness too. Because people, you know, you know, they'll say some type of prestige or something, you know. But uh yeah, and people say that that is weakness. Why? Because uh it pushes your pride, you know what I'm saying, out of the way. And your self-reliance instead of trusting and putting all your trust in God, you know, that's what it does. And uh and some people say that it prolongs the hurt or the pain. Sorry guys. Thank you. But yeah, but that's um I want to talk about the brokenness that David. This is a prime example of David in the book of Psalms, um division uh 51 is the whole thing. You wanna share it? No, I'm gonna say you all the Bible. Yeah, but it shows the deep brokenness and humbleness of repentance uh through the King David uh after he after his sins. Uh involving by Sheba and Uriah, but most of all, his deep conviction by displeasing God. And see, this is the spiritual side of what I was talking about, about your spirit being broken. David didn't, David, he knew what he was doing. He knew what he did. And he was dealing with that. I believe it was just tearing him up inside, you know, that brokenness that was there. Because, you know, he displeased God most of all. And uh, you know, he committed murder of well, first of all, adultery and then murder. He walked around for a minute until God said, Nathan, go and tell David about himself. Right. You know, and and and then I love about David because the Bible says that he always repents quickly. So a lot of times, uh when your life is shown that way, you know, uh God sends somebody around. Say, look here, Pat, you act a little strange and you know, this and that and other. So it's up to that person to obey what God has placed before them. So soon after that uh Nathan uh confronts David, he owns up to his actions by calling them by name. Transgression, iniquity, and sin. Then he pleased for forgiveness. See, and that's uh your opening right there. That's your opening to get rid of the brokenness. And David, David knew, David knew that I'm broke, I'm tore up, like they say, from the floor, and I need you, Lord. And that's when God does the work, he started doing the work, and the outcome was that he drew closer to God instead of pushing away, pushing away from the Father. He knew where his help would come from. And so this is why I'm saying, you know, uh, it's okay. And and June, I like how she said it, uh, confide in somebody, you know. You know you're going through this, you know it's keeping you back, it's keeping you from blessings, it's keeping you uh for being a really a true light, you know, for God. And I'm talking about people are believers of Christ right now. You know, it's keeping your your light is dim. You know, you're not drawing. It's time to give it up. It's time to get it up. Anybody else got anything else on that?

SPEAKER_03 46:25

Um on the bright side, uh brokenness is not a curse for believers. It's not, it's an invitation for you to ask God to help whatever you're broken with. Yes, right. It's one of the first places God begins his deepest work, and most new believers don't realize how holy and purposeful uh brokenness can be. Most believers think brokenness is something to get away from, but spiritually, brokenness is something to embrace because God does his best work in when we surrender. You said that. Yeah, and it's a doorway. I with my research, I found that brokenness is a doorway. God often begins transformation at the exact place where we feel weak. Thank you, Jesus. That's right. Ashamed or overwhelmed. Uh brokenness opens your heart to his healing, yeah. It reveals the truth, it exposes lies we believed about ourselves. That's right. I knew that I it took for me to be grown and lose weight to know I could get me a fine man. I'm not trying to not.

SPEAKER_08 47:54

Sorry.

SPEAKER_03 47:55

But I didn't, I'm saying that in a positive note, even though it sounds negative, because I didn't think I was pretty because of my skin. That's what I'm getting at. It reveals the truth, it exposes lies that what you believe about yourself. I'm making light of it because it's so heavy. I'm trying, I would, I want us to make it light so you people would know if we can. Because this is a heavy topic, but we have to shed light on it because God is the answer to the end all, be all, to your brokenness, right? And you can be cured and healed from it. That's right.

SPEAKER_02 48:36

Yes, you can. Yes, right. And there is purpose, like you were saying that. Yeah, there is purpose in our brokenness, and uh one of them is that uh we could possibly bring somebody to Christ through our testimony, like you testified on. You know what I'm saying? God uses events, even painful ones, uh, to shape us too, you know, believers. And then also it is used to bring glory to his name. And I should have put that number one, and that's what is that is what it's for because he we realize at that point of brokenness we can't fix it, we can't do it ourselves. Yeah, it takes a mighty God, a all-loving, sovereign God to come in and rebuild and do, you know. Uh, and it also uh it has benefits if we don't hide it.

SPEAKER_03 49:32

It does.

SPEAKER_02 49:32

Yeah, if we don't hide it, God come in and reshape us, and then uh we live a little bit, a little bit, I'm just saying, quote unquote, a little bit better for him. Because we we're we're free from stuff now, you know. So it's just this brokenness is just it's broad, it goes a long way, it's so much in it.

SPEAKER_03 49:54

Oh boy, I have a question for Akeisha. Okay, this is a really good question. I'm glad you asked. Uh, based off of a conversation you're having with someone, what would you say to someone who doesn't know they're broken or has put certain trauma in their subconscious? What would we say to somebody that is that doesn't know they're broken, but you can see it. Your discernment is showing they're broken. I'm adding to her question. You adding to the discernment part? Yeah, I she didn't say discernment, but no, I'm you can't. Yeah, yes, okay, that's because if if you know that somebody is suffering, that this has to be uh discernment that you're feeling. Yeah, you see what I'm saying? But I'm gonna ask it again. Based off of a conversation you're having with someone, what would you say uh to someone who doesn't know they're broken or or doesn't realize they're broken or has put certain trauma in their subconscious?

SPEAKER_00 50:58

That's kind of complex.

SPEAKER_02 51:00

Yeah, when it comes to discernment, you gotta know that's the spirit of the Lord talking because we don't want to be in a judgmental place. We don't want to assume anything, but we want to be right because we can break that person even more. Yeah, if we open our mouth uh too soon. So that is kind of it's kind of uh tedious.

SPEAKER_01 51:21

So I I would think just like we started this podcast, you shared your testimony and it went bam, bam, bam. It allow us to feel comfortable in a space to share ours. That's good, and it it brought that back because as me and Twan were saying, we had the topic brokenness, but until you started that way, we didn't even look at that certain side of where we were broken. Yes, so because of the relationship you have and with the that you and the bond you have with the person you're talking to, if you start with your testimony about broken and what God has done, it makes them, it puts them in a comfortable state to share theirs. And I think that's a good place to start. That's good.

SPEAKER_00 52:09

And me personally, I would say, especially if you know this person, the first thing I would do is pray and ask God to unguide my tongue and give me the wisdom, the um, possibly the um maybe the biblical structure to give them to help them with that too. To make sure that you're when you do come to them, you come in in the Christ-like matter of nature. So it doesn't come across like you're judging or like it doesn't come across like like you're trying to tell them something. Because you know, people be so offensive these days. So it's like if if you know this person, you know kind of the best way to go about it. But the first thing I would do is pray. Pray for that person first, then pray on how you should come to them because everybody is kind of different when it comes to that. So if you do know them, the main thing is come to them in a Christ-like nature. That's the best thing I can say from our that I would do.

SPEAKER_03 53:06

Uh open conversation. Uh I can say I'll use the women's conference as an example. Uh I always, we always, or Crystal, you can attest to this too. We are very transparent. And along with transparency brings, especially when that person knows that you're coming from a good place, uh, somebody, I don't care if they saved or not, they can tell if you being judgy. You know, they can tell. But if you or or like Antoine and Rich said, if you pray, open up the dialect and then pray first, pray first, then open up the dialect. And some most of the time, they can say, they might even say, I know what you're talking about. I know I I heard that, that I heard that can soften them enough to even pray. You might not know that you cracked that brokenness. You you open that door for them to actually go to God and ask to heal. Because you ain't gotta see, you know, you know what I mean? You ain't gotta see that you helped somebody, you know, and but that's what I would do because I've been uh in at put in places at church. I it was so heavy it hit me. I knew that this young lady was hurting. And I told her, just give it to God, and she just boom. I told her, I don't have to know what you are going through. Yeah, you don't that's the key. You don't have to, it ain't your business what they're going through. That's right. But you don't have to to know what somebody is going through. But if that discernment is really heavy on you, tell them, you know, I don't know what it is, but I'm praying for you. And don't be ashamed to pray with nobody. That's one problem that a lot of believers have. I'm not gonna say uh seasoned or new. A lot of believers are too scared to come out of that comfort zone, like Crystal said, coming out of that comfort zone and praying with people. You don't know it could make a world of difference. And they'll come back and say thank you. Amen. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 55:34

Um, who was that?

SPEAKER_00 55:35

Um that was Keith. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 55:39

Crystal said, yes, being transparent is very good to help others. You can also start by asking questions to get them to think about things as well. That's good.

SPEAKER_00 55:50

Yeah, as around it instead of directly what it may be that you may see.

SPEAKER_02 55:57

Yeah, yeah, amen. Amen. And I think the best way to uh for for us believers is to ask God to search our hearts and he'll show you if you're uh walking in a brokenness stage or not. You know what I'm saying? He he will show you that, and so you'll know what to pray for for yourself, even so. And so I want to ask the question how does brokenness affect people that you love or or care for? How would how do you think? You know, it this is not like you can answer the question if y'all want to, but it's not how but I just you know, because I thought about it myself, how how did it affect people that I love that was around me when I was going through that, you know, not letting go, you know, and I knew it affect affect them in a in a negative way.

SPEAKER_03 56:54

You know, that's true. What's the question again?

SPEAKER_02 56:58

I said, how does brokenness affect people that you love or even that you know you're close to or care for?

SPEAKER_03 57:06

The brokenness you can carry on.

SPEAKER_00 57:08

Your brokenness. How does your brokenness impact the ones your loved ones and ones that are?

SPEAKER_03 57:14

Shoot, it can make them leave you alone, first of all. See, because if you are dealing with brokenness uh to the 10th power, you don't want to be bothered with yourself half the time. Yeah. But uh you and ooh, yeah. I when I was during the time that my mother that I was going through that transition 14 years of losing my mother, I was so broken. That's why I didn't bring up mama because I talk about her all the time. But during that time, uh I'd that's another testimony. I was out there, and I had somebody, a guy came to me, and he really truly liked me. Uh, but he told me my heart pumped ice water. And I'm like, dang, I didn't realize that I was but I was broken.

SPEAKER_04 58:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 58:09

So to answer your question, it makes you mean, it makes you angry. Yeah, I was angry, it makes you want to hurt people, hurt people emotionally or physically.

SPEAKER_00 58:25

Yep, I was just thinking that too.

SPEAKER_03 58:27

You know, and it's it's really dangerous for those of us who are walking in Christ because it ruins our testimony. It really does. That's my guess.

SPEAKER_01 58:40

That's too good. Piggyback uh off what Godmom was saying. Oh, the other side of that is your loved ones love on you harder. Yes. Because when I was going through that, I could tell my godmother was really loving on me. Oh, yeah. Never asked me about it, you know, but but just kept pouring love uh and and having the rule you gotta go to church. You know, having uh the daily bread in the kitchen. You know, just just just just a lot of certain things that I know was passed down from her mom, you know, that I got the benefit from.

SPEAKER_08 59:21

Yes, amen.

SPEAKER_01 59:22

You know, so uh how you remember and many you say the impact of it was so significant. Amen. That is it's burned in. Thank you, James. You know, and I could tell it was passed down from her mom to her, from her to you, yeah. Because y'all deal with me the same, man. But it the the flip side of it, uh your brokenness don't always have to peek out the wrong way. Uh especially like what I'm mentioning of those people who really genuinely care about you, loving on you, yes, through it, you know. Uh it it it's hope there. Yes, you know, uh and where there's hope, you know, there's there's true relationships with Christ himself. You know, um, and and and for me and going through my brokenness, it allowed me to have something to cling on to that uh the whole world wasn't against me. You know, like a lot of people say, me against the world, you know. Well, in my brokenness, I didn't take that edge, you know, because it could have pushed me like for real in them streets, uh, and to be second generation things going on, if you know what I'm saying. Um but yeah, you know, I I watched my loved ones love on me, yeah, you know, through the brokenness. So man, it it pretty much saved my life.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:04

You know, to to be truthful and transparent, you know, I don't want to get all tearied up again or get y'all tearied up again. Y'all, y'all might have y'all might have saved my life, you know.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:17

Um thank you, Jesus.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:19

That's why I say mom broken. That ain't enough flowers. Yeah, if I could pull a truck up here with flowers in it, it wouldn't be enough. Uh yeah, but y'all love me through it, man.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:34

That's all right.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:37

It was weak of you. That's the key.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:40

It wasn't like it was forced. You were such a good baby. I'm telling you, he was so good. I wish I could trade Rich in for Antoine a lot. Antoine was, but Rich was my baby. He still had grown as a kid.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:05

He had a mentality of 72 and he was.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:07

You would rather hang out with mom than he was a senior, he was grown as a kid grown as a kid.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:22

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:22

Crystal said you take out your hurt on them and make it hard to have a relationship with them. Uh, that's what I and I told her that's what I was trying to say, you know, because you make it hard for people to what? You make it hard for people to love you. Push them away. Push them away. That's so good. Thank you, Jesus.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:43

I'm gonna add a different definition of the brokenness because like the perspective we gave was from that one, but my definition that I saw was a path to spiritual humility, a deep healing, and closeness to God. So that's to encourage you all. I know we've we've mentioned a lot of our testimonies and witnessed things to you all, but understand that God is the ultimate healer. Yes, he is. He's the ultimate comforter. Let's know and understand that through all these times, maybe you may be still broken today, but know that God got your back and he's there for you. And those different things that you may be going through right now, trust me, it's it's temporary. God said it'll never leave us nor forsake us, several times in the Bible. And that's a promise. Yeah, he ain't said nothing that he don't do. And I can tell you, I can give you 10,000 testimonies on that. So even through your brokenness, understand that it may be a storm now, but storms don't last forever. And God is always gonna be on the other side of that and and looking at you, and as you lean on him through it and give him his glory, yeah, he's gonna be smiling at you. Thank you. And he's gonna and then you're gonna understand that what we're discussing it today is not about feeling down, it's about understanding that you may be down today, but tomorrow you're gonna be up.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:02

Thank you, Lord.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:03

God is man, he's wonderful. So understand this one key thing. I and I again, we we are very transparent, and I thank God that that's for one, the Holy Spirit is perfect, God is perfect, and we're not ashamed of our past. No, because we're not our past.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:22

That's it.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:23

That's the key part. So, yeah, we bring up those things to give you examples of how we've been through traumatic things in our life too. But look at what God has brought us to do. That's right, right. That's right.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:34

He brought us out. And I want to encourage you because what time, what time do we have? Okay, but I want to move on. Um encourage everybody out there to uh once again pray and ask God to uh, you know, just show you your heart. Yeah. Because a lot of times we don't realize that we're walking in in brokenness. We really don't. Um and then to help you out too, um, there's some books out there that I looked up uh on brokenness. And one is by Dr. Charles Stanley. And uh his book says Finding God's Blessing in Brokenness.

SPEAKER_08 1:05:10

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:11

And that really stood out to me, too, because it is a blessing. Uh, because God get the glory once again. And then there's another book out there by Hiley uh Goldman, and her book, the title is From Brokenness to Restoration. Okay, this is our life, you know, because everybody born into this world is born into sin.

SPEAKER_08 1:05:32

Thank you, G.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:33

Uh, in a and we don't have that wholeness uh when we come into this world with God for in a sense of uh being right standing with God. And so, yeah, God can if we confess our sins once again and uh you know just believe in our heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, we shall be saved. Now that we're made whole again. But through that, we're gonna we're gonna uh we're gonna experience some suffering. And and then that broke, then somebody's gonna broke break us again. Somebody gonna crush our spirit, but then we have our our loving God to go back to. Yes. Because the potter wants to what?

SPEAKER_01 1:06:11

Put us back together again.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:15

Uh-oh.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:17

Just to piggyback off what you're saying, Miss Pat, uh, I want to highlight also after brokenness is a breakthrough. Yes, you know, you're gonna have a spiritual breakthrough. So um it's not all bad. You know, um it takes me to a place just uh like the Bible character Naomi suffered intense grief and emptiness following the loss of her husband and both sons in a foreign land. And it just makes me think about when you when you're going through those losses that some people uh take a while to get get over the grieving and mourning period. Uh how did Christ feel when he sent this only begotten son to take on the sins of man, climb up on that cross and die. You know, and that was his only son, you know. So uh after brokenness, a breakthrough is after that.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:18

Yes, it is. Right. I want to add one thing that I didn't realize until I studied this. That bummed me in my head. That's the only last thing I'm gonna say. Stubbornness. Yeah, that's the only thing I ever heard. That's part of what that one, I said, Lord. And I get told I'm stubborn all the time. Well and then it I said, oh man, can we go again? I'm gonna step my big toe already broke. Now I'm a pinky toe hurt. But that was a big one that when I reached when I did the research, I did not realize that that fell in the alignment of this, of stubbornness and then like sinful habits of some key things that that that were it just man, it hit you.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:59

Yeah, yeah. Can I read this and then this I'm just thankful that you were obedient to the Holy Spirit because I know you was really hesitant at first, but you you told me, Jim, what I want to do broke, and then you changed it to broken nest, which really made so much sense. But one of my favorite, excuse me, songs that I play every day almost every day is Take My Life by Micah Stamply. And it's brokenness, brokenness is what I long for. Brokenness is what I need, it gotta be broken. Brokenness, that's what you want from me. Take my heart and mold it. Take my mind, transform it, that's it. Take my will, conform it to yours, to you, to yours, oh Lord. And that's my prayer for each and every person that is listening to this podcast, be it today or later. Just let God transform you, mold you, conform you to his will. And I promise you. Thank you, Jesus, thank you. Just give succumb to his will.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:24

Thank you, Jesus. It's not over. Scriptures. Thank you, Lord.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:35

You're worthy, thank you, Jesus.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:38

Psalms 147-3. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Matthew 11 and 28, come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:53

I'm gonna add to it. 2 Corinthians 12 and 9. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:04

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:05

Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:15

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:15

See, so weakness and brokenness allows God's strength and grace to fully work on us. So trust me, it's it's not all doom or gloom, baby. This we know the love we got. It's gonna be time we go through things, but just understand that through him all is possible and it's only temporary.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:32

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:32

And your selfishness is another, my son or two that needs to be broken. Just to stand on the topic of broken. Well, dealing with brokenness with within us, Lord, because there's so many different layers to this life we live. We ask that through this podcast, that people are encouraged to come to you, Lord. Come to you with the different things they may be suffering from, come to you and allow you to take over the life and to guide them in their life and to open their eyes to the things that they may still be dealing with subconsciously that they're still broken. I ask that you come and heal them, fix them, and use them healing hands to literally help them. So for one, they can be a living testimony of your greatness and that brings more people to you, Lord. We ask that if there's anybody that may be struggling with their faith or maybe wavering faith, that you come within them in the Holy Spirit and give them the revelations needed so that they can give you the glory and the praise that you deserve at all times, Lord. Because you're more than worthy of it, Lord. We ask that that even through the trying times and the way of the world now, Lord, that you help heal people, that you help give them the things that's going to help them in their lives.

SPEAKER_08 1:11:54

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:54

So that we can continue to fill that kingdom up, Lord. We know that our purpose here as Christians is not to only go to church, but to get in your word and most of all to try to bring more people to you, Lord. And again, through it all, you receive all the glory. And I ask that those that are listening that they gain something today and that they even pass it forward. Spread the word of vent one of ones podcasts out there so we can do this together, Lord, and let them know that we we're going through the same things they are. But the one thing we do know is that you're gonna get us and help us through this, Lord. We know that it's we have to get used to being uncomfortable in this walk because why the enemy is always gonna try. So give them the strength, the encouragement, the power, the holy boldness, so they can step up in your name and your name only and keep this thing going so we can continue the righteous path that you want us to go on, Lord. These are the things I have to do tonight.