Everything Changed Overnight

There was a moment not long ago when it felt like everything was finally coming together. My business was growing, we had just expanded, and I got my very first (unofficial but unforgettable) opportunity to speak at the University of North Texas — an opportunity I could have never imagined considering how shy I’ve always been and not to mention those words in my thoughts that get stuck on the way out of my mouth.
And after months of sacrifice, I had finally moved out of my sister’s house. Goals. Growth. Breakthrough. Entrepreneurship had started to make sense. It was finally paying off. I could breathe again. But just when I thought the tide was turning in my favor, life took a sharp, unexpected turn. I was in a car accident. And while I initially tried to power through the disruption, what followed changed the trajectory of my entire year.
Through a series of misunderstandings, I was violated, scammed, and stripped of one of the most meaningful things I owned — my very first luxury car. It was stolen where I thought trust resided. Not just any car — the one my mom and I had chosen together as a birthday gift. The last birthday we shared together before she passed. It carried more than just mileage — it carried memories, joy, and pride. There were valuables inside that I’ll never see again.
Losing that car wasn’t just about the vehicle. It unraveled something in me.  Suddenly, it was as if life hit me all at once. No car. Emptied bank accounts. Savings — gone. Meet the new credit card queen! Credit score– trashed. My business — paused. Book release — paused. Anxiety– out of control. And beneath it all, a deep traumatic grief I couldn’t name at the time.
What I thought would be a quick setback spiraled into a full-blown collapse. As I patiently awaited a trial date, It took a whole year! I had hit what felt like rock bottom.
Everything changed overnight.
But here’s the part I didn’t see coming:
So did I.
That loss — as painful and unfair as it was — became a turning point. It forced me to lean into God in a new way. Not the “everything is fine” kind of faith, but the shaky, tear-soaked, “Lord, I have nothing left but You” kind of surrender. It stripped me down to the truth of who I am beyond the business, beyond the car, beyond the public wins. It gave me a new walk. A deeper trust. A softer strength. An extra dose of humility.
I’m not writing this from the other side yet — not completely. But I am writing this from the climb. From the space in-between who I was and who I’m becoming. If you’re in your own unraveling, if life changed overnight for you too… I want you to know you’re not alone.  God is close to the broken hearted- Psalm 34:18! Rock bottom isn’t the end. Sometimes, it’s the beginning of a better foundation. A reset orchestrated by God.
I’m still rebuilding — slowly, quietly, faithfully.

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With love,

Patrice Thomas