Do it anyways

Preface to the book I am writing around obedience, endurance, and transitions on Substack

I’ve been stalling—procrastinating, dragging my feet on releasing this book. There’s an underlying sadness I’m wrestling with, a mix of discouragement and past disappointments. Times when I stepped out on what I believed God spoke, only for things to unfold differently than I expected.

But obedience doesn’t care about our feelings—it never has. It’s always been about our willingness to do it anyway. So here I am, doing it anyway.

I plan to release a chapter each month to my paid community until the book is complete. A few will be free. I have no strict timeline for when this book will be complete, though I’m hopeful it will be before the year ends.

Preface

Alas, we meet here in the pages of my inner thoughts. How humbling it is for my lived and learned experiences to be on full display—shared in the hope that we are better because of what God has done in my life, a testimony to encourage you.

At no point did I think writing would be as difficult as it has been. The moment I start, emotions flood back, forcing me to relive them in my mind. Maybe that’s the point. This isn’t going to be a blind leading-the-blind situation. I want to avoid as many ditches as possible. That’s why it’s taken me five years to write this—I needed to see how parts of my story resolved, especially the promise of a husband.

I started writing this book in 2020, in the middle of a global pandemic. The uncertainty of that time was overwhelming, and as I write this now, it’s wild to think we’re five years removed from it. In that span, I moved to a new state by faith—despite doubt. And let me tell you, doubt is a beast. She whispers what your mind wants to hear, justifying why you can’t do what God instructed. She comforts until she restricts. Before you know it, she’s sucked the hope from your outlook, and transition starts looking like the enemy.

But transition and change are constants in life’s evolving cycle. Two things you can always count on. We have to become acquainted with them so the journey isn’t as jarring. Transition is a mindset—one that helps you embrace the inevitable: a new normal, a new habit, a new person, a new outcome.

I’ve been writing since I was six. Full stories recounting childhood memories because I felt it was important for others to experience life from my perspective. Empathy is built when we see ourselves in someone else’s story—it reinforces connection, and connection builds community.

Then, when I was eight, God showed me the power of His presence and prayer. My great-uncle lay lifeless, dependent on a machine to breathe, with doctors urging my family to say their goodbyes. But late in the midnight hour, God instructed several members of my family to pray—at the same time. And the Holy Spirit performed a modern-day miracle. My uncle came back for three days, just long enough to make amends and say goodbye.

Goodbyes are never easy. But God’s peace meets us in the numbness—after we’ve sat in the tension of all the emotions grief brings. Whether it’s saying goodbye to a loved one, a job, or even an old version of ourselves, grief is a catalyst for change. And often, we grieve the person we thought we were—the version of ourselves that no longer aligns with who we see in the mirror.

Never apologize for that. Sit with it. Hand it over to God. Let His peace surround you.

I plan to share the lived and learned experiences that helped me do just that. And don’t worry—we’re in this together. I’ve learned that even when we stop walking, we must remain standing. Joy does come in the mourning.

I wrote this book for the one like me. The one who needed someone to hold her hand through the intense battles in her mind—with patience and understanding that having it all figured out is never the goal. Around here, we don’t wear capes. We stand in the authenticity of who we are, unapologetic for the life we were born into.

We were created for such a time as this, and with God, we can step into the fullness of what He desires for us. He is faithful to complete what He started in us. But it requires us to trust and partner with Him. The journey will be rocky—because all terrain is. But with God, all things are possible, especially when we believe He is who He says He is.

Thanks for rocking with me. Let the journey begin.

With love,

Janae Carlee