The Tribune

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

jgibson@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN psalmist Ayanna Clarke said she felt like an orphan after the death of her mother a few years ago. Without her "chief cheerleader and support system" to help her navigate the day-to-day, she suddenly found herself at a loss of what to do with her life.

"Her passing was like a bomb that shattered my world. She taught me how to pray, and stay connected to God. When she died, I felt like an orphan. I was surrounded by persons who did not celebrate me the way she did. I was alone," she told Tribune Woman.

But her faith in God was what eventually healed her, lifted her spirit and gave her a revelation that inspired her newly released single "Never Alone". Now, she wants listeners to know that even when they face the greatest trial of their life, they are never without help.

"One day (I realised) that God had never left, and that he was shifting my circle to include persons who just loved me for me. He had stepped in and supplied me with people who, like my mom, accepted me - abilities, talents, quirks; no questions asked. I was not and would never be alone. And that's where the song came from. It came from a heart that had been surrounded but was still lonely. Encircled, but misunderstood, under-appreciated, just forlorn. Until one day I looked up and realised the 'Son' was still shining on me. He had not forgotten me, and I began trusting Him again to give me what and who I needed, not only to survive, but to thrive," she said.

Ayanna is a trained education professional, a praise and worship minister presently working with Change Ministries International, a songwriter and a psalmist.

She has been singing for as long as she can remember and has performed at various events, including weddings, church activities and socials.

Not one to keep her gifts to herself, Ayanna has also penned two books, "Evening in Guanima" and "In the Hands of the Potter", the latter of which has just been released.

" In the Hands of the Potter" is an inspirational book that discusses how to handle the ups and downs of life that shape you and prepare you for your next level of victorious living, she explained.

Ayanna said she felt compelled to share what she has learned so that it may improve the lives of others.

In the book, she talks about the ideals of waiting with hope, encouraging oneself, being at peace with where you are in your journey and not giving up, maintaining balance, finding the right sources of external encouragement, and knowing when those around you are only there for their gain or if they are truly your friends.

"For a long time, I always felt like I was supposed to be doing more. Not that I am dissatisfied with my life, but I just had this yearning to explore everything that I could do and be. No one around me spoke to that desire. No one nurtured it. I felt completely caged in. I had to live as people saw me, or desired me to be. Instead of retreating though, I began to read and study other persons whose gifts and abilities were shaped in adverse circumstances," said Ayanna.

"And I realised that there was a pattern. There is a time of shaping, where your experiences will mould you and form you into a stronger individual, or they can break you. There is a time of testing, where you will be called upon to step up to the plate and show what positive lessons you have learned and can now teach as a result of your strength. Then, comes the time of celebration, where others will see your worth as a time-tested vessel and celebrate what and who you have come to be. It may not be everyone, but there are groups reserved for us. Those who will honour and hope to learn from our lessons, as it were."

The overall message of the book, Ayanna said, is that people reach different planes of accomplishment at different intervals of their lives.

"Process is not for the unaccomplished, the unknown or the uncelebrated. It is for everyone. There is always another level in each of us to be attained. Also, that process is personal, and its outcome cannot be determined at the beginning. And finally, once you submit yourself to process, your wisdom, value and esteem increase," she said.

For more information about the book and her song "Never Alone', visit. www.facebook.com/ayannatheartist.