Renewed Hope: God Speaks through a New Friend

Days they force you
Back under those covers
Lazy mornings they multiply
But glory’s waiting
Outside your window
So wake on up from your slumber
And open up your eyes

Tongues are violent
Personal and focused
Tough to beat with
Your steady mind
But hearts are stronger after broken
So wake on up from your slumber
And open up your eyes

-“Slumber” by NEEDTOBREATHE

It’s so exciting when you KNOW that God is working through somebody in the moment that it is happening! Adam has had a couple meaningful conversations very recently with a fellow aspiring artist, Cora Zoan, who was introduced to him by Emma’s former manager (who is now working with Cora). Adam has been helping her record some new songs over the past couple weeks. Originally, Adam thought this would simply be a good way to make some extra money, but it has turned out to be something that had to have been destined by God – another “aha’ moment in Adam’s journey…

For those of you who have been reading my blog over the course of the past year, you know that Adam has been going through a sort of personal transformation. He has been asking himself tough questions and looking to God for the answers. For quite a while, though, Adam has continued to be his own worst enemy. Fear of failure and feelings of insecurity about his weight, combined with a lack of adequate “free” time has nearly paralyzed Adam from taking steps forward in his career; but, this past year has still been full of growth, priority-checking, and preparation for whatever is to come. Adam now has meaningful, amazing songs that he can’t wait to record and share.

Adam did have the opportunity to share some of these songs with Cora last week. She was able to see the relatability of his songs and personality. Now, before I go on about how God spoke through Cora to Adam, I do want to say that the first time they met the other week, God was using Adam to help her out with some things, but I don’t want to go into detail out of respect for her, especially since I haven’t even met her yet! From what Adam has told me, she is a very caring, direct, down-to-earth person who has gone through a lot of stuff that no one would ever be able to guess from the outside. I’m sorry to tease, but be assured it was non-coincidental that these two met at this time!

Now, where do I begin…?

I received a phone call from Adam the other night after their recording session. He was excitedly talking to me about their conversation and how God revealed the next step for him to be able to move forward. I can’t remember everything that Adam told me, but I’ll try to hit the highlights! Basically, Adam said that he sees how he allowed his “self-doubt and the doubt of others to become bigger than my passion.” Adam said that Cora told him some things that he really needed to hear from an objective person who is pursuing the same career. (What’s crazy is that a lot of these things have been discussed by Adam and I before, but we all know that what a spouse or family member says doesn’t “click” sometimes until an outside source makes the observation!)

Anyway, back to the conversation… First of all, Cora sincerely told Adam that he is the best singer that she has ever heard. She told him that he can make it and she would bring him along in any way that she could if she is given the opportunity. Somehow, Adam brought up that he thinks his weight is holding him back, but Cora stated that it will not prevent him from making it. She made the astute observation that it’s like Adam is sabotaging himself and giving himself an excuse if he doesn’t “make it”. She told him that he doesn’t need to lose weight to make it, unless he wants to do it for himself. Cora used to work at Gold’s Gym and offered him the advice of getting help and having someone to hold him accountable, since Adam has trouble with self-motivation. She also compared Adam to Garth Brooks as far as relatability and genuiness as an artist. This really touched Adam because he admires how Garth is so passionate and connects to his fans on such an intimate level.

Adam now feels that he has the “permission” he needs to put more energy into pursuing a successful music career, even while not being at his ideal weight. At the same time, though, Adam feels that now is the time to lose weight – not for anybody else – for himself and to be prepared for what God wants him to do. Adam feels strongly that this is the next big step for him. He plans to get a trainer again and figure out childcare, whether that means Grandma watches the girls or they go to the daycare at the gym while he works out. Adam has wasted too much time fretting over how he looks and how he’s not “good enough” yet. If you knew how much of a battle this has been for him, you’d understand what a big deal this is! I’ve been waiting for him to realize that he is his own biggest obstacle, but it all comes back to God’s timing. Adam is realizing that his self-sabotaging thoughts are not only preventing him from achieving his dream, but from fulfilling God’s will for his life. The devil would love for Adam to continue to be distracted and preoccupied with doubt. Fortunately, though, Adam’s passion and hope has been revived!

Here’s to the next step!