Takiela Bynum: On Hope

by Takiela Bynum

She was excited to bring in the New Year with her cousins. It was the first time she had spent a holiday without her mom and although she was a little nervous about it she knew she would have a great time.

They planned their own little New Year’s party with plenty of snacks, sparkling grape juice, streamers, and noise makers to celebrate. They all counted down and cheered loudly at midnight. Loud music, sweets galore, and dancing the night away. She had a blast!

Around 2:00am she fell asleep along with everyone else. But someone was watching her, silently waiting in the background.

Sticky hot breath hovered over her ear and she woke instantly. She felt slimy drops of sweat sink into her cheek, fear paralyzed her.

I was in third grade and he had just graduated high school. My life would never be the same again.

It took years for me to overcome this hurdle in this Christian marathon I call my life. My heart had to be conditioned, just as a runner has to condition her body to physically prepare for the race.

That terrible incident continued to torture me throughout my childhood and followed me into my adult years.… continue reading

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By Takiela Bynum

She’d taken several pain killers to prevent her from feeling any pain. Besides, she needed a backup plan in case the other thing didn’t work out.

She located the vein, turned her head and quickly slid the razor across her flesh. She winced at the sharp sting. The warm ooze drizzled down her hand and left its trail on the hard wood floor. She climbed into bed and hoped for death to quietly greet her while she slept.

That was a dark day in my teen life, one I’ll probably never forget. The pain and hurt I endured left me beyond hopeless; I’d reached the point of no return.

According to the dictionary, the point of no return is defined as the point in a course of action beyond which reversal is not possible. Have you even been at a point in your life, the point of no return? Have you even been broken by life’s circumstances and craved death? Have you even made plans for your life only to watch them come undone? If so, you’re not alone.

Although I had made plans to die that day it was not God’s purpose for me and God always triumphs…always.… continue reading

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By Takiela Bynum

Once upon a time…isn’t that how the story is supposed to begin?

Not for her, she is far from the princess, fairy-tale type, you couldn’t imagine what her world is like or the pain she has suffered through – does this she sound a lot like you?

Does she put her guard up and keep her head down? Is she hiding behind a pretense of ordinariness? Has she been hurt beyond repair? Did she build a wall around her heart to protect herself from being hurt again?

For some of us life had a violent beginning and some had more of a meager beginning. We all come from different walks of life, some walks are easier than others. However, our beginning doesn’t have to dictate our end.

We have no control over the circumstances we are born into, but the choices we make throughout our lives will definitely determine our happily ever after.

Since we don’t live in an imaginary world, the story that is our life probably won’t even be close to that of a fairy tale. Unfortunately, for some of us, it is the complete opposite which would be more like an unfair tale.

With a fairy tale, it has a happy beginning, a small and short-lived issue, and finally an even happier ending.… continue reading

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By Takiela Bynum

Have you ever been in a place, mentally, where darkness consumed you? Has it ever seemed as though the sole purpose of darkness was to completely annihilate or utterly destroy you?

There have been times in my life that I thought darkness would literally kill me. It was as though my resistance strengthened its resentment. I felt like I was drowning. My screams and cries had gone unheard. No matter how hard I tried, my attempts went unnoticed. I began to lose the will to fight. Ultimately, I gave up on life.

Some of us will have times when we feel like giving up. In those moments, the only glimmer of hope I can offer you is Christ. When life became too hard for me Jesus had to become my lifeline. He became the lifesaver that kept me afloat in a sea of darkness. When I started to sink it was His word that I desperately clung to for life.

The Scripture 2 Corinthians 12:9,10 (NIV) became one of my favorites. I memorized it and when I felt weak, I’d whisper it…repeatedly.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.… continue reading

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