When I first clicked play on Tyler Perry’s Straw, I thought I was just watching a movie. I wasn’t just emotional at the end, I was undone. As a Christian woman, it didn’t feel like fiction. It felt familiar.
Janiyah wasn’t crazy—she was crushed. A single mother fighting for her child, ignored by the system, stretched beyond human capacity. And while her actions were extreme, her exhaustion wasn’t. That’s what made it hurt. Because for many of us, Straw isn’t entertainment. It’s a reflection.
So many Christian women are silently carrying the weight of their homes, families, jobs, and ministries. We’ve learned how to smile through the stress, quote Scripture through the anxiety, and show up when we’re running on empty. But Straw shows what happens when a woman isn’t seen—until she breaks.
One question haunted me throughout the film: Where was the church? Where was the support system? The prayer circle? The intervention before the explosion?
We often tell women to be strong, to “have faith,” to pray it away. But prayer alone is not a replacement for help. God uses therapy. He works through community. He heals through conversation, not just silence.
Watching Straw reminded me that faith doesn’t mean pretending you’re okay. It means trusting God enough to admit when you’re not. Janiyah’s story may be fictional, but her pain is real for many women—even women of faith.
So if you’ve been pushing through, quietly struggling, or feeling invisible, let this be your reminder: You are allowed to rest. To ask for help. To fall apart and still be held by God.
Straw wasn’t just a film. It was a wake-up call—to look around, check in, and care deeply. Because nobody should have to reach a breaking point just to be heard.
