What a week this has been, no what a month it has been! For those of you who may be reading my blog for the first time, I recently published my first novel entitled, Normal is Different. I made Amazon's bestselling new author list in four different categories. All God!! The path to get this point was anything but easy. I am thankful and honored to share parts of my life through my work in hopes of helping others.
Now onto the other side of my feelings. For those that know me, I try to be as transparent as my humility will allow. I am still a work in progress so please be patient with me.
Have you ever lost so much but believed that God would restore everything you lost and more? So, you just keeping seeking him and believing that he's got you? These past few weeks were filled with excitement/anxiety for the book launch, the fear of people not liking it, and anxiety over what's next. In haste, I tried to solve each one of my fears myself while praying for God to show me what to do when barriers rise up and how to ease my sense of urgency. My counselor advised me long ago that when I feel an internal fire, I immediately try to put it out. At the time I thought, yes, that's me, the fire extinguisher. Made me feel good. But what happens when you can't put the fire out? Maybe it's not time yet, maybe it's not all about you, or perhaps you just have to sit in it for a little while. As I smile on the outside, sometimes I struggle on the inside trying to understand my journey of restoration and what that looks and feels like for me. So many feelings, but I realized I am not alone, and if you have ever felt that overwhelming surge of energy, neither are you.
So, what do you do when walls and barriers pop up between what you believe is your next step? What do you do when you just don't have an answer for what the future holds, and the unknown feels discouraging? How do you stop stressing over the bad "what if's" that somehow became your reality too many times in the past? As I write this, I think of the answer my mother gave me while crying on her shoulder,
"Trust God. Let go of what you cannot control, and trust God. Don't try to put him in a box and think you can control what your restoration looks like when you've never seen it before. He is doing something new in you, for you and so many others. Don't try to control your future with some yesterday tactics. When you have done all that you can, trust him, talk to him, and listen for his answer. Until then, you have plenty of work to do and the peace God gives you to maintain."
That's a whole message. Gotta love my mother! If you find yourself wrapped in your feelings, hopefully this response will help you too.
As I sat still with her message, meditating on God's word, I realized where God has brought me from and how he has maintained me in the process. God is truly amazing. I believe it's okay to have feelings, as we are human. I am learning to acknowledge those feelings, good or bad, and call them out, bringing them to God. For me, that is a part of my relationship with him too.
I attached one of my favorite songs by Lena Byrd-Miles, beautiful voice and words, along with a couple of tunes from my work out list for the week. Enjoy.
Until next time,
Latilda Conyers....
For the ebook of Normal is Different https://bit.ly/normalisdifferent
Pre-order your hard copy at: latiempowers.com
Lena Byrd Miles' Debut Album, "Brand New" https://lnk.to/lbmbrandnew
We're Blessed/Shout Unto God (Finale) · Fred Hammond · Radical For Christ Pages Of Life - Chapters I & II ℗ 1998 Zomba Recording LLC Released on: 1998-04-28
Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group Get Up · Tye Tribbett Get Up ℗ A Motown Gospel Release; ℗ 2022 Tye Tribbett Worldwide, LLC, under exclusive license to Capitol CMG, Inc. Released on: 2022-06-10