Summer Strike

If I go in the opposite direction of everyone else, won’t I find more quiet, more peaceful, and less crowded path? (Summer Strike, 2022).

I always moved through life, hurried as though at any moment, I could lose it all. I remember being in second grade, reading off the list of words my teacher placed in front of me in a rush. The faster I read, the more accurately her facial expression would morph into a satisfied smile. I enjoyed surpassing the baseline for reciting the words and beating my record almost every week. Before I knew it, my life followed the same pattern: a hurried life. From sounding out words in seconds, to reading novels in twenty-four hours, then creating new firsts in my family. I was racing against an imaginary clock. Unfortunately, even being born again in Christ did not shift my perspective; it intensified it. I served in several ministries at once, and often I had to be at church before my work shift and lead a service that same evening. I was at church sometimes four to five times a week. All the while, I was juggling a full course load in college and attending mandatory field experience for my career. 

Nevertheless, I strove, and at nineteen I graduated with my associate's degree, then earned three more degrees, including a certificate in accounting and business. With the inclusion of entrepreneurship, my routine became rigorous with planning and executing. Though I had published over twelve books and had over twenty products on Amazon, the pit in my stomach grew with each milestone. One weekend after another grueling week of grading papers, data curriculum meetings with the assistant principal, tutoring, and lesson planning, I lay on the couch, restless. I surfed through my options on Netflix and came across Summer Strike, a show about a woman in her mid-twenties, Yeo-reum, who was already running on empty but had lost the last thing she was holding on to. This led her to a truth within her soul; she was living her life for everyone else, but herself. “Until now, I’ve been living in a daze. I’ve tried my best not to fall behind or get insulted. But now I think about it, the one who insulted me the most was myself” (Summer Strike, 2022). She quits her job, packs her studio apartment, sells everything she owns, and moves to a small town to live a simple life and do nothing. 

I sat up in wonder at each episode. I thought to myself, “I wish I could be that brave.” I wanted to step on the next train of the unknown and risk it anyway. But I couldn't, I was afraid of falling behind, now I know I was afraid of losing control. Little did I know that the summer of 2022 was the start of the next four years of burnout. No matter how hard I tried, my soul was weighed down. My life became an endless cycle of frustration with minor highlights and consistent dead ends. God was waiting for me to give up, and I was waiting for Him to give in. Of course, I wanted to serve him, and I remained obedient in all the ways I knew how, but my heart. My heart could not fathom the matter of my endless striving and performance, and the urge to control my life. Sure, I knew about childhood trauma and the effects of loss and betrayal. Yet there were layers upon layers to unravel before I could grasp it, and because I lived a hurried life, I never sat still long enough to undo the narrative that ruled my life fully. Control sat on the edge of her seat like a toxic ex, waiting for me to cave in, and with just enough pressure, I did. Pastor of the Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas, Sarah Jakes Roberts, put it this way,  “I didn’t sit in the incident long enough to heal because I wanted to look healed, so I ended up skipping some steps” (Jakes Roberts 14:00–14:05). 

Thankfully, God has much more patience, and He waits with love. It took four years of unraveling, discarding the many layers that control clothed me in. I was nervous, a bit scared too, but I was always willing, and this time I refused to look back at Egypt. I was done living a hurried life and insulting myself by keeping up with cultural demands, familial expectations, career goals, and man-made religions to earn the “Good Christian Girl” award.  So what if I quit or failed when the Bible shared that nothing could separate me from the love of God (Romans 8:31-39). I had had enough. Just like Yeo-reum, I went on strike against this thing called life this summer, and I’ve never been happier to fall away from hustle culture, an ideology, the world, and, sadly, the church practices. What I’ve gained is greater than a career, an accomplishment, or approval can ever give me. I’ve finally returned to my true self and, most of all, have allowed myself permission just to be His daughter. As I live an unhurried life, I plan to be more intentional and to share what I have learned about unhealthy traditions and religious practices that I have deconstructed. My first article on Substack is available to read, “Deconstructing the Good Girl Gospel.”

https://substack.com/@monicatheophilus

You can also watch my latest YouTube video on this topic. https://youtube.com/@amomentwithmonica?si=of40jtRlOmKxBiuh

Thank you so much for always reading! I can’t believe this month marks my eighth year of blogging. Although I am moving to a different platform to approach theological discourse for navigating everyday Christianity, I’ll still blog as God leads me, just not as often. Still, stay tuned for both! 

Your support is always appreciated!

Be Encouraged, 

Love, Monica.

Works Cited 

Jakes Roberts, Sarah. “You’re Not Behind: God Is Preparing You for What’s Next.” YouTube, 23 Mar. 2026, https://youtu.be/REXKHTA5_ok.