About Me
To put it simply, I would categorize myself as a black sheep among the shepherd's flock. I’m an African American from Massachusetts, and having grown up in predominantly white spaces my whole life, I’ve been conditioned to critically see myself as different among the crowd.
Thus, my racial difference would lead to a new path in regards to Civic Engagement and Service Learning. I wanted to serve the communities that felt unloved or unseen. I wanted people to know that they are loved, and since I grew up in a religious household, I noticed how this motif was consistent within Christianity.
Jesus Christ lived an entire life dedicated to service. He sought out the outcasts of society, the diseased, the marginalized. “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45). Thus, I want to live a life in which I can serve people too.
Therefore, I seek to love and serve the people around me, because Jesus laid the groundwork by dying on a cross for all of humanity. “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5: 7-8).
In other words, Jesus serves when it doesn’t make sense. So, I hope that through writing these stories I can in some way serve you. My grandfather and pastor, Charles Pratt, would always be reminded of stories to help him get through. So, I’m writing down my stories! I hope they can challenge you, make you laugh, inspire you, and encourage you through.
About This Site
To preface, I would not categorize myself as a great writer. However, I’ve slowly learned that writing is an everyday necessity. So, if writing is a necessity, then I might as well get satisfied with being a bad writer!
Consequently, I created this blog because I think there’s a lot of people who are like me. They have a desire to write things down, but somehow can’t because “they aren’t good at writing.” Yet, the unfortunate truth in that mindset is they are right, they probably aren’t that good at writing, because in reality everyone is a bad writer. Therefore, once you address your pride and embrace that strange truth that it’s okay to show people your really terrible writing, most of the time it should free you to be satisfied with writing more, or that’s what happened for me at least!
So, I mention all of this to emphasize the importance of writing down stories. As the ancient Pslam goes “Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story” (Pslam 107: 2). In other words, our testimonies have weight. There’s power when we share them, and sometimes when we share it might get a little messy. Yet we share them anyway, because imperfection also is a part of our story. In the midst of our brokenness, Jesus Christ died for our iniquities. Therefore, when one embrace’s their helplessness, it frees them to share their story! I pray that God might give you power and strength to write down your story, I’m sure people will be inspired by it, but we’ll never know until you share it.
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
(Psalm 139:13-14)