S2 E16 The Deaf Girl Made an Album

Sometimes life slows us down whether we want it to or not.

After weeks away fighting walking pneumonia and helping care for her mom during another hospital stay, Charlene returns with one of the most personal episodes of Me Again, God yet.

In this raw and heartfelt conversation, she opens up about the emotional reality of watching a parent age, grieving someone who is still here, and realizing the person she once turned to for advice is now the person needing care. She also shares the conviction she’s been feeling about glorifying “busy” and the deep desire to return to a quieter, more peaceful life where she can truly hear God again.

Charlene also shares the unexpected story behind her brand-new album releasing tomorrow — including the fact that she is legally deaf and never imagined she would one day create music. What began as a search for podcast theme music turned into songwriting, healing, and discovering a new creative voice she never knew she had.

And in the middle of all the chaos and beauty of this season… she shares one more personal announcement:
 she and Jason officially set their wedding date for June 19th.

This episode is about grief, gratitude, slowing down, unexpected blessings, and the reminder that God still creates beautiful things through imperfect, surrendered people.

Thanks for listening to Me Again, God with Charlene Condu.
If today connected with you, I’d love to hear your story.

Visit: www.MeAgainGod.com

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You’re not alone in this walk — we’re learning, growing, and coming back to God together, one episode at a time.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:11

It's me again, God. Faith went on, went flat. I knew you name I knew you were, but I wasn't living there. I've been walking in circles. Through noise I couldn't escape. The chaos got so loud in my head I couldn't hear a word you say. I thought I was strong, doing it on my own. But here I am again. Tryna come back home.

SPEAKER_00 0:53

Hey friends. Welcome back to Me Again God. I'm your host, Charlene Condu. Not perfect, not polished, sometimes messy. Just a time for you, me, and the word. And honestly, today's definitely one of those sometimes messy episodes. First of all, I know I disappeared for a couple weeks. I ended up with walking pneumonia, and every single time I tried to record, I sounded like I swallowed sandpaper. There's truly nothing inspirational about coughing through every sentence. So I took a step back for a minute. And during that time, life kept happening. My mom ended up back in the hospital again. I spent another month helping navigate appointments, medications, blood pressure numbers, insurance, fear, exhaustion, all the things people don't really prepare you for when your parents start needing more from you. And somehow, in the middle of all of that, tomorrow, May 15th, my album releases. You can find that um under Me Again God or My Name, Charlene Condu. Which honestly still feels surreal to even say it out loud. Because I don't think most people listening even know this. But I'm legally deaf, which makes this entire thing feel like one giant, only God could do this moment. Seriously. If you would have told me years ago that one day I'd release music, I probably would have laughed and asked if you had the wrong person. But honestly, this whole music journey started in a completely different way. I originally reached out to someone because I loved their music. I wanted permission to use snippets of it for my podcast theme music. I planned to fully credit them. I just loved the atmosphere and emotion they created, but they never responded. And at first I was really disappointed. But instead of sitting in frustration, I got curious. I started studying how people were writing songs, producing music, using AI creatively, learning structure, lyrics, emotion, melody. And somewhere along the way, songs started happening. Not just random songs either, songs connected to the exact same heartbeat behind everything else I do, the books, the podcasts, the conversations, healing, grace, pain, redemption, boundaries, love. God meeting people in the middle of messy lives. And honestly, music brought it all full circle for me because there are some emotions words alone can't carry. Sometimes music says the things your heart has been trying to say for years. And I keep having these moments where I stop and think, God, how is the deaf girl making music right now? That's not lost on me. And honestly, I think God loves doing things people don't expect. I think he loves using the people who assume they're disqualified, the people who think their limitations automatically mean no. Meanwhile, God's over there saying, watch what I can do with surrendered people. And this season has been emotional in ways I didn't expect. She was a person I processed things with. And now the hard thing is her. And that's been incredibly emotional for me because I still catch myself wanting to call her and talk things through the way we always did. And now she doesn't always remember what we talked about yesterday. And nobody really prepares you for that. The slow changes, the role reversal, the moments where you realize the person who grounded you your entire life now needs you to help hold things together for them. And honestly, that kind of grief is strange because the person is still physically here, but parts of the relationship are changing in real time. I think a lot of people silently carry that. And if I can say one more thing to anyone listening right now, if your parents are healthy enough to have conversations, have them. Have the hard conversations now. Not because you're expecting the worst, not because you're being negative, but because love prepares. Talk about medical wishes, finances, passwords, future care, funeral wishes, all of it, because trying to make major decisions in the middle of fear and crisis is unbelievably hard. And nobody really tells us how emotionally exhausting this season of life can be. Sometimes love looks like sacrifice. Sometimes it looks like patient. Sometimes it looks like another hospital room. Sometimes it looks like holding it together for someone who once held it together for you. And honestly, all of this has convicted me lately in another way. Because people keep asking me, How are you? And my answer has become so busy. Every time. Busy. Busy. Busy. Like it's some kind of badge of honor we all wear now. And lately I've been asking myself, who told us chaos was success? Who told us exhaustion was proof we matter? Because I don't think God's calling me deeper into chaos. I think he's calling me back into peace. Not laziness or irresponsibility, peace. A life where I can actually hear him again. A life where I'm not so over-stimulated, overbooked, emotionally exhausted, mentally distracted, and spiritually drained that I can't recognize his voice anymore. And honestly, I don't want constant noise anymore. I don't want my whole identity to be I'm overwhelmed. I want peaceful. I want no chaos. I want room to breathe again, room to think clearly again, room to hear God clearly again. And maybe walking pneumonia is slowing me down, force me to finally realize that because sometimes our bodies say what our souls have been trying to say for months. Rest. Slow down, pay attention. And maybe somebody listening today needs permission to stop glorifying burnout too. Maybe peace is holy too. And before I go, there's one more thing I want to share with you guys. In the middle of all of the chaos, all the hospitals, all the coughing, all the life lately, there's also been something really beautiful happening too. Jason and I officially set our wedding date. June 19th. And honestly, saying that out loud feels emotional too. Because life is strange like that sometimes. At the same time you're grieving parts of life, God is still creating new beginnings too. Joy and grief can sit in the same room. Exhaustion and gratitude can exist together, where fear and hope can exist together too. And somehow God still meets us in all of it. So tomorrow this album goes out into the world, which still feels wild to me, but I'm grateful. So unbelievably grateful. And if you listen to it, thank you. Thank you for supporting me. Thank you for growing with me through all these seasons of me again, God. Thank you for allowing me to show up honestly here. And maybe that's the biggest thing I want to leave with you today. God can still create beautiful things through people who think they're limited, even deaf girls making music. All right, friends. Until next time. Just a little coffee, a whole lot of Jesus, and maybe a little more peace.

SPEAKER_01 10:30

It's real game. Right here in your presence.