Soul Bearer: 9 Soul-Hearted Conversations from Men Sharing Their Unspoken Truths

By Cheryl Polote-Williamson

In yet another bold anthology, bestselling author and compiler Cheryl Polote-Williamson brings us the Godly and redemptive testimonies of nine men who, having overcome their own trials, now share their valuable lessons with you. These pages offer a rarity that is often neglected by society: A safe and welcoming space where men can openly express

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cheryl Polote-Williamson
• Release date: May 3, 2017
• ISBN: 9781947054110

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Cheryl Polote-Williamson

NINE SOUL-BEARING CONVERSATIONS FROM MEN SHARING THEIR UNSPOKEN TRUTHS

SOUL BEARER

Copyright © 2017 Cheryl Polote-Williamson

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form by any means, graphics, electronics, or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, taping, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of reprints in the context of reviews, quotes, or references.

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN: 978-1-947054-10-3

Table of Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Caught in the Middle While Rising to the Top

Matthew Jackson Jr.

For A Crown

Russell Williamson Sr.

Overcoming Me: The Metamorphosis

Dr. Marvin Smith

Lessons on a Steadfast Spirit

Jared Harrison

Pick ‘Em Up, Bust ‘Em Up

Edwin Bailey

My Life Lessons in Fatherhood

Lee Kearney

Family Life Is the Best Life

Ken Frazier Sr.

Be a Man

Corey Davenport

Remarkable Life

Jamahl Joyner

About the Authors

Sources

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the men who decided to bare their souls and write their unspoken truths in an effort to assist other men to embrace their truths and walk in total freedom.

Acknowledgments

First, I give honor and praise to God. My rock. My salvation. My fortress. My shield. You have hidden me beneath Your wing. I have found shelter and refuge under Your shadow. You have protected me, comforted me, and cared for me. You have kept me. You breathed new life into me when I thought all hope was gone. For that, I am eternally grateful.

To my husband, Russell M. Williamson: I thank you. When I found it impossible to stand on my own, you stood with me. Truly, we have bore one another’s burdens. We have held together through trying times and proclaimed the goodness and faithfulness of God. You have given me so many reasons to rejoice. I love you.

To my amazing children, Russ Jr., Lauren, and Courtney, and to my dear, dear grandbaby, Leah: You all are prizes from God. I look at you and am constantly encouraged to be the best me possible. You are my heart’s joy. You are my why. I love you with everything in me.

To my parents, Benjamin and Gretta Polote Sr.: I honor you always. Your unconditional love never fails. You have taught me so much. Your words, lessons, and encouragement have carried me through many dark hours into brighter days. I thank you and love you.

To my siblings and the rest of my family, immediate and extended: What a joy it is to be surrounded by so much love and to know that people genuinely care. Thank you for your love, encouragement, and support. You are very much appreciated.

To the truest friends a person can have: You know who you are and I love you! Thank you for praying for me, lifting me, loving me, believing in me, and supporting me. You have redefined the meaning of friendship for me and I cannot be more thankful.

Special thanks to the Polote, Williamson, and Green families and my beautiful community of the award-winning Blessings, Business, and Collaborations Facebook Group. I love you all!

Foreword

The majority of my books and projects are centered on rebuilding and uplifting the spirit of women. One day while in prayer, the Holy Spirit told me that I was failing to focus on an underserved market.

But God, men are not emotional, I remember thinking.

In that moment, He corrected me. I, like many others, failed to understand the fact that men are emotional; they are simply conditioned to hide their emotions. It was then when I realized I needed to create a project that was long overdue: To provide men with a platform to share their feelings and experiences freely without their masculinity being questioned or judged.

I started journaling and brainstorming on what this project would look like. I asked God to feed my mind and tell me what would bless the hearts of men. I consulted Him about what formats and topics would speak to their innermost battles. I prayed for His guidance and direction to create a project that would be a powerful and impactful resource for women and their daily interactions with the men in their lives. From those prayers, many nights of journaling, and brainstorming sessions, Soul Bearer was born.

As I embarked on the journey of creating Soul Bearer, one fact became quite clear: There must be constant dialogue surrounding the emotions of men. No longer should we silence their pain by telling them to be a man about it, whatever the it may be. In chronicling the stories of the amazing men who are featured in this book, I learned that their feelings and emotions are just as delicate as those of women. Contrary to popular belief, this does not make them less masculine. These incredibly honest men have experienced the heartbreak of addiction, lust, loss, and insecurity. By the grace and mercy of God, they overcame their situations and have been restored. These powerful warriors have chosen to bare their souls and share their stories in hopes of helping other men who may be experiencing similar situations. This is more masculine and powerful than anything I can imagine.

As a mother of a young man and as a wife to my husband of twenty-five years, I understand that, for far too long, society and cultural norms have placed an insurmountable burden on men. Many feel tremendous pressure to be alpha males, whether by knowing how to fix any and everything from a clogged pipe to the alternator in a car, or by being strong when a loved one is hurt or experiencing emotional pain. Oftentimes, they do not like to show their emotions because they have been socialized to feel that doing so makes them weak. We tell them to buck up, man up, toughen up, and suck it up when they are feeling sad, hurt, defeated, lonely, or any other emotion that is not considered manly. All the while, we forget that these types of standards and attitudes can cause irreparable damage to the psyche. The fact of the matter is this: Men hurt as any human does. Their emotional well-being must be acknowledged and nurtured.

To women who are reading this book: Please provide emotional support to the men in your life. Whether they are your sons, husbands, nephews, brothers, fathers, grandfathers, cousins, or friends, let them know that you care. If you do not already, make it a point to check on them. Let them know that you are always available if they want to talk. While they may or may not feel comfortable showing their emotions, the fact that you offered to lend an ear will go a long way. Keep the men you love uplifted in prayer and never judge them for feeling sad or hurt. Society does not make it easy for them to cry or admit when they are struggling with something.

To my men: I challenge you to connect with your innermost feelings, guilt free. Please know that you are not weak. You are not less of a man because you feel pain. God gave you feelings and emotions for a reason, and He said that you are fearfully and wonderfully made! God wants to empower you and uplift your head and your spirit. He wants you to know that you are destined for greatness and that He loves you dearly. You are merely human, by holy design. Do not let anyone tell you differently. It takes great courage to express feelings, especially in a society that tries to make you feel as if something is wrong with doing so.

My hope is that, in reading the stories of these men, you understand that it is okay to hurt. It is okay to cry. It is okay to not always be okay. It is okay to talk to someone about how you feel. Most importantly, you are not alone. There are countless other men who have experienced your struggles and pain. You have a team of people who are praying for your healing and recovery. This chapter in your life is not your end—it is just the beginning!

In this book, nine men have chosen to bare their souls to anyone who reads these pages. I implore you to bare your soul to God. Tell Him your hurts. Tell Him your fears, pains, and disappointments. Trust in Him and in the people He has placed in your life. Lastly, know that I am praying for you! I created this book under the direction of the Holy Spirit with you in mind. It is my prayer that your soul is truly blessed by it!

With love,

Cheryl Polote-Williamson

Four-time bestselling author, servant leader, speaker, kingdompreneur, visionary of the Soul Reborn Summit and Soul Series anthologies, and philanthropist

Caught in the Middle While Rising to the Top

Matthew Jackson Jr.

There for the grace of God go I.

—John Bradford

It started early on in my childhood without me even noticing what was happening. Alcohol entered my world when I was ten years old. I lived with my paternal grandparents since I was three months old, after my mom was killed in a terrible car accident. They taught me the meaning of Christianity, and they are the sole reason that my faith remains strong to this day. The only problem was that my aunts and uncle