In the Dark by Unoma Nwankwor
You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. Psalm 18:28.
Do you find yourself wondering about the expiration date of your “meantime place?” Are you struggling to hold on when you have no idea what God’s end game is?
Multi-published award winning author, entrepreneur and Purpose Champion, Unoma Nwankwor takes readers on a hopeful exploration of Jeremiah 29. Along the way, she provides strategies to remain anchored during the uncertainties of life. Storms come to move us out of place, but as Christians we must not only survive but thrive with persevering confidence.
Blending undisguised personal testimony, biblical references and in your face realisms, this book shows readers how to push past the stagnation of life’s uncertainties by successfully navigating the dark places, walking the walk of faith with hope for a favorable end, having peace by learning to trust God and relinquish control to Him. We can’t dominate our areas of influence in excellence if we give up every time we hit a rocky patch. This book will leave you equipped with tools and tips needed to help you push through the process by maintaining confident expectations for today and tomorrow.
Bonus: With the paperback, you’ll receive the Light Pearls in the Dark Prayer Journal. It contains 40 days of praise/worship song suggestions and anchor verses that will help you strategically defeat the enemy’s plan of sowing doubt in your dark place. It also provides space for you to write personalized prayers. Record your testimonies in accordance to the fulfillment of His promise.
Reviews for In the Dark by Unoma Nwankwor
Through her unique writing style and approach to this sometimes-daunting topic of “going through dark times”, she has been able to bring such ease to the reader. I found myself smiling and chuckling several times as I read. As you read IN THE DARK, you will undoubtedly be better able to confront the darkness or re-evaluate some of the dark times you’ve been through, giving clarity and sometimes meaning to what you may be going through or have been through.
Beyond that, there is a tremendous sense of warmth that one feels knowing that you are not alone and Unoma gives you that through the personal experiences she shares. You will also find a lot of practical help with how to walk the walk of faith, in this hope that God has made available to us… learning that it’s a process, Unoma calls it “in the meantime places”. My heart really resonates with that because what we do “in the meantime places” can have a huge impact on the outcome. You will arrive at a place of peace, as you journey through this book, learning to trust God more by embracing the fact that it is peaceful to relinquish all control over to Him and finally rest in His abundant love for you.
--Lara Mfon: Business Stylist. Visionary Coach & Founder/Publisher Vital Woman Magazine United Kingdom
In her first non-fiction offering, Unoma Nwankwor takes readers on an exploration of hope through a candid and personal faith journey. Based on the enduring word of God, In the Dark is a reminder that hope does not leave us ashamed. A comfort for every season of life.”
--Vivian Kay, Author of Secret Places & Knit Together
In The Dark is written to reassure, particularly the Kingdompreneur, the one who knows God has given them a dream and a purpose to fulfill, that when you are in the dark about the details, God’s plan will come to light. Nwankwor uses personal life experiences and parallels it to Judah’s journey through exile (Jeremiah 29) along with other biblical testimonies of patriarchs who traveled through the wilderness and found themselves, despite the trials or dark periods they encountered, standing face-to-face with God’s promises. It is a book of hope to those who find the darkness of life’s uncertainties unbearable and question whether they are even on the right path to God’s purpose for your life. You will walk away from Nwankwor’s In The Dark with “confident expectations for today and tomorrow.” You will view the darkness of life with new eyes, not merely seeing it as a dreadful place where we all must sometimes go, but a place where we can and must glow. (Culled from Forward)
--LaKeisha Rainey-Collins, Author of Beautiful Me: Embracing Your Beauty Within
Excerpt from the Chapter “Just A Glimpse”
However long the night, the dawn will break. ~ African Proverb
As a kid, I, like I’m sure most of you, was afraid of the dark. The notion that something big, bad, and ugly would come out of nowhere and whisk me off, frightened me to no end. My parents would always leave the lights on until I fell asleep. That was all fine and dandy, except when there was no light. That caught you off guard, huh? It’s a fact that we didn’t and still don’t have twenty-four-hour electricity in Nigeria. Don’t get me to talking about it because it makes no sense.
Anchor Tip 9: Cease the murmuring while you wait. Others may be going through something much worse.
Anyway, I digress. The light and my ability to see, made my mind believe that I was in total control. Now that I look back, it was kind of silly since if the boogie man did appear while the lights were on, I had no more strength to fight him than if the lights were off. Do you see how our emotions or perceptions can have us living in an alternative universe – believing what is not? On those occasions of no electricity, I endured the night because at least my parents were just down the hall. Nothing could happen to me with them close by. Right?
As adults, our boogie man has changed. We’re no longer scared of the physical darkness or some monster hidden in the closet, rather we’re scared of a dark or uncertain road ahead. A road where we’re expected to keep walking on a straight path when we have no idea what lies ahead. It’s the unknown tomorrow that scares us. Can I at least get a clue? Please, Jesus. Those unknowns concerning relocating to a new city, starting a new job, business, health issues, and storms of life. Or enduring the challenges the new opportunity might bring. If you’re single, will you ever get married? That’s if you desire to. Or something as basic as where your next meal will come from.
Just like with the boogie man and the lights being on, the reality is that none of us are guaranteed anything. Not even our next breath. Even in that other universe we created in our minds. You know the one where we feel we’re secure and are in total control. Errr... wrong! We are not and can never be without Christ. When things get challenging like when there’s no light, pun intended, it is important to lean and meditate on the Scripture as the bedrock of truth.
I know what you’re thinking. “If God would just give me a glimpse, at least I can plan. One small clue, and I’ll be good. I promise.” Are you sure? If you were given a clear road map to what the future holds, do you think you could handle it?
Navigation Rights
Do you watch the Hallmark channel? I do. Anyway, around the holidays, there’s always some movie about the Christmas Ghost past, present, or future. Or some Christmas angel trying to show the character that hates Christmas what their life would have been had they gone a different route. I’m going to play the Christmas angel for a few minutes. Let’s see how it would look if you had the navigation rights on your life. If the lights were on and you had a clear view to see how your life would turn out.
And the Lord says, “My child, here is your life. At fifteen, you’ll lose both your parents in a car crash. Then you’ll go to live with relatives who’ll mistreat you for three years. After that, you’ll go to the University or College as they say in America. There, you’ll earn a dual degree but when you graduate, that job you want will elude you for a couple of years. You’ll have to swallow your pride and work at a fast food chain. Yep, you’ll flip burgers with a dual degree because at that point, you’ll almost have to beg for food.
“But then, in about two years, you’ll relocate to another city. Once you do, you’ll meet the man of your dreams. But although you’re thirty-two, he is so fine, and you are way past the age that society says you should get married, he’s not My plan for you. I know you will marry him anyway, and he’ll mistreat you every day. But hold on because I’ll send someone else to wipe your tears. This time, you’ll have a happy marriage, two great kids. Your business will have a rough start, but it will blossom. For ten-and-a-half years, you will know so much happiness. Then, at exactly 5:06 p.m., on a Sunday, you will die of a brain aneurysm on your way to church. You will be sixty-six years old.”
Anchor Tip 10: You can’t handle the truth. You either trust Him or you don’t.
Yep, we can’t handle it. I don’t care what you say. We can’t handle knowing what the future holds. I guarantee God knows it, too. Simply because He made us and knows the havoc it would create if we had a clear roadmap. Instead TRUST HIM through your darkness, your process by surrendering all navigation rights. And when doubt or worry comes, as it will because the devil is busy – attack it with praise.
(Continued...)
© 2017 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Unoma Nwankwor. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author's written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.
Intimate Conversation with Unoma Nwankwor
Born in Akron, Ohio to Nigerian parents, Unoma Nwankwor spent her childhood and early adulthood years in Port-Harcourt, Nigeria. She holds a B.Sc. in Finance and Banking from the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria and a MBA in Global Management from the University of Phoenix.
Unoma is a multi-published, award winning author of seven fiction novels where she fuses faith, romance and African spice. She is the recipient of the Nigerian Writers’ Award 2015 Best Faith Based Fiction Writer. At the end of 2016, she was short listed for the Diaspora Writer of the Year for 2017. She was also recently named as one of the “100 Most Influential Nigerian Writers Under 40.”
Unoma is a champion of purpose, passionate about pushing women Christianprenuers past the stagnation of uncertainty by building confident expectations in the promises of God. She is host of the Anchor Talk Podcast and the COO of KevStel Group LLC, a faith based entertainment company aimed at providing uplifting and life changing entertainment through its movies and books. Unoma resides in Atlanta with her husband and two children.
BPM: Tell us about your most recent work. Available on Nook and Kindle?
Unoma Nwankwor: In the Dark is my first nonfiction project born out of my desire to push Christianprenuers like myself past the stagnation of uncertainty by clinging to hope and having confidence in God’s promises. Often times we struggle in our meantime places. Hopelessness begins to set in when we just can’t seem to catch a break or have no idea what God’s game plan is. In the Dark takes an insightful journey through Jeremiah 29 and the people of Judah when they too were in a place of darkness (exile).
It is available on Kindle http://bit.ly/ITDGlow. It will be available on Nook, iTunes and Kobo soon.
BPM: What inspired you to sit down and actually start writing this book? Nonfiction. Why now?
Unoma Nwankwor: When I first started writing, my plan was never to write fiction. Seems ironic since my fiction novels are very well sought after and reader’s favorites. I bless God and I’m so thankful to the readers. I always thought I would be a nonfiction writer. Why now? Simple it’s time. Time to step into my divine appointment as a champion of purpose.
In the Dark is a very personal book for me. Everything I talk about in the book, I have been through. I know what it feels like to have Jesus in your heart and still struggle with doubt, fear, despair, anger and even weariness. In this book, I shed layers that you don’t get to see from my fiction novels or social media posts. As Jesus helped me through, it’s time for me to help my brethren.
BPM: How do you deal with balancing faith, family and business? Do you have any tips for us?
Unoma Nwankwor: Short and simple answer, I have no idea but by the grace of God. Long answer, I have accepted the fact that I can’t be everything at the same time. This will tie into my tip and that’s to be fully present in whatever you place your focus at any given time. You won’t be able to juggle all balls to perfection all the time but make sure the ball you put down is not doesn’t remain down too long.
My second tip is steal pockets of time and don’t be afraid to ask for help. I stay connected in faith because that is the Source for everything, but for the time I have to give the kids fast food because I have to write. I concentrate on maximizing that time. And the time I need to be with my husband and kids, nothing disturbs that.
BPM: Tell us a little about your creative process. What brought about In the Dark?
Unoma Nwankwor: Since this is non-fiction, not a lot of “creativity” went into it. I simple told the story with personal testimony and some early reviews say, with humor. Coming up with unique chapter titles however was fun like “Because He Said So” or “Blessings Held Hostage.” I have a very close writing sister/friend, Yejide Kilanko whom I bounce ideas off of. In the Dark, simply put was brought on because I was tired of seeing women go through what I did. Start something and let it go along the way because they didn’t have the support to push them through the dark places of the journey. I had my husband but my will was weak. I would’ve been farther along than I am today if I didn’t give up on my dreams in the early 2000s. But then again I’m a firm believer that no detour is wasted. So, I had to go through that so I can now provide what others need.
BPM: Is writing easy for you? Do you feel lonely being a writer?
Unoma Nwankwor: I giggled at this question. Some would expect the answer to be yes, writing is lonely. Not for me. By nature, I’m an introvert but my passion pushes me out into the world so I’ve learned to adjust. So being alone is how I recharge. Writing is easy but being that the Holy Spirit is my muse, I have to learn to listen to His guidance. I never want my ambition to overshadow the story He wants me to tell.
BPM: Do you have any suggestions to help us become a better writers? If so what are they?
Unoma Nwankwor: Although cliché, the saying remains true. Practice makes perfect. The more you exercise your writing muscle the better you become. My tip will be to remain true to you and your voice. It is okay to admire writers that have gone before you but there is only one “them” so you must be “you”. Trust, there is an audience out there your authenticity makes them notice.
BPM: What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Unoma Nwankwor: I enjoyed the intimacy of it. Blogging is my first love and I do a lot of it. I love it because, I get to write in first person and I feel like Im having a chat with a friend over coffee. Writing In the Dark brought about that same feeling. I was just chatting away.
BPM: How much planning goes into writing a book? How long does it take to complete one of your books?
Unoma Nwankwor: Once I have the story I want to write, I outline, pray and begin. From my first draft, several revisions and rewrites to editing and proofing a book normally takes me six months dedicated time. It might be longer considering I have a full-time job, wife and mommy duties and running my business. In The Dark, took about eight months because I stopped to release my latest fiction title.
BPM: Share one specific point in your book that resonated with your present situation or journey.
Unoma Nwankwor: The principle of confidently expecting God to fulfill His promise to me because of who He is and not because of anything I’ve done. When the details of my path seem fuzzy, my hope that the end will be favorable keeps me anchored and helps me push through.
BPM: Did you learn anything personal from writing your book?
Unoma Nwankwor: The one thing I learned writing this book was that I often underestimate my own strength. Not being braggadocios, but I think sometimes just because we aren’t where we want to be yet, we fail to pause and give God praise and tell ourselves well done for where we came from.
BPM: How has writing impacted your life?
Unoma Nwankwor: Writing and talking about my books has given me an inner strength, I never thought I had. This quote by Laurel Bleadon-Maffei describes the feeling perfectly. It is my go to quote, I have it everywhere, office, notebook, laptop (smile). It says, “I found my heart upon a mountain I did not know I could climb, and I wonder how many other pieces of myself are secreted away in places I judge I cannot go.” Gosh I love that quote. It is so me. So, me.
BPM: What does literary success look like to you?
Unoma Nwankwor: My goal is to entertain with a purpose; entertaining, edifying and educating my readers about the continent of Africa especially my home country Nigeria. There is a lot of misrepresentation in the media about the continent that I aim to correct or shed a truer light on. My stories fuse faith, romance and African spice. So, my success comes from readers getting exactly what I’m trying to offer. Literary success to me is when I get tagged by readers who see a dish, dance or clothing from Africa and says it reminded them of me and my work. Or saying how they laughed or where encouraged in faith, love and hope. Then I have done my job. That is literary success to me.
BPM: What projects are you working on at the present?
Unoma Nwankwor: Presently, I’m working on multiple things. For the production side of my company KevStel Group LLC, we are shooting our second movie called Muna. We just concluded the Nigerian shoot, the LA shoot is next. I’m also expanding my nonfiction platform. In the Dark and my podcast Anchor Talk are the first steps in getting that off the ground. I’ll also have digital courses, champion consult sessions, free guides and webinars coming up. In regards to publishing and my author brand, my hope is to resume fiction later this year with the Mended With Love, the conclusion to my Sons of Ishmael series.
BPM: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
Unoma Nwankwor: Readers can connect with me by visiting www.unomanwankwor.com and my social media top spots. I’m everywhere but the main ones are Instagram, @unwankwor. Twitter @unwankwor. And on Facebook they can join the Anchor Tribe: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AnchorTribe. My book is listed on Amazon: http://bit.ly/ITDGlow
More Unoma Nwankwor Books: http://bit.ly/ITDGlow
Website: www.unomanwankwor.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/unwankwor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unwankwor
FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AnchorTribe
Connect with Unoma Nwankwor, Award Winning Christian Fiction Author & COO, KevStel Group
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