(Courtesy Photo)

By Dareise A. Jones

Clarence “KD” McNair knows all too well the anguish of anxiety and the fear, doubt and stress that uncertainty bring.

He also knows that God is present during these times and there are many opportunities that can go unnoticed due to dire circumstances, which inspired him to write his third book Blessings in Uncertain Times: God is Always Present during the pandemic.

The former Motown artist, who was part of the early-2000s group Prophet Jones recalls the embarrassment and depression he experienced when the quartet disbanded due to internal issues. 

After the loss of their record deal, fame and posh lifestyle, Clarence admits, “My confidence was messed up and I went through this period where everybody kept asking ‘what happened to your group?’ so I stopped coming out to family cookouts and stayed away from everything because I got tired of explaining. It was embarrassing honestly.”

McNair and a friend tried to put another group together, but it didn’t work out.

“I was really, really lost,” he said. “It tormented me. It messed with my self-esteem because it’s like as a man, I felt like I let my family down.”

The East Baltimore native was raised by his single-mother. His father was incarcerated when he was 8 or 9 years old. His mom had been working on his music career since he was in elementary school and he had finally tasted fame and success, but then found himself in a familiar place: uncertain and lost.

Clarence “KD” McNair (Courtesy Photos)

“My whole life has been uncertain,” he stated. “Where I grew up, there is no stability. That word doesn’t exist in the hood, you just have to figure it out. For many people, everything is uncertain. Most people didn’t know if they were going to be able to pay their rent or keep the lights on.”

He remembers when things shifted in a positive direction for him. It started with prayer, watching Bishop T.D. Jakes’ sermons, seeking professional help and changing his thoughts. McNair began encouraging himself to “give it one more try” which became the title of his first book.

During the beginning of the pandemic, McNair says during an interview he talked about how “This time is giving the world an opportunity to trade places with people who live on restrictions all the time. Before the pandemic, there were people who could not go out to dinner because they didn’t have the money. There were people who had to isolate themselves and wear masks because of health challenges.” 

All the changes the world had to make were normal for some people and because uncertainty had been normal for him all his life, he knew he had to share that this time was an opportunity for growth, shifting, healing and seeing the value in the little things.

So, his third book, Blessings in Uncertain Times: God is Always Present, was born. 

The book, which includes a foreword by Cora Jakes-Coleman, preacher, author and daughter of Bishop T.D. Jakes, “offers hope by teaching us to stay connected to God” in our darkest days. Clarence also emphasizes the importance of not overlooking blessings because sometimes God answers your prayers in the craziest ways.

He knows this for sure because during every uncertain time in his life, God has provided for him and led him into roles and positions that not only blessed him, but allowed him to be a blessing. McNair has gone from entertainer to entrepreneur, author, life coach and music industry consultant. He has also endured adversity and come out better and with this book he is giving you the blueprint so that you can too.

Blessings in Uncertain Times: God is Always Present is available at Amazon, Audible and Barnes & Noble. Follow @therealkdmcnair and @mcnairbooks or visit www.mcnairbooks.com for more information about Clarence and his books.