"You ain't got nothing and you ain't got nowhere to go."

"You ain't got nothing and you ain't got nowhere to go."

Yeah! I know it sounds like a line from a movie where Halle Berry is supposed to be ugly and a crack head. Or maybe even a preview for the upcoming Oprah-Tyler Perry movie, where Monique plays the violently abusive mother to an overweight teen named “Precious.”

"You ain't got nothing and you ain't got nowhere to go."

There’re words that even hurt to type, let alone hear. It was harder to hear them from someone you want so much to love and support you the way you try to love and support them. I’m sure someone is already thinking, “Girl leave that man if he’s talking to you like that!”

No, this is no case of domestic violence, at least not in the male-to-female, spouse-to-spouse, “partner-to- partner” since of the word. It was domestic violence in the since that the words were uttered in a home. Not my home. The house where I now live.

Not my home. My sister’s house.

Like many other American’s now, I had to do a short sale to avoid foreclosure. I realized I hated my job and it was time to move on to something better. I had to make tough choices. I had to pack up my entire life. I had to sell a lot of my stuff. I had to give away even more. I had to sleep on some friends and family members couch for a few nights. I had to learn some tough lessons. I had to make some even tougher decisions.

As soon as I realized I was going to lose my house, I realized how I handled the coming situations would define me as a person for the rest of my life. It would not only define how people looked at and judged me and my situation, it would define how I felt about myself. I decided to hold my head high, do what I had to do, keep a positive attitude and make it through this situation like I had made it through the other major phases of my life. I had no idea how the situation would turn out, just that I was smart, creative, funny, and cute enough that everything would be alright. I knew I had in me all that my family, friends, mentors, and teachers, and GOD had instilled in me. I have character, compassion, and an unwavering since of self. I knew then, like I know now, everything will work out alright.

I realized back then that I had a lot. I have me.

As the year of 2008 meandered along, I found my faith. I’m not saying I found God. I already knew him. We had a slightly checkered past, and I had strayed from our relationship several times when I did not get what I wanted in the time and manner that I wanted. I had often lost or put down my faith, especially in His ability to deliver a husband. I know God existed; I just did not have faith in his abilities. And anyone who knows me knows I had no problem, telling God, or them how I felt about my lack of a mate for life.

My faith was constantly fortified and made stronger as in God’s time things in my life came into place, often with little to no effort on my part. Not only did they all but fall into place, often blessing just fell into my lap. I was able to stay in my home a VERY long time while I got other things in order. I was able to comfortablely move out of the house before they came to put me out. I found the perfect house to move into, with the perfect landlord. God let me see past others advise that this would not be a good idea, to see just how wonderful it really would be. AND IT TRULY WAS!! When moving time came, I had the right helpers at the right time. (Everybody remembers, “Use the help you have, while you got it!” and my 7 and 12 year old packers that I paid with cheesecake! Thank you Canisha and CJ!) My cousin that I rarely talked to or saw was the one that showed up at exactly the moment I had done all I could do and was literally passing out from exhaustion after 5 days of nonstop packing and moving. She has truly a God-sent helper. She stepped in and orchestrated my entire move as I lay on the floor of my empty dining room barely conscious. I was able to move in, unpack, prepare for house guest and have a major cookout within a week! Seemlessly! I remember just being amazed at how well it all turned out. I also remember sitting down one day in my basement and realizing it was all GOD. All God!

God got me through two basement floods, reoccurrence of the insane married ex-boyfriend, dealing with the stepford wives of the Junior League, and all the insanity of my job. He didn’t make it just disappear; He gave me the courage and fortitude to deal with all of it with a calm mind and a courageous spirit.

And as 2009 began, my faith had been restored. I understood that he could make a way out of no way. Maybe not your way, but most definitely A WAY! I was able to enjoy the inauguration of the first African-American President of the United States of America with my family. I actually had someone tell me they loved me and that I was sexy for the first time in over a decade. I needed to hear it even if it didn’t last long. And above all, I was able to care for my parents and just be there for them.

So when I realized that my time at my job had ended, I knew before they told me. I was ready. I was okay. I jumped right into my faith mode of action. I did not worry about where will I go and what will I do.

I realized that I could always go to God. When all things in this world failed, I had somewhere to go! I could go to GOD! No matter where I lived, worked, was or was doing, I could go to my GOD! He would sustain me! He would keep me! He would protect me! He would see me to the next step or phase. All I need is a little faith. You know that faith the size of a grain of a mustard seed! I had literally climbed inside that mustard seed for my faith and I was okay!

I will always have somewhere to go. I can always go to my faith! I can always go to my God!

If need be, at a homeless shelter, in another country, in the military, whereever I be, I can go to my God. I can go to him in prayer, confidnece and understanding, that this world is only temporary and learning is to be had in every situation he puts you in and God is always there with you, seen and unseen!

This post is not to retort back to the one who told me, "You ain't got nothing and you ain't got nowhere to go." God is still working on that person like he is still working on you and me. That was not of who they truly are, but the Devil trying to use them to hurt me.

This post is to tell all those out there that have heard, "You ain't got nothing and you ain't got nowhere to go."

THE DEVIL IS A LIAR!

Between God and your faith you have more than enough

and you always have somewhere to go!

Post Script: And for those that don’t know me or where I am. I am living with my sister in “GOD’s country” preparing to start Law School. And I still haven’t missed a beat in my life. Just a change in tempo!