"Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." - Oliver Goldsmith
If you were to look at my journey from the outside, you might see a slave girl kneeling in grace, obeying with joy, glowing with pride in her submission. But what you may not see are the countless times I’ve stumbled. The times I broke protocol. The tears I’ve shed in frustration. The moments I questioned if I was even meant for this path.
Yes, I’ve failed. More times than I can count.
There were nights I laid awake wondering if I was enough. If I was too much. If I was too bratty, too needy, too forgetful, too sensitive. I would try so hard and still fall short. And for a while, I truly believed that each failure was proof that I wasn’t cut out for this, this beautiful, demanding, soul deep life of service and surrender.
But here’s the truth. If I had stayed down after every fall, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
I wouldn’t be kneeling in belonging at the feet of two extraordinary men who see me, guide me, and lead me with wisdom and strength. Men who hold me accountable while also holding space for my softness. Men who demand my best but never expect my perfection.
If I had given up when the journey got messy, I would have missed out on the most profound, life changing love I’ve ever known.
Each stumble taught me something. Every failure became a lesson. I learned patience when I wanted to rush. I learned humility when I wanted to argue. I learned grace, for myself, when I realized mistakes are not disqualifiers, but invitations to grow.
My obedience has deepened not because I stopped failing, but because I kept rising. My service has become more intentional because I have learned from the times I got it wrong. And most of all, I have grown as a person, more grounded, more open, more attuned to the sacred dance between strength and submission.
This path is not perfect. I am not perfect. But I am devoted. And that devotion drives me to rise again and again, no matter how many times I fall.
So, to the slaves who feel like they’re failing, please don’t stop. Don’t give up. The glory is not in flawless service, but in the courage to keep going. Every time you choose to get back on your knees with an open heart and willing spirit, you are building something beautiful.
You are becoming.
And so am I.