The Crown Jewel Collective

Ms. Grace, Ms. Amelia, and the widowed Ms. Martha were pillars in their church and community. Hearts of gold, they grieved over the plight of young women. “They face things we’ve never had to deal with,” Grace often proclaimed.

Together, they wanted to create a meaningful, lasting way to mentor young women. They talked about it for months before Martha, the most outspoken of the three, declared, “Look, the time for talk is over. Let’s do this thing.” With that declaration, The Crown Jewel Collective was birthed on a cold winter morning at a warm, glowing tea shop.

They decided to limit the group to 12 so they could be up close and personal and flow into the lives of their young jewels. And they accepted Amelia’s name suggestion because they wanted something catchy, something that would appeal to the younger generation. The three of them would be the Queen Jewels, and the younger ladies would be the Jewels. It was a smart decision because when The Crown Jewel Collective gathered for their first event, interest buzzed around it like swarming honeybees.

They met in person once a month for three hours or more. Venues ranged from restaurants to private rooms at the local library to recreational spots around the city. Between meetings, they hosted a weekly prayer gathering and a private Facebook Community to share real-time happenings in their lives.

They talked about everything. No topic was off-limits. At times, the mentors said very little but listened a whole lot. They understood that learning was a two-way street and that, to be fully effective in ministering to their Jewels, they needed to hear and understand their needs, challenges, and dreams.

But they also wanted their Jewels to know they had a safe place to land. A no-judgment zone, but a truth-zone, nevertheless. Queen Jewel Martha often said, ‘Because we love you, we’re going to give it to you straight. Or we’re going to keep it real, as you all would say.” 

Today, they met at Amelia’s spacious home to prepare a grand meal together and dine supper-style. The night’s menu featured a southern garden salad with homemade ranch dressing, butter-and-herb-roasted chicken, crispy roasted baby potatoes, asparagus, rolls, and sweet tea. A decadent dessert: Grace’s famous German chocolate cake with generous scoops of vanilla bean ice cream on the side would top off the succulent meal.

“Evie, would you say grace, please?” Queen Jewel Amelia asked the younger Jewel. Evie was short for Evelyn.

“Yes, Ma’am.” She offered a micro-prayer so she could dig into the sumptuous feast quickly. Evie had a hard life. Her mother was incarcerated, and she didn’t know her father. She was raised by an aunt and uncle who had their own frequent run-ins with the law. Time with The Crown Jewel Collective was a blessed reprieve from the chaos she endured day in and day out. While she didn’t go hungry, meals like this were never prepared at home. She couldn’t recall the last time she and her aunt and uncle sat down for a meal together as a family.

“I have something I need to talk about,” Montana announced urgently.

“Ok, go for it, Little Sis. You have the floor,” Queen Jewel Grace replied, as she stuffed the roasted chicken in her mouth.

“You said God would give us the desires of our hearts, and the desire of my heart was to attend Spelman College, but I received a rejection letter yesterday.”

Amelia, lowering her fork, replied, “Aww, Montie, I’m so sorry to hear that. I know,” she paused. “We know how much your heart was set on Spelman.”

A collective sigh ripped through the formal dining room.

“Yeah, it was set on Spelman. So how can it be true that God will give me the desires of my heart if God didn’t give me the desire of my heart?”

Martha parted her full lips to respond, but another Jewel, Shantay, beat her to the punch. Amelia softly shook her head at Martha, then pointed it towards Shantay. Martha understood.

“Yo, Wyoming, how do you know God didn’t give you the desires of your heart?” Shantay asked Montana.

Montana dropped her fork, put one elbow on the table and the other on her slender hip, and rolled her neck as she corrected Shantay. “My name is Montana.”

“I know what your name is. Just answer the question.” Shantay loved aggravating Montana about her unique name. They were like oil and vinegar, but if anyone messed with either of them, they would have to deal with the other.

“Duh. I know He didn’t give me the desire of my heart because I have a rejection letter,” Montana replied. “That’s a dumb question. You did graduate from high school, didn’t you?” Montana loved to vex Shantay by reminding her that she was a high-school dropout.

“I may not have finished high school, but I’m not blind. Even a high school dropout could see that God answered your prayers.”

Montie’s expression stiffened.

“I get what Shantay’s saying. You prayed about this, right, Montie?” Evie asked calmly.

“Of course. I even fasted my lunch sometimes.”

“And we all prayed for you and with you. So, if we believe that God hears us and wants what’s best for us, as the Queen Jewels say, how do you know the other school isn’t His best for you?”

“Thank you, Evie! That’s what I was trying to say,” Shantay pounced with satisfaction.

Montie rolled her eyes at Shantay.

“Break it down more, Evie,” Queen Jewel Martha instructed, understanding where Evie was going. “Give us an example of what you mean.”

Evie pressed her stubby index finger to her lips. “Umm, well, I don’t know what you want to major in, but what if?” She paused. “What’s the name of the other school?” she asked Montana.

“Florida A&M,” Montana replied.

“Okay, what if God knows that you’re going to end up majoring in something like, umm, umm, human resources? And what if He knew that Florida A&M had a better human resources program than Spelman? Wouldn’t that be God looking out for you, and having your back, and giving you the desires of your heart, maybe even before you know that it will be a desire?”

“Exactly. That’s exactly where I was going!” Shantay said, jumping out of her chair and pointing at Evie.

The Queen Jewels glowed with pride, and their hearts swelled with gratitude. They were beyond grateful to the Almighty for the wonderful work He was doing in His Jewels’ lives and for choosing them to partner with Him in this loving, life-changing mission.

The End

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