Out of the Pit: Why I’m Finally Breaking My Silence to Set You Free

For fifty-eight years, I have carried stories that would make most people close their eyes and turn away. I have lived through a "downward spiral" that started long before I knew what safety meant—sold at five, raped at eight, and lost to the crack pipes and red-light districts of Memphis by my teens.

People see me now as a Pastor and a Prophetess, draped in the "bling" of a life restored, but they don't always see the "muck and mire" I had to crawl through to get here. For sixteen years, the Lord has been dealing with me, saying, "Write that book. Write that book." I ran. I was scared. I didn't want to relive the "horror stories" of being molested by my own blood and hunted by death on the streets.

But I’ve realized that my silence wasn't just a shield—it was a prison.

I am writing this series because there is a woman out there right now who feels like a "shell," living recklessly because she was introduced to pain long before she was introduced to protection. If you are in that "horrible pit"—whether it's addiction, an abusive marriage, or the trauma of your past—I am here to tell you that the pit is not your grave; it is your turning point.

What This Series is About

Every Thursday morning at 8:00 AM, I will be dropping a new article right here on my JustMy Memphis profile. We are going to go deep into the chapters of my life, not just to look at the scars, but to show you the "Ray of Hope" that pulled me through. We will talk about:

The Trauma that Silences: How the secrets we carry as children become the chains we wear as adults.
Environment vs. Identity: Why your surroundings don't have to dictate who you become.
The Messy Middle: The reality of separation, healing, and the anxiety of walking away from the "noise."
When Rock Bottom Speaks: Learning to listen to the voice that tells you "there has to be more than this."

You Are Not Alone

I didn't have a roadmap when I was backsliding into the noise. I didn't have a group of women telling me I was worth more than the streets. That is why I am inviting you to join my new Facebook Group: Out of the Pit.

This is a sacred space for the survivors and the warriors. It’s a place where "iron sharpens iron" and where we can mentor one another through the separation and the elevation. In this community, we will face the spiritual and emotional battles together, step by step.

My story isn't just a series of tragedies; it is evidence that you can be "fearfully and wonderfully made" even after being broken in the dark. If God could bring me out of a pit where death was looking me in the face, He can surely bring you out, too.

Let’s walk out of the pit together.

How to Connect:

Read: New articles drop every Thursday at 8:00 AM at justmy.com/outofthepit.
Join: Search for the Out of the Pit community on Facebook to join our sisterhood of survivors.
The Book: Grab your copy of The Horror Stories of My Life on Amazon.com to read the full testimony.

Prophetess Tanya Jacobs Pastor, Author, and Survivor