FRIEND FRIDAY | TAIJA PRITCHETT

Friends, let me introduce you to this fantastic young woman, Taija! When making my list for this summer and praying intently about who God wanted me to share with you, this friend came to mind! She reminds me a lot of myself when I was her age. Chasing after God and hungry for more. It's so important that we always reach down to the younger generation and give them chances to share the deep wells within them. Age is just a number. We have so much to learn from each other. I see big and mighty things in her future! Please join me and enjoy this wisdom from my friend, Taija!

Hello!! My name is Taija Alexus Pritchett. I am 18 years of age and now a freshman in College. I’m not your typical teenager. I love to write music, sing, and preach the word of God.

About Me:

When I was born, my parents knew God had a special plan for me. My Granny told me that as a toddler I used to lay hands on her and pray for her well being. As a pre-teen, God would give me songs during the day and even in the middle of the night and I would write them down. You see, God had me set apart the day I was born. Little did I know that a Big Plan comes with Great Trials and Tribulations.

Ever since I was younger, I've dealt with self-doubt. I wanted to pursue the things God had called me to do, but I didn't think I was good enough. I would question why God had called me to such a high standard. I knew He had gifted me with talent, and to speak to his people, but I didn't know or understand how to walk it out.

OVERCOMING YOU:

While writing this story, I started to doubt myself. I felt like it wasn’t going to be great, but then God said: ”You can’t mess up the story I am writing within you”. At first, I was just going to talk about self-doubt but God gave me two significant words and that's ”OVERCOMING YOU”.

You may ask ”What does “OVERCOMING YOU” mean?”. It means putting an end to everything that is setting you back or in your way. To change your mindset and uplift yourself in every way possible. Even if that means setting your own thoughts of Discouragement, Fear, Pride ,or even Doubt aside. You name it. So let’s do it!!!!

FEAR OF NOT BEING ACCEPTED:

As a young girl in Middle School to High School, I saw a lot of other kids doing things like Cheerleading, Basketball, Partying, hanging out with each other on weekends and doing what teens do. I WANTED to fit in and do the things they did. So I got into basketball, and I got into any club I could be apart of. I FELT LIKE I had to talk as they did and dress the part. So I dressed up almost every day. Because I didn't want them to think I was a nobody.

As an African American Girl in high school, I felt like I had to work 10x harder to get 2 steps closer to the opposite race. It was never enough. I would even converse with the fakes and wanted to stay ”friends” with them because I wanted to have people around me all the time at school that ”liked" me. No matter how many times I SAW that this choice led me nowhere, I STILL went through with it because I FELT like it was the only way to make it through those years. So Months went by and I DIDN’T recognize myself, I wasn’t being who God had called me to be.

”But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9 Instead of God being my main focal point, fitting in was. Every little thing I did was to please others. I would see most girls in relationships with guys and I FELT like I NEEDED to have one as well. FEAR OF BEING ALONE: So I did, I GOT into a relationship with a boy. Seemed nice from the start, right? But then later down the road his true colors started to show. He would talk down to me and I would just take it. In my mind, I'm thinking, "everyone else has one... I’ll be a nobody without one." My parents didn't agree with me being in the relationship with this guy, because they knew that I wasn’t acting like myself. It would tear me down mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. But I didn't leave because I thought that being alone wasn't ”cool” enough.

”Never will I leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 I would say the things they wanted to hear instead of what I KNEW was right in my heart. I was going to church but it's like I would put on a face as if things were going right. But In reality, they weren't and it would eat me alive inside. It had gotten so bad to the point where my parents forced me to end things with him. (Thank God for My Parents). I was so much better off afterwards. I had to get back to myself and even become a better ME. God had showed me that he was and is the only resolution for every problem. I didn’t need to change for him to love me. He loved, and still loves me through anything.

FEAR OF FAILURE:

As a singer, I want to succeed in my career. I practice and write often, but during this time, the thought of failing would come to mind often. I saw famous artists doing what I wanted to do and that was to be a Worship Leader. Yes, I knew I was blessed with the gift, but I’d say to myself “How am I going to get that far?”. So, I became less confident in myself and didn't strive to pursue my craft.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 Every time I sing, my prayer is to be like God and less of me, because I want it to be pure and Holy. There was a point where I stopped writing music for a year because my song didn't come out as planned in the studio. But then a friend from church uplifted me by saying: ”God gave you those songs to complete them, and show the world what He's doing through you. He didn't give you those songs just because. Yes, you might have a minor bump in the road but don't let that block you from what God has for you".

So I started to write again, and now I sing, and make covers to songs with confidence. I may mess up here and there, but what's life without a mistake?

WAKE UP CALL:

One thing I know is when you have a big calling on your life the devil will try to throw every little thing at you to get you off the course God has set you to be on. God set me apart and I just needed to pursue it. No matter how hard you try to pull away from God, He's always going to be there. “Draw near to God,and he’ll draw near to you” James 4:8 God was and still is putting me through things to get me prepared for the blessings that He has for me soon. Just like a potter with clay, He’s constantly working on me. I just need to remember that He knows what's best for me.

”I can do all things through Jesus Christ who Strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

Overcome You to let God use you! And once you've set yourself aside, that's where God takes place and does Wonders.

#friendfriday