Memory Making Moments

There are moments in life that are amazing. Some, simply beyond amazing. Moments that cannot be captured by the shutters of a camera. Moments of intense joy captured by our soul and etched in our memories, creating reflections of God’s amazing blessings, mercies and grace.

 

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We had many of such epic moments during the six-week period of our family vacation, first in our home country, Nigeria and later in UK. That’s why I have been absent from the blogosphere since July 1^st.

Despite all my good intentions and with much to share, it was very difficult for me to find the kind of time I needed to write and post our experience on the blog. Therefore, the next couple of blog posts will be devoted to these precious memory making moments we had during our trip.

It had been four years since I last visited Nigeria and seen many of my family members and faithful friends. They have all been praying along with us and supporting us with fervent prayers during the dark season of our lives especially in last seven years. It was, therefore, appropriate that these who travailed so much in prayer on our behalf should also have the joy of sharing in our praise and thanksgiving to God for the awesome work of deliverance and restoration He brought to pass in my life.

The first thing we wanted to do upon our arrival at home in Nigeria was to have a thanksgiving service in our home church, Christ Chapel, UCH, Ibadan. The story of my twenty years of being tried in the crucible of affliction began there at the University College Hospital, where we both lived and worked in the early 1990s. It was there the doctors made the initial diagnosis of the lung disease and potentially debilitating neurological disease. It was also our brethren in the Christ Chapel who supported us and upheld us in prayers at that initial phase of dealing with the problem. It was, therefore, apt for us to return to where we started from—this was truly a homecoming event for us.

And they praised God.

The testimony elicited spontaneous and unadulterated praise to God. We were overwhelmed, amazed and astonished at genuine joy and gladness expressed by our families and friends. Their joy and thanksgiving on our behalf was intoxicating. Their appreciation of God’s faithfulness was authentic. The praise they offered to God is simply beyond description, indeed beyond amazing.

They lifted their hands in adoration; they bowed their heads in worship, and they danced as David danced unto the Lord. This experience was replicated everywhere God gave us the opportunity to share the testimony of His divine intervention in our lives. Many listened with amazement. Many wept, but it was tears of joy. Many were inspired to hold on and not give up on hope. Many simply stared in awe, too overwhelmed to utter a word. Many were encouraged to stay strong through their trials. I heard a number of people commenting that if God can sustain us through the twenty years of our trials and afflictions, He can surely keep them through their valley experience. The message of God’s amazing grace resounded through it all.

 Luke 5:26 says:

The people rubbed their eyes, incredulous—and then also gave glory to God. Awestruck, they said, “We’ve never seen anything like that!” (MSG).

Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!” (NLT).

Matthew 9:8 says;

When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man. (NIV)

Luke 7:16 says;

They were all filled with awe and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people." (NIV).

And they gave glory and praise to God. That was indeed, the case for us. Our families and friends saw me walking free of all the paraphernalia and encumbrances of the many years of affliction, they heard of the manifold grace of God, which kept me, and they perceived God’s acts of wonder in my life. AND THEY PRAISED GOD—offering unadulterated sacrifice of thanks and praise. They were filled with awe; they marvelled saying “We have heard and seen remarkable and amazing things today.

I was awed at the manifold grace of God in turning our trials and afflictions of the past years to life-touching testimony. I was awed at the genuine warmth and love shown towards us.

Amazing Opportunities:

God surprised me with amazing opportunities to share my story and our testimony, and for many more people to join us in giving glory and praise to Him.

One of such was at an event tagged, “Women Worship Without Walls 2014” organized by Just Praise Ministries Worldwide in Ibadan on July 17^th, 2014. The program, anchored by Oluwatoyin Adegunle, was a gathering of women from all works of life coming together to offer one day of praise to God. Many renown Praise and Worship leaders from different churches and cities were there to lead the people into the presence of God in praise. The atmosphere was electric—charged with the Holy Spirit as over 2000 people praised and worshiped God in unity.

It was before this crowd that I shared the testimony of God’s grace made abundantly available to keep me and my family through the years of struggle with the chronic lung disease that literally drained life out of me. I shared the story of the grace that sustained me living with hope after the amputation of my feet following the complication of the surgery to replace my lungs.

The praise they offered to God was resounding, the intensity of which, simply can’t be captured by any camera, but are etched in my memory. Every remembrance of these memory making moments brings bouts of praise to my heart and causes me to reflect on God’s awesome mercies and grace to me.

My prayer for you today, my dear friends, is that you will experience the amazing and sustaining grace of God in your circumstances. I pray His grace put on display in your life and your situation will cause men to be astonished and to give praise to God on your behalf.

May the shouts of praise resonate in the heavenly places as people see the awesome works of wonder performed in your life by our gracious Father God.

I will share with you more memory making moments I experienced participating in the Return of the Helpers 2014 Conference in Lagos and the precious memory making moments my husband, sons and I shared together as a family as we dwelt in close proximity during our travels.