ọlámidé iyanda on taking care of yourself
name | ọlámidé iyanda
describe this year in 3 words | the twilight zone
on your must-read list | cry, my beloved country by alan paton and when things fall apart by pema chodron
song currently fueling your soul | keys to the kingdom by tiwa savage and mr. eazi and promises by joel barne & naomi raine
your current inspiration | i am currently inspired by all the black women who are turning up the pressure. black women are already amazing, without a doubt. but honey, even with the world in total chaos, they are out here thriving and living. i am inspired by the new businesses, testimonies, projects, and content i am seeing.
COMMUNITY CARE
what spiritual convictions guide you as you engage in conversations about racial justice?
it first started in 2013. i was washing dishes, literally minding my business, when the Holy Spirit spoke. it was one of those frozen in times, having a full-blown internal dialogue type of moment. he said i had to stop using the n-word and “akata” (a derogatory nigerian phrase to describe african americans) if i wanted to be used to bring the good news to all men. using words like that only hindered me from being used effectively as a vessel. i began to realize that although i am racially black, i didn’t connect with the struggles and pain of black americans. since then, i have consciously made an effort to learn more about systemic oppression and racial injustice. a few years ago, i wondered if God cared about the injustices against black americans (because the church was showing that they didn’t), and i mysteriously found myself reading the book of obadiah. the Lord knows how to silence our doubts and skepticism. the book of obadiah has really given my soul peace when it comes to racial injustice during our time. ain’t nothing new under the ‘son.’ so now, when i engage in the conversation of racial justice, i approach it with a kingdom mindset that God is in the business of restoring community and eliminating hate amongst his people.
what can non-black people do to lean in, support, amplify, and show up for poc?
when a person is being corrected or even called out about something they identify with dearly to their being, they become defensive naturally and thus, perceive everything from a place of argument to rebuttal and, not a place of listening to understand the other party. the Bible says, “everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” this is because our first nature, pride, arises. so it’s best to listen first. listen to understand. listen without judgment. listen with an open mind and heart. then repent for any time you have been an oppressor. you can’t put new wine in an old wineskin. now that you have been renewed of the mind and are purified, now it’s time to act. do something with the privilege that you have in society to be an ally.
SPIRITUAL CARE
how are you spiritually connecting to others and God on a deeper level during this season of your life?
an older brother in Christ asked on twitter if people were willing to gather for a Bible study, and i scrolled past it. i am not sure what happened, but i found myself on it one night, and whew chile, i have yet to be disappointed. it’s good to fellowship with believers, but it’s beautiful to fellowship with people from different walks of life. each week we gather, as one of us gives a teaching and leads us in prayer. we share intimate details of our lives and are vulnerable with our convictions and pruning. being home more than usual has forced me to be more aware of God and his intentionality with my life. God knew life would pan out this way before we had a clue, and it’s important to place our trust in him concerning our lives in this season.
the mission of your podcast, naija girls, is “changing the narrative on how the world defines us.” what kind of challenges do you, as a nigerian single woman, face that people in your faith community might not understand?
y’all got time? ight, i’m not going to hold you too long. every culture has its stronghold. on the outside, people might see nigerian americans as ambitious, hardworking, and successful. don’t get me wrong, we are. but on the inside, we have unspoken issues and trauma. from trying to please our family with their unrealistic expectations, to fighting off the urge to play God to “find” a husband, all the way to seeing God as a benevolent father and not a harsh master.
PHYSICAL CARE
if you could steer the conversation around rest, what would that dialogue be about?
if i could steer the conversation around rest, the dialogue would be about observing the sabbath. we have grasped the concept that God does not sleep nor slumber when we want to understand the power of prayer and faith but forget that he rested on the 7th day. i think we fail to teach people about the power of rest—physical rest. when we are still, we can tune into the voice of God. there are things that he wants to share with us, but when we are so wrapped up in productivity and busyness, we can easily tune him out.
what has this year taught you about strength and resilience?
“dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. for you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. so let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” james 1:2-4
i read this verse for the millionth time, but i got a new revelation. james was telling us to consider all the calamities and chaos in society and in our personal lives as an opportunity because our endurance has a chance to grow. we can’t buy strength and resilience at the store. we develop them. so we can go through this year unchanged, or we can enter a new year developed.
SELF-CARE
how are you reclaiming the parts of yourself that have been ignored or misunderstood?
if i learned anything this year, it’s that you can’t waste your time or energy explaining yourself to people who refuse to love you despite your differences. i’ve extended grace to myself for believing the lies of the enemy, but i’ve also embraced how the Lord created me. there is power in our differences, and we are doing the world a disservice trying to be like each other. i’m still growing in this area of embracing parts of me i have hidden, but i stopped making excuses as to why i should keep these parts hidden. i’m loving the person i am becoming as i continue to yield to the Lord.
share a message from your present self to your future self.
hey girl!
i know you thought i was annoying for all the complaining i did this season, but you can’t lie, the journey with the Lord is not for the faint of heart. i’m glad you never gave up or returned to your vomit. hello! may all know the power of God because of what he has done in your life. i can’t wait to be you, but i’ll be patient in this season. i definitely can’t wait to meet you....and bae...and the baby(s). i mean, “we call those things which are not as though they were.”
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*this conversation is about self-care for women.
