Blog 17/ Becoming Dr. Johnson
Strength doesn’t always announce itself.
Some moments don’t arrive with fireworks.
They arrive quietly—
after years of noise.
This morning, I sat with my coffee
and let the truth settle in.
Not the regalia.
Not the title.
Not even the stage.
Just this knowing:
I became someone along the way.
Becoming Dr. Johnson was never just about a degree.
It was about surviving a season that asked for everything—
and realizing God had already prepared me to give it.
For years, I worked full-time.
Taught part-time.
Went to school full-time.
I carried a 4.0 GPA not out of perfection,
but devotion.
Discipline became worship.
Support from family was minimal—
sometimes absent.
The nights were long.
The mornings came too fast.
The exhaustion was deeper than sleep could reach.
And still—
I stayed obedient.
I trusted God when the path narrowed.
When logic failed.
When spiritual warfare showed up
as doubt, confrontation, distraction,
and moments that felt utterly unreal.
Some questioned me.
Some watched quietly.
Some waited for me to fall.
But you don’t endure a season like this
without rooted faith.
I didn’t move because it was easy.
I moved because God said move.
Somewhere between deadlines and prayers,
tears and persistence,
I changed.
I became steadier.
Less apologetic.
More surrendered.
I stopped asking permission
to occupy the space I was already called to hold.
Before I even finished, doors opened.
Conversations aligned.
Opportunities found me—
without chasing, without forcing.
God went ahead of me.
Becoming wasn’t loud.
It wasn’t flashy.
It was faithful.
Showing up when no one clapped.
Obedience in obscurity.
Today, I don’t feel the need to explain
what this degree cost me.
God knows.
I know.
And that is enough.
I didn’t stumble across the finish line.
I stuck the landing.
This isn’t just a milestone.
It’s a testimony.
Remember, bold conversations, brewed fresh - one cup at a time!
Dr. Courtney Nicole Johnson
Founder of CourtneyCoffeeChats
Bold Conversations, Brewed Fresh.
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