#84 S4 EP 4: Growth In Discomfort: Donna Renay Talks About Turning Struggle into Strength

Hello, hello, and welcome back God's diamonds in the rough. We are excited to be with you one more time. If you don't know who we are by now, I'm Catherine. And I'm Michael All right, and those of you that are watching by video everybody listening. We have a special guest with us today. Her name is. We just want to call her Miss Donna, is that okay? Miss Donna? We say hello to everybody.

That is fine. Good morning everyone. Good morning, and it may be afternoon or evening around the world. So wherever you are in the world, good morning, good afternoon, good evening.

Amen, I know that's right. So we hope all is well. We absolutely hope all is well and we, before we really get into it, y'all know what we're going to do. We're going to pray before we talk about the topic and all that good old stuff. Amen.

Let us pray.

Amen.

We have the Father, our Lord and our Savior, jesus Christ. We just come to you right now and say thank you. Thank you for your grace and your mercy. We thank you for your loving kind of sins and the mercy. We beg your forgiveness for anything we might have said, done or thought that's not pleasing in your sight. That your grace forgive us and cast back into the picture where it came from. We pray in the name of Jesus that your Holy Spirit will just enter in, Enter into this room, enter into this conversation, enter into our hearts. We pray in the name of Jesus that your Holy spirit has had its way. We pray in the name of Jesus for the ones that have no desire to know who you are. We pray in the name of Jesus for the ones that want to know you and don't know how. We pray in the name of Jesus for the ones that know you, want you and need you, and that's everybody. We pray in the name of Jesus that your Holy Spirit has it's way, have it is the divine way. We ask this things all in Jesus mighty and Max's name. We say thank you and we say amen, amen, amen and amen.

Amen, amen, amen, so Amen Hallelujah.

Amen Amen.

So everybody that's listening, we don't know what we know. We all have our growing right. Yeah, we can all agree In some form way, fashion. We are all growing and going somewhere right. And so, you know, sometimes that's difficult, absolutely difficult, and today this is what our topic is about. It's about how we grow in those uncomfortable places. Amen and hallelujah. So, miss Donna, she is an author, she's a radio host, she is a transformational speaker, and so we are excited about what she has to say about the subject. Honey, are you?

I'm excited to hear because you know, I know for myself, I've been in some very, very, very, very uncomfortable places.

Amen, come on somebody. So, miss Donna, we can tell our listeners, our diamonds, who you are and how you're going to help us all here today.

Well, good morning. First of all, good morning to both of you, and I so appreciate you for having me on. Let me say that first before I forget later. Thank you, I'm honored. I'm honored to be a part of your podcast this morning. My name is Donna Renee Patrick. I hail from Decatur, Illinois. Originally. I'm a snow baby. I love snow. It's not Christmas for me until the snows. Y'all know about that being in Virginia. But currently, currently, what brought me to Texas is college. I came down here to go to school many months ago, and when I graduated I just set up shop here, and so I've been in Texas for quite a while. But I've been a musician for three-fourths of my life choir director, worship leader Over the time. What really gets my blood pumping is praise and worship ministry. Not just the music, but far beyond that. I teach it, I train on it, I mentor with it, because our churches need to understand that praise and worship are so much more than just great music, and so that is a passion for me and it's important. It's important that we understand that we all have a purpose and God wants us to walk in the purpose that he has created for us, and that's important and that's what I want to impress on somebody. And even though because I know Michael, I know exactly what you're talking about I have been in some extremely uncomfortable places. I'm in an uncomfortable place right now, but God is showing me that he's got a purpose even in the uncomfortable spaces, and if we pay attention, then God's going to show us, he's going to grow us. He's going to grow us and as he sometimes God will. Oh, thank the Holy Ghost.

Sometimes God will grow us before he shows us Come on, come on, if you get what I'm trying to say.

You know, sometimes God will grow us. Many times God is growing us. God is doing some things within our uncomfortable spaces that we don't understand right now. But in time, when I kept my eyes on Him, when you keep your eyes on Him, when you keep on following Him, god will make Himself clear and you'll understand why you had to go through that uncomfortable place. Amen, amen. So I get it. I get it. I get it, believe me.

I know that's right, so so I get it. We are in this new season of impacting the world, and this absolutely has everything with the how to. How do I impact the world when I'm going through, when I'm struggling and I don't know, when I don't have an answer to questions that I'm waiting for the answer to and somebody? is looking at us, or you know this and that is depending on us, and we're trying to figure it out. What do we do? And you know, obviously, the main answer in the, in the greatest answer, is trusting in God. Trusting in God, absolutely so, michael, what's your?

thought on that.

Yes, yes.

One thing I realized, you know, especially when you say you mentioned trusting in God. It's it's pushed me in the mind of description proverbs yeah, three to five, mm-hmm. It says trusting the Lord all their heart. Lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways and knowledge him and he shall direct your path. We got to realize, look and and and I'm speaking this from experience If you're not being put in an uncomfortable position or uncomfortable place, something you're not doing right Because you're not doing something. And I say that we all sincerity, because if you're not in a place where you don't feel the presence of of God, in an uncomfortable position, you're not doing something right, because that means the enemy has a complete hold on you.

Hmm, right, what's your thoughts? You finish with you finish with yeah. Yeah, that's miss Donna on that.

Well, well, I'd like to, Michael, I'd like to push back a little bit on that, because if we find ourselves in an uncomfortable position, uncomfortable place, sometime, it doesn't necessarily mean that you're not doing something right, because I thought that too. I thought that too. But sometimes God will put us in an uncomfortable place To and you're serving him, you're praying, you're in the word, you're giving you're, you're serving other people, you're doing what you believe God has put on your heart to do, you are where you believe you're supposed to be, but what God is doing is he's, he's, he's working something. There's something in you that doesn't need to be there, that there's something in you that you cannot take with you to your next. And so sometimes sometimes, michael, you're correct sometimes we are someplace we have no business, a place in life. I don't mean a gi, a Geographical place, I mean a place in life where we're not supposed to be. Sometimes that's true, mm-hmm, and God will put us in an uncomfortable position To straighten us out again. But that's not always the case, because you can be walking in the will of God, you can be walking in the anointing that he placed in your life and he still Put you in an uncomfortable place, but that is because what I've learned. What I've learned is that there's something in me that I can't take with me to my next. There's something in me God is trying to correct. There's something in me he's trying to correct. There's something in he's trying to break off of me. It may be pride. It may be, you know, a lack of humility. It may be I think it's all about me. It might be that you know it was something. There's something that God is trying to break off of off of you. That that that it's gonna. He's gonna put you in that uncomfortable place, even though you're walking in your anointing. But even anointed people, even anointed people, even powerful people in the spirit of God, can go through uncomfortable places because God is doing something that's right that we don't understand right now. Oh, and you know that's my take on that.

Yeah, and you know to add, with you all you know, we kind of think about, we really think about the life of a diamond. We're looking at how it is that a plant grows, that what's on the outside dies. You know what I mean what's on the outside dies. Yes for a plant and for a diamond. It's, it's, it's come, it comes out of that place where it's settled and it comes up with that lava when it goes down, it settles. And once it settles, that's where the beauty Begins to show for. And it's in, when it's, in those crevices where it's got to be dug out, all different colors and in sizes and all of that sort. You know, there is a beauty within the pain, a beauty within the strength, just like the plant, that outwardness, we got to die to our flesh and I believe, in regard to the, we got to die to the flesh. We have to die to the, to the things that that you know feel. Yeah, that look good. Whatever, have you know what I mean? And so we got to know, as a diner outer, it is necessary, it is necessary in order for you to be able truly be used by God, what we can see, I really what we can see what we can understand to some degree. It has to die, because then we lean on not our own understanding, but it is understanding Jesus and I definitely, I definitely that's it, that's it.

And just just to add to what y'all just said on that, because you know, and I get that and see, like right now, every time we do the podcast or every time we get into the word, you know, I believe that my uncomfortable position or uncomfortable place is I have a problem with occupying, I can articulate my words or putting out what I know, and he and you know, when I come out with it, it puts me in an uncomfortable place because I look at like, okay, what's my gonna say about what I said, right, and? But see, that's, that's what we got. That's the beauty of it, because when we, when we get in the uncomfortable place with me, or tickling, articulating my words, it's like God is growing me from the inside out, mm-hmm, and see that growth has that growth. You know, catherine, I'll go say that growth starts in your mind, in your heart, absolutely yeah you know, catherine, I want to piggyback on something you just said about planting the seed.

The seed has to break apart. That seed has to come forth. Something else is that seed is in darkness. Yeah, yeah, yeah, when you plant that seed, it's in a dark place. You plant it, you cover it up, yeah, you cover it up. It's in a dark place and we don't know. And we have to wait. Yeah, we have to wait. And the same thing is true in the spirit realm. God, we're planting seeds, we're planting seeds and and and. Whenever you plant seed, it's got to go into the dark, it's gonna be in a dark place for a while. The the it's true in the spirit realm, and and. So there are times when we're in those uncomfortable places. You're gonna feel like you're in the dark. I know I have, I have. I have felt like I was in the dark and I didn't. I couldn't see anything, but God was working. God was working that seed. God was working that seed. Yeah, yeah, there's a seed and it it seems like it's in the dark, but eventually that seed, as you water it. What did the Apostle Paul say? Paul said I planted, apollos watered, but God brought the increase. So you may be the one to water, somebody else may come behind you and water your seed, but eventually God is going to bring it forth and and his time is not our time, his time is not our time. And and, girl, I listen, I can tell you. I know what liquid prayers feel like, we all, and what I mean by liquid prayers. Crying, yeah, crying. I know what that, I know what that feels like. But the beauty of that is, when you're crying, a God is countered your tears. God knows your tears, he knows why you're crying. And the other thing is those really are, as a friend of mine would call them, liquid prayers yeah because sometimes we cry, the only the only expression that we can make is our tears. Right, there have been days when I didn't have the words. I didn't know what to do, I didn't know what to say. I didn't have the words in prayer. All I could do was cry. Hmm, I know what that feels like. Yeah, yeah so sometimes. And aren't you glad that God can. God can, god knows your heart right yes, I love it.

Hey, man, that's powerful, because Wait a minute. What happened? Oh, internet messed up for a second.

Oh yeah, but I got froze up.

Yeah, we're good. Now You're good or your side, but I was gonna say you know, yeah, I'm good on my side. Yeah, great it's. It's a powerful thing to know that Our prayers count in the sight of God. You know, no matter how long we're waiting. Yes, they do, you know no matter how long we wait in and what we're asking, they can't. He's not a man that he'll lie, you know baby his word.

Yes, word yes.

His word is not only Jesus, but it's also a covenant and we can yes, yes. He we can depend on yes the word is a safe place and your you totally absolutely Absolutely absolutely. You know, this is the only way that you can really impact the world.

Yes, yes, absolutely.

Even when it doesn't make sense.

You know cuz a whole lot of time. Don't make sense, Logical exactly. But when we? Ride to the flesh. Then we can live, yeah, spirit as yeah, Absolutely. I see my life all the time. You know how I am. I am living in the spirit, not always pleasing my flesh and Absolutely. I've gotten beyond pleasing my flesh. Flesh. I can look at the spirit, say yes, god, thank you God. Yes, yes, and you know yes we can get there if you can get to the place where pleasing your flesh is sits in the backseat of what matters and pleasing the spirit more Is symbolic of walking in the spirit. Yeah, living in the spirit, not by the flesh.

You know, just absolutely, just just to add to what y'all saying, this this is the beauty of the process of waiting, and it's revolting around Isaiah 40 and 31, which says they, the way, the point of the Lord, shall renew that strength. There's a multiple wings. Yeah, they shall walk and not faint. They shall run, not be. Yes, see, this is the beauty about waiting. See, the whole thing is the process is about the waiting. You have to plant it and forget about it. You have to plant it, walk away, forget about it and let God move, because this is the thing, and the thing is we do is we plant a physical seed in the ground, we water it, we keep going back to that hole where we planted it and it's trying to wait for it to come up. And the reason I know this? Because the reason I noticed, because I planted a zucchini squash Pack of the seeds and first time planting it. I want to plant it and Every day, like clockwork, I'm going to see if it's grown. The plant had came up, the plant had came about the ground. So I'm going every day now more, to see if it's growing. But see this, the beauty about the waiting and the forgetting about it, because I went out there one day and I seen it was about three or four inches. I Forgot about it. I Went back three days later and was about the size of my hand. I Forgot about it. And I went back a week later and was bigger than my hand. See this, the beauty. You got to wait for God. Let him do his work. Stop getting in his way and let him have his way. See, I got warmed up. Now I'm hot now. I'm hot now.

Hey, you know, let me say this too Before we only get, because I'm even an issue, a question is down, but okay. Well to add, with the story of Zucchini, he didn't know what he was looking for. There was a time there was a time he was cutting down the growth of the Zucchini. I'm gonna tell you why.

Because he didn't know, what he was looking for. He didn't know what to expect when he had planned it.

See, he had no idea what it would look like during this process. Jesus. Come on somebody look, a whole lot of us don't even understand what the process looked like, because we're looking at it. Jesus, If we take our eyes off ourself, come on somebody and we put our eyes on the Lord and look at the Lord and follow him and focus on him, because that's what happened to Peter. That is why he began to sing, because he began to look at what was happening in his life and took his eyes off of Jesus. If we just keep our eyes on Jesus, you can't truly impact this world, because the process don't always look like it's producing Jesus. Y'all better talk about it. Come on somebody.

That's the beauty of it. And you see, exactly right, I was taking my weed, I was going to cut my grass and I was weeding the plant, thinking it was a weed oh, somebody. Because, see, the thing is, the thing is, the thing is I was not expecting what it looked like. See, sometimes we gotta understand that sometimes the weed is needed for the process to happen. Sometimes we might not see, that's the thing. I gotta add this, because, see, sometimes I gotta turn it back a little bit, because sometimes the weed in our own eyes is a fruit that we need.

Yeah, yeah, because it looked like a weed, yeah, and then the way it grows it looks like weeds. It doesn't look like the fruit.

Oh, wow, it looks like weed. Okay, and because it looks like the weeds, the fruit is covered. And you had the expression you throw out the baby.

Throw out the baby with the bath water With the bath water.

Uh-huh yeah, it's the same thing as that Uh-huh.

He kept cutting it down because it didn't look like what he thought it was. In a whole long time We'll throw out the whole baby and the bath water because it didn't look like what we expected.

Yes, mmm, what's?

your thought. You wanna add to that?

Well, remember remember, remember, remember the parable that Jesus told um a farmer had planted weed. I don't remember exactly, I don't have in front of me. The farmer planted, planted his crop, Mmm-hmm. Well, somewhere in the night, somewhere in the night, enemies came and sowed weeds. Mmm-hmm, Among the tares, Mmm-hmm. They sowed weeds and the farmers said, well, should we pull up the weeds? And the farmer said no, pull up the tear. No, he said no, leave them there, Let them grow together. Yeah, and at harvest time, then we'll separate.

Yeah, absolutely.

Then we'll separate Mmm-hmm. Remember that.

Yeah, remember.

Mmm-hmm yeah.

Mmm-hmm, yeah, oh, that was powerful. Wow. So look, don't dismiss the struggle. The struggle is producing something that without it, it won't produce. Okay, yes, it is it has to produce and if you're trusting God, then the struggle you're going to be able to embrace the struggle and that moment of messiness and that moment of testing is going to come in and be attached to your message and your testimony.

Yeah, hallelujah, absolutely, absolutely, amen, absolutely.

So, woo, mmm-hmm, I just love how the spirit move. I'll tell you what. So, ms Donna, I'm looking at your profile now. Can you tell us about the books that you have written, any recent books that you have written and you want to share with the world about no-transcript?

Well, the most recent one is one that I co-authored that was released back in December of 2022. And the title of it is no More Unclaimed Promises Okay.

And what's that book about? Yeah, it's not powerful.

No More Unclaimed Promises. The Word of God is full of promises, from Genesis to Revelation. It's full of promises that God has given to us. But what happens? When we're in those uncomfortable places, we forget about what God has promised. God has said that we are heirs with Him and joint heirs with Christ. God has said that when we walk in obedience in Deuteronomy 28, god said when we walk in obedience, we are the head not the tail. We are above not beneath. God said when we walk in obedience, whatever our hands touch, he'll cause it to prosper. That's a promise. God told Joshua. Remember, after Moses died, god told Joshua now you're the one, you're the one who's going to take my people forward. And God told him just like I was with Moses, I'll be with you. And what we have to do is say okay, god, me too. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And Joshua, me too. You'll be with me too. You were with my mother and those who came before me. You're with me too. That's a promise. And God went on to tell him. He said if you don't get off my word, I'll give you prosperity and good success If you don't get off my word. And I said me too. So those are promises that we have to reclaim. So the name of the book is no more unclaimed promises, and I co-wrote that one with, I believe, 15 other women who give our testimonies about how we stood on His promises, even in those uncomfortable places. Now that is one that I co-wrote, now mine at all times, and it's in your praise. Both of those are devotionals that are focused on praise and worship, because that's my passion. That's my passion, but both of them are devotionals. You can start your day with praise, go through your day with praise. Now the difference between them both of them are devotionals, but it's in your praise. My second one is also a study guide, because in that one I put questions after each chapter, questions for personal reflection after each chapter. So those, and then there's a couple of them more. I co-wrote another one called the Perfect Seven, which is a devotional about seven key areas of stewardship that I'm really excited about, and they're all on my website.

Okay, I was getting ready to say how can they get your books, how can they get them?

My website is wwwdonaldrenaypatrickcom slash store. That's where all of my books are, and Renee is spelled R-E-N-A-Y. So if they go to my website, not only will they get my books, but they can also get more information about my ministry and how I could help them.

Amen, ms Donna, it's been such a pleasure having you here with us Likewise, likewise, and thank you so much.

I'm honored to have been with you today.

It's great, Just great. So we want to give some final takeaways, and I'll start that I am, you know, just I can't say it enough If you want to impact this world and really be used by God. She said, if we didn't talk much about it today, but we talk about it a lot here obedience, yes, yes, one of the key factors in really being used by God, not just trust, but obedience, you know, because it's nothing to trust. And then I do what he tells you. He said if you love me, then you will obey me, so just do what it is that he tells you to do. Follow his steps. Don't create steps that you want him to follow. You follow the steps that he puts before you Amen, hallelujah.

So that is my word, that's my final word and my takeaway.

So, honey, you want to go next?

Yeah, my final word is it definitely comes from Romans 8, 27 to 28.

Yes.

Which says and he that searches the hearts know what is the mind of the spirit, because he made an intercession for the saints, according to the will of God, and we know that all things work together for good to them, that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. Look, we got to realize this, yes, we have to realize this. There is a purpose for why you're going through the things that you're going through in life. Yes, it is, there is a reason why you are going through it is not by circumstances, not by half distance, but it is according to the purpose of God that you're going through things in life. You have to realize that you have no control in self of how you want to overcome this circumstance. You have to completely rely on Jesus Christ himself to bring you through it. Stop trying to do things in your own will, because your own will will make things matters worse. Stop letting the enemy play tricks in your mind and saying that you cannot do this in life. Stop letting the enemy have his way. Stop letting the enemy put a notch in his belt. Bring him back into the picture, hell, where he came from, and decree that thing with Jesus name, because when you yell Jesus name, when the enemy attacks you, he has to flee. God says that you have a purpose on this life. You have a purpose that he wants you to use, but if you're doing things in your own, how can he fulfill his purpose in you? Yeah, that's my takeaway.

Absolutely Hallelujah. Miss Donna will you give us your takeaway and please pray, pray for us, amen, absolutely.

Absolutely. You know, to piggyback on what Michael just said, you know, speaking of Romans 8 and 28,. Listen, if you're going through a bad time right now, if you're going through an, if you're in an uncomfortable situation right now, listen, god doesn't waste any experience. Whatever it is you're going through, god is not wasting that experience. You're going. There's a reason. There's a reason, but that is my takeaway. God doesn't waste any experience. He does not. So keep your eyes on him. That is my takeaway. And now we're going to pray. Amen, okay.

Yes ma'am.

Let's all bow together, father, in the name of Jesus. Father, we love you. Today, we give your name the glory. We honor you, father, we just lift up your name, god, because you said you're great. You are great, you are greatly to be praised. And, father, we just magnify your name. Yes, god and God, we thank you for where we are right now because we know you got us, father, we know your word says you'd never leave us, you'd never forsake us. So, father, even though it might feel like we're in it by ourselves, it might feel like that nobody knows. God, you know you got our backs, father, you got us, you are covering us. You said you bring us near by the blood of Jesus, and God, we're grateful for that. Father, you said that you surround us with your favor. Your word tells us that. So, father, even though it's a dark time, even though I don't understand God I don't understand. But God, your word says that I'm surrounded by your favor. Your believers, the righteous, are surrounded by your favor and God, we're grateful for that. So, father, we pray, blessing right now upon Michael and Catherine. Father, we pray you continue to prosper them as they sow seeds for the kingdom. Father, we pray that you bless their home, bless their children, bless their marriage. God, bless their ministry as they go forth in your name, father in heaven. God, thank you for today. We pray, Lord, that you go ahead of us the rest of the day. We're asking your heavenly Father to just go ahead of us. And God, help us to get done today what you mean for us to get done. In Jesus, mighty name, we pray Amen.

Amen, hallelujah, hallelujah. Thank you again, miss Donna, for being here, being here, y'all know how to go to her website and check out her books and just everything that she's doing. Powerful woman of God, and again we just appreciate you.

I appreciate the both of you. Thank you for having me on, Catherine.

Thank you, yes ma'am, you have a blessing. Y'all know what it is Diamonds. Y'all have a blessed week Y'all. Thank you so much again for being here, and Michael got the word.

And remember until next time. You are a diamond in the rough.

Amen Amen.