I remember coming home from leave once and Mama said, “Helen, you walk with your head held high as if you have a book on top of your head.” Apparently, we had both forgotten about our tribe walking into church and Daddy insisting on us walking with our heads held high. I obeyed my earthly father and heavenly Father and wrote the book I promised God I’d write, then published it in 2008.  

 

After I published 7 Days in the Fire, God ever so gently began revealing what was written in the book, particularly my traumatic upbringing.  Then, my healing process began. On February 7, 2007, the 39th anniversary of my grandfather, Chester Noel’s (aka Papa) death, I had a somatic flashback and the Holy Spirit later revealed I was traumatized as a toddler when my grandfather scared me and left me sleepless. Anniversary reactions are common in trauma victims. Papa was a victim of trauma, abused substances, and suffered from insomnia. He routinely chewed tobacco and spat in a spittoon. When I reexperienced trauma, for seven straight days and nights I suffered from insomnia, coughed, and spat up phlegm. Ironically, like Papa, I resorted to spitting in a cup.    

 

At the end of the seven days, I called saints to pray and fast with me. As midnight approached, leaders from my church and a coworker came by and prayed for me. I slept like a baby that night and the next morning as soon as my feet hit the floor the Holy Spirit said (in a commanded voice), “Write” and I wrote more than ¾th’s of the book in one day. On the 40th anniversary of Papa’s death, I published the book. Biblically, the number 40 generally symbolizes a period of testing, trials, and then, finally triumph.             To God be the glory for all the things He has done!