My mother has always said,
“Everyone gets a turn.”
I used to hear that and think she meant little seasons — a tough year, a financial stretch, a misunderstanding that would eventually smooth itself out.
I never imagined a turn could look like this.
I’ve watched other families go through seasons where everything seemed to hit at once — loss, division, financial strain, broken relationships, unexpected storms. I would whisper, “Lord, cover them.”
But this season?
It feels like it’s ours.
As the youngest of the Johnson family, I’ve always been the observer. The one watching strength, resilience, laughter at the table, traditions that didn’t need planning because they just happened.
But lately, I’ve been watching something different.
Lost jobs.
New jobs that came with new pressures.
Disrespect.
Unforgiveness.
Being scammed out of money.
Social media accounts hacked — yes, even mine. I can laugh about it now, but I wasn’t laughing the first day.
Anxiety attacks.
Panic attacks.
Moments of “just enough” for some… and not enough for others.
Children now traveling without their parents.
Health scares.
Self-doubt creeping in.
Having to give up a phone number I’ve had for over 20 years.
No sibling outings.
Division where there used to be unity.
Battles with addiction.
Divorce.
Shaken stability.
Even parts of my own life feeling attacked in ways I didn’t expect.
And when I look at it all laid out like that, I understand why this season feels heavier than most.
But I also know this — we are still here. Still breathing. Still standing. Still covered. 💙
But maybe what weighs on me most is this —
My dad will soon be 87.
My mom 83.
They have seen so much in their lifetime. They have carried this family through decades of change, growth, hardship, and joy. They have seen seasons come and go.
They have also buried a son. In 2020, we lost my brother Billy — a loss that forever changed our family. And even in that unimaginable grief, we survived. His strength, his humor, and his unfiltered reminders to “get your mind right” still echo in my heart. Even now, in this season, I can hear him saying it — pushing us to stay strong and not let circumstances define us.
And this?
This is a season they have never seen in our family.
That’s what makes it heavy.
Not because families don’t go through things.
But because I never imagined this much shaking happening at this stage of their lives.
Time feels different now.
More precious.
More fragile.
I don’t need everything to go back to what it was. I’m not asking for perfection.
I’m praying for something deeper.
Genuine healing.
Genuine unity.
Genuine conversations.
Genuine love.
We are not perfect.
We are in a hard season.
But we are covered. 💛
Covered by prayer.
Covered by legacy.
Covered by a God who has never failed us yet.
So instead of pointing fingers…
Instead of pretending everything is fine…
Instead of discussing details…
I’m choosing to pray over my last name.
A Prayer for the Johnson Family 🙏🏾✨
God,
You see every battle that has touched our family this season.
You see the stress, the silent tears, the misunderstandings, the private struggles.
Heal what is fractured.
Restore what feels unstable.
Break cycles that no longer serve this family.
Strengthen my 86-year-old father.
Strengthen my 83-year-old mother.
Let them see restoration in their lifetime.
Let them feel peace in their home and in their hearts.
Bring unity where there has been division.
Bring clarity where there has been confusion.
Bring sobriety where there has been struggle.
Bring stability where there has been loss.
Protect our minds.
Protect our marriages.
Protect our purpose.
Protect our name.
Let this season produce humility, growth, and deeper faith — not permanent distance.
What was meant to shake us, let it refine us.
We are not perfect.
We are in a hard season.
But we are covered.
Amen. 💙
— With love and prayer,
BrandiJ 🙏🏾💛