A Little London Girl and a Shepherd Boy
I’ve been reflecting on David's early life recently and found so many parallels with my own journey as a young black girl from London. I’ve never battles lions, bears, or giants, but my childhood was filled with its own challenges like riots, poverty, and rejection. Though our struggles were different, the lessons from my youth and King David’s story are strikingly similar.
David, the eighth son in his family, often overlooked and assigned the humble job of a shepherd. For me, growing up in London meant attending the toughest school in our area. I wasn’t stylish or popular, unable to afford designer clothes, and often wrapped in my grandma’s old woolly cardigan. Like David, I was unassuming, musical, and prophetic—traits that might seem unnecessary but shaped us both profoundly.
My beginnings in London were humble. Raised by a single mother in a council house as the eldest of three, London was all I knew. Despite our dire circumstances, community was our constant. We found solace and strength in our church, school, and making music with family. My mum did an amazing job ensuring we stayed connected to our community. London was (occasionally) a blend of fun, wildness, grit, roughness, and beauty, though it has deteriorated over the years.
On a recent visit to my old neighbourhood, a neighbour, whom I’ve known all my life, lamented, “The police are here every day. It’s changed so much since you were little.” As I observed the decline, her words underscored how much opportunity had come my way, revealing the stark contrast between my past and present.
David faced incredible barriers at every stage of his journey. Each challenge, from lions to bears to a giant, was formidable, and he couldn't have overcome them without God’s help. His obscurity and seeming irrelevance resonated deeply with me. Why was this young boy, who faced such dangers, left unnoticed by his family during Samuel’s pivotal arrival? I marvel at his resilience in the face of the impossible, just as I marvel at my own journey through London's hardships.
David's life teaches me to value my beginnings. The scripture “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin.” (Zechariah 4:10 NLT) reminds me that despite the rough times, I’m proud of where I came from. My journey has shaped me into the woman I am today. Your beginning matters too. No matter how humble, painful, broken or traumatic. We can always find ways to appreciate the lessons in our journey, even the menial aspects.
Recently, God has given me opportunities to revisit the spaces and people of my past. This new perspective has allowed me to see the beauty in God’s strategic hand on my life. Each piece of my journey has informed the person I am today. If you are navigating similar spaces, avoiding painful aspects of your past, hoping the future will overshadow it, know that healing begins when you allow God to change your perspective on the past. Healing doesn’t come from avoiding your past. It comes from allowing God to reinterpret it.
To show you where He was.
To show you what He was building.
To show you that none of it was wasted.There is a quiet power in reconciling with where you started.
Making peace with your beginnings, stops you running from your story. If there are parts of your past that still ache, don’t rush to silence them. Sit with them. Bring them before God. Let Him meet you there.
I’m amazed at how much a little shepherd boy has taught me. Even though more than 2000 years fills the space between us - the lessons remain. God is in the business of using humble beginnings to propel us into greatness.
Sal x
