Flying on Faith
After reaching the peak of my academic journey, I found myself at a new starting point: launching my clinical practice. Finishing my coursework was a victory. But becoming a licensed practitioner in Georgia required passing a notoriously tough certification exam—one that many candidates failed more than once. I received a year-long temporary license, which let me practice without restrictions. My caseload was heavy, and time to study was limited. Still, the decisive day drew near. Anxious and unprepared, I sat for the exam alongside others.
The wait afterward was unbearable. To clear my mind—and perhaps outrun my fears—I flew west to San Diego searching for work in Rehabilitation Psychology. Deep down, I hoped to secure a job before the results arrived, just in case I hadn’t passed the exam. I didn’t want failure to greet me at my door. Weeks later, back in Atlanta, I attended church, still waiting for my results. The choir sang, “I Don’t Feel No Ways Tired,” but it was the chorus that hit me like a lightning bolt: ‘I don’t believe He brought me this far to leave me.’ That line felt like confirmation. I hadn’t seen the letter yet, but I knew. Two months later, the envelope arrived. I passed by just three points. But those three points felt like a hundred. They were a lifeline, a second wind, a whisper from God: Keep going.
I was flying. Nothing could stop me now.
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About the Author
Linda Joyce is a memoirist and collaborative storyteller based in Greensboro, North Carolina. Her work explores resilience, disability, and the emotional architecture of lived experience. She specializes in creative nonfiction that blends personal narrative with cultural and historical context, often drawing from archival material and community memory. Linda is currently shaping the memoir DRIVEN, which chronicles the life of Richard Reynolds Mouzon, the first African American to live a remarkable life, despite living 59 years with quadriplegia. Her writing honors the voices of those who have defied odds and redefined possibilities. Her writings strive to turn unknown truths into unforgettable stories and build a record that never existed.