Okay - so now you know THAT I’ve passed the exam, let me tell you HOW I passed:

A whole get-on-your-recliner-and-grab-some-tissues testimonial #thread giving honor and glory to God:

/1 https://twitter.com/rianaelyse/status/1285216735189139459

In the beginning - or, in 3rd grade - I did a project in social studies class about what I wanted to do when I grew up. I drew a picture of the “Kiddome” - a #Detroit-based center focused on the health & well-being of Black youth - where I wanted to be a child psychologist.

/2

In high school, I actually petitioned the Detroit City Council to build this facility, and scored an internship with councilperson Nicholas Hood as a result.

/3

After college, while in @TeachForAmerica, I saw firsthand how important it was to deeply understand Black culture, children, families, and communities when addressing students' wellness issues, further solidifying my desire to work on behalf of #BlackMentalHealth.

/4

Now I’m going to QUICKLY skim over the next 10 years of God’s grace, including the tornado in ATL while I was teaching that LITERALLY taught me peace in the middle of the storm, or the serendipitous conversation which afforded me a free application to grad schools…

/5

…which ultimately led me to apply to @UVA, the summer opportunities in DC which strengthened my clinical + community skills, the residency at @YaleMed, the @NASEMFordFellow postdoc fellowship at @PennGSE (AND BABY THIS IN AND OF ITSELF WAS ANOTHER TESTIMONY! [pic evidence]).

/6

I’ll pick it back up at USC where I took my first academic position. Things were not aligning as well as I had hoped. I went to @tphonela church & @toureroberts asked how many of us were entrepreneurs. I thought about my clinical work with @EMBRaceProgram and raised my hand.

/7

He then asked, “what was the dream God put in you years ago about your entrepreneurship?” and The Kiddome popped immediately in my head. I thought to myself, “I have to get back to Detroit to open my center!” But there was just one issue:

/8

I just declined an offer at @umichsph the prior year. And the position was filled. So, I made my petition known to God and in 6 months, there was an offer to come back home. I also said that I wanted to live and work primarily in Detroit. The department agreed.

/9

So now I’m in #Detroit, skipping and hopping and living my best life working on behalf of kiddos and their families, but something was nagging me: since I wasn’t licensed, I couldn’t see clients individually nor supervise clinicians independently for the @EMBRaceProgram.

/10

As #COVID19 roared, I saw the immense need to serve my people appropriately, especially after personally getting sick in March. So I started studying for licensure in April. When I first booked a testing date, they were so backlogged that it wasn’t scheduled til September.

/11

God kept telling me to check and said “your testing date will be the week of July 13 at 8 am”. I was like “Hey God, I hate to break it to you, but this thang booked than a mug. It ain’t gonna happen.” But after weeks of checking, something opened up: July 17. 8 am.

/12

In the weeks leading up, I was studying, but also working on papers, grants, and media. I was exhausted. I started developing debilitating migraines. Then a personal family issue popped up the Sunday going into the week of July 13.

/13

In fact, my practice test on July 13 was one of the lowest scores I had the whole year, shaking me to my core. I was fairly sure I wasn’t going to pass that Friday.

But then…

/14

I talked to my colleague @SCTJones who gave me support and ALSO used the word "test" in our convo. In that moment - my mind was blown open. ALL of the preparation to get me to this point were displays of God’s sufficient provision for my purpose, so why have shaky faith now?

/15

So I stopped studying. I positioned myself in a posture of prayer the rest of the week. And God’s alley-oop the day before the exam, which stopped my Twitter Takeover AND kept my internet from working, allowed me to praise God the WHOLE day.

/16 https://twitter.com/rianaelyse/status/1283771800145530883?s=20

Upon waking up on the 17th, I took a look at the verse of the day - which, if I ain’t never seen no direct Bible verse to me before - was SURELY written for me that day:

/17

I was fired up. I went into the exam. I wasn’t sure how I performed but I knew that I had nothing left. I was depleted. And only God could answer the questions I was unsure about.

/18

I walked out of the exam, grabbed my printout, folded it quickly, and came home. I FaceTimed my mom and she asked the results. I told her I wasn’t going to check yet. She reminded me that my friends + family were going to ask me at a gathering that day so I should just look.

/19

So. I looked.

You need a 500 to pass.

I didn’t get over a 500.

---

And I didn’t get under a 500.

---

I. Got. A. 500. On. The. Nose.

/20

God simply asked after my test, “do you believe that I can do ALL things now? When you have nothing left, do you not know that I can sufficiently meet your needs AND my needs for you and the kingdom?”

---

Yes, Lord. I believe.

/fin