By the eighth grade, I had already decided I would be the “black sheep” of my family.
I have a sister who, to me, shined without even trying and everyone loved her. In comparison, I felt invisible, unwanted, and convinced I had no value. I had already mapped out a future for myself that was small and destructive, because that was all I could see.
Then God sent Mrs. Owens.
She was a white home economics teacher at my newly integrated school. She did something remarkable: She rearranged her schedule so I could be with her an hour a day.
She taught me to sew. She corrected me, encouraged me, and—without preaching a sermon—treated me as if I were capable, talented, and worth the investment of her time.
By the time I finished ninth grade, I was a master seamstress. I eventually majored in home economics in college.
Meeting her is where healing began for me. Mrs. Owens became my convex mirror—someone who helped me see a wider, truer view of my life than the damaged one I was carrying inside.
When you look back over your own story, who has been your “Mrs. Owens”? Where might God be inviting you to become that kind of mirror for someone else?
As we move toward 2026, let's let the healing begin.
You are no accident! Listen to what I say in this short clip.
