The Unchanging Constant In Constant Change

A cold breeze drifted across my face and neck. My hands swung up instinctively to protect my chest. My neck was bare in my purple jersey blouse.  I looked back and longed for the warmth of the Pharmacy I just came out off. The scarves on the display rack by the door beckon to me. The image of scarves in my wardrobe flashed across my mind. “Not a chance,” I muttered under my breath. I looked up the road to see if the bus was round the corner, it was not. I still have five more minutes to wait. So I fastened the top buttons of my jacket, dipped my hands into the pocket and began to pace the front of the Pharmacy.

The Bus came and I climbed into its warm interior. It was the second time that I came out by myself and was riding the bus back home. A feat I could not have dared in the previous eight years. I remembered that warm sunny September afternoon when I rode the bus for the first time after eight year. The joy exuding from my heart was beyond description. A change had taken place in my life and it was a change for good.

Change is taking place around me. By the time I got out of the bus at my stop, the cloud had passed and the sun was out in the white sky. Dry leaves rustle under my “Feet of Grace” as I walked home until I got to the forest. The sun was shut out under the dense canopy of evergreen trees. It was dark and chilly again. The leaves laid dead and rotting along the path still wet from the rain of the previous day. Home was in sight when I emerged into the brightness of the sunlight on the other side. I marvelled at the changes along the path home.

Take the chilly winds. Give me cool blue sky. Take the heat. Give the gentle breeze softly caressing my cheeks. Take the layers-of-onion dressing. Give me the light cotton blown in the wind. The season is changing. Like it or not, I must embrace the change.

Cold chill lured me to snuggle deeper in bed under the warm duvet. I dared not. My list of things-to-do was as long as my arm. I smiled.

You are faithful in every way, O Lord, You are faithful in every way.

I was awed as I recalled that time my agenda was snow-white and I had no-where I needed to be. When I spent the day sitting on my hands and staring out of the window. A change has occurred. My heart gave praise to the unchanging God.

Change is a constant in our lives. God always speak and come through for us in the time of change. We go through different kinds of change at different times in our lives. Change occurs in us, within us and outside of us. Seasons change. Conditions change. Circumstances change. There are changes we welcome and rejoice in. There are changes that causes our hearts to grieve. Change is the constant that we cannot run away from. In the midst of change, there is a constant that we can run to and hold on to. He declared; "I am the Lord, I do not change" (Mal. 3:6).

“God is in the change but He does not change. It is important to know what is not changing when life changes” – Pastor Walter Thomas.

I see God in the splendour of autumn. Beyond my bedroom window, confetti of dry leaves painted yellow, brown and russet floating down to the ground at the command of the wind speaks to me as I gaze on their mesmerizing hues. They announce the change coming upon the trees set aglow by the golden beams when the sun set.

I opened my wardrobe doors, the yellow post-it squares pasted on the inner side of the doors caught my attention. I pasted them at my eye level on the wardrobe doors, my bathroom mirror and on my bed post several years ago. They were to remind me to keep my gaze focussed on the unchanging faithfulness of God in keeping His word in all the seasons of my life. Aged and faded, some hanging bowed like yellow autumn leaves outside my bedroom window, the message they bear remained unchanging and constant—the truth of God’s infallible promises.

The time I spent standing by the wardrobe, reading and meditating on the promises of God with tears in my eyes flashed before my eyes and a song of praise sprung up in my heart.

Mighty God Faithful God oh oh oh
From age to age You're still the same
You never change, You never fail, You never let me down
Take all the glory, take all the honour
I bring to You

I lift my voice to You, Awesome God

I lift my voice to You, Awesome God,

Awesome God, Awesome God.

 (Frank Edwards)

I continued my contemplation of God’s constancy as I lingered in the shower. The rivulets of warm freshness streamed down my body, cascading into a fall beyond my stumps. Then I remembered the many days of bed-bath in the hospital, when I longed so much for a shower until tears trickled down the sides of my face into my ears. I recalled the day my nurse asked me, “Madame Irene, voulez-vous prendre une douche a la salle-de-bain, aujourd’hui?”

“Do I want a shower?” I squealed. My heart leaped for joy.

“Yes! Yes!! Of course, with all pleasure. Merci, merci beaucoup.”

My nurse wheeled me into the high-walled plastic tub, latched its door behind me and released the shower. Warm water gushed out, I was filled with joy like a child dancing in the rain. I cupped the water in my hands and poured it on my face. Never had a shower felt as good as it was that day.

My heart ignited with praise as I pondered on the goodness of God and the amazing changes which have taken place in my life since then. God exalted my horn and lifted me from the dark valley of the shadow of death. He broke off the confinement of afflictions.

I drew back the shower curtains, my bathroom was engulfed with steam and the mirror covered with mist. Through all the seasons of my life, God has remained the same—steadfast, sure and faithful. When the gusty winds of storms whirled around me, He remained constant—a solid rock upon which my hope was anchored. As soon as I finished drying myself, I grabbed my camouflage-green notebook and began to scribble this offering of praise, until the mist cleared and the mirror reflected the image of my face glowing with gladness.

O God, my help in ages past. My hope for years to come.

My shelter in the stormy blast. And my eternal home.

(Paraphrased from the Methodist Hymn Book.)

This, indeed, will be my song of testimony as 2014 fades away in eight weeks’ time and we usher 2015 in. As I reviewed the year passing, I was assured again of the constancy of God’s faithfulness in all our changing circumstances and seasons.

Dear Friends, as you to look back into 2014 and recall God’s abundant goodness in your life, I encourage you to bring an offering of praise to Him. As you look back, perhaps all you see are the undesired changes that have occurred in your life and the dreams yet to be fulfilled, yet I know you can attest to one thing that has remained constant and unchanging—God’s unfading and enduring love for you. For this and more, God deserves your sacrifice of praise.

God loves you in every season

Yet His love is not seasonal

He loves you in every circumstance

Yet His love is not circumstantial

He loves you in every condition

Yet His love is not conditional

(Roy Lessin, meetmeinthemeadows.com)

Acknowledgement:
Celestine Nudanu’s Haiku Poems: Carpet of Blessings and Autumn posted on Reading Pleasure inspired some of the imagery in this post.

A New Definition Of Normal

It was with exhilarating joy that I walked into my house on Friday 9^th, 2013, knowing that I am back home to stay and not on a day visit. A number of things had changed, the three oxygen reservoirs were gone. And there were no more blue tubes lining the stairway and the floor in the sitting room. Hallelujah! It was pure joy.

On the following Sunday, with joy overflowing everywhere I was received back into the church. I walked to the altar and with my family besides me, we gave thanks to God for keeping me alive and for bringing me back into His house. We sang "Praise My Soul The King Of Heaven" and "I Am A Living Testimony" by the Mighty Clouds Of Joy. I could sing again. Isn't God wonderful?

I noticed another change, we were not in a hurry to leave the church immediately after the service, because I was running out of oxygen. We had time to share fellowship with the brethren and our friends. Praise be to God.

Dealing With Change:

After a few days back at home, I was quick to realize that our definition of normal had changed. We had to implement a number of changes in the way we do things in order to accommodate the changes that had taken place in my life. There were moments in these past few days that I felt overwhelmed by these changes. At such moments I had to quickly remind myself that I have been singing, "I could have been dead and gone, but You kept me living on. I thank You, Lord, I'm still alive."

Change comes to us in diverse way through our experiences and sometimes, through the challenges we face. It could be the death of a loved one, ill-health, loss of a job, loss of limbs, broken relationships, change in location, failed project and accidents to name but a few. In most cases, we are not given time to prepare for change. It could take just a phone-call.

Things may never be the same again after such changes. I watched a film yesterday called "Courageous." In it, the Pastor said, while counselling the grief-stricken Mitchell whose nine year old daughter just died, that dealing with grief is like dealing with an amputation, because every amputee knows that that you will heal but you will never be the same again. This hit me like a thunderbolt because I know just how true that is. 

Change brings brand new beginnings.

As I adapt to this new phase on my life, I know that there are some things that will never be the same again. A major change has occurred in my life. As the Pastor I mentioned earlier also said, you can choose to be angry with God for what you have lost and what you can not have again or you can choose to be thankful for what you had, what you now have and what you can still have if you entrust your life into God's hands.

Ultimately, your change, whatever it is, can become a change for good depending on your attitude and your posture towards God. Because God always work all things together for our good.

Job had to deal with a massive change in his life, after the loss of his children, property and health, but no where in the entire book was it recorded that he was angry with God. He did not sin or charge God foolishly. Notice his posture of resignation to the sovereign will of God in his period of adversity (Job 1: 21-22).

Learning To Persevere:

In my blog post last week, I discussed enduring hardships, trials and suffering. I had the opportunity to discuss with a number of friends during the past week on this subject, and it appeared that often Christians are ill-prepared to endure hardship or to persevere through it. As soon as something goes wrong and not in accordance to their expectations, they get angry with God become sour in their attitude.

Jesus learnt obedience through the things He suffered, and He is the Son of God. This experience made Him to be perfectly equipped to become the Author and Source of eternal salvation (Heb. 5: 8-9). Christ's sonship did not exempt Him from obedience, suffering or change.

How can we as His co-heirs think that in our walk with Him, we will not partake of His suffering if we are to partake in His glory when it is revealed. We also being sons of God are not exempted from suffering, challenges and changes. These are instructive in deepening our knowledge of God and by them we learn experience. If we endure with Him, we will also reign with Him (2Tim. 2:12).

How do we learn perseverance if we have no reason to persevere?

How do we learn to be steadfast during trials if we are not tested?

How do we learn patient endurance if there no challenges to endure?

Yet, the Bible encourages us to add all these qualities to our faith so that we can become fully matured. Because, if we possess these qualities in increasing measures, they will keep us from being idle and unfruitful in our knowledge of Jesus Christ. Whosoever lacks these qualities is short-sighted  and spiritually blind. We are therefore admonished to be all the more eager to make our calling as Christians sure.

Perseverance, patient endurance and steadfastness are essential qualities for fruitful Christianity. They only come through what we suffer when we go through trials and testing. All these bring about changes in our lives. They define a new normal for us.

Through this new definition of normal, we are equipped to fulfil our God-given purpose and destiny.

This song by the Brooklyn Tabernacle ministered to me in one of those moments when I felt overwhelmed.

For every mountain You've brought me over. 
For every trial You've seen me through. 
For every blessing, hallelujah; 
for this I give You praise.

Dear Friends, whatever change is taking place in your life at this moment, I pray that the superabundant grace of God may richly abound to you as you learn to persevere through it.

I'm Going All The Way

The New Year is an opportunity to celebrate new beginnings. It also provides the opportunity to renew commitments. Although the year is over a week old already but it is not too late to wish you a happy and prosperous 2013.

I apologize for not posting a blog last Thursday as usual. You will find out why as you read on.

I watched on the TV a challenging racing event through the country side a while ago.

 © Denyskuvaiev| http://www.dreamstime.com/

They ran…

…They jumped over huge hurdles.
     …They splashed through muddy puddles.

In wet shoes, adding to the discomfort,

they kept running,

overcoming the obstacles,

going all the way to the finish line.

The race is called the steeplechase. It is easily one of the hardest events in athletics. It is a test of endurance.

Pathway to change:

Life is a series of processes. Raw materials are processed to produce usable products. Students undergo training to become professionals. There is a process to go through for  dreams to be translated into reality and a desired goal to be reached.

Process is the pathway to change. Sometimes there are many steps in the pathway. We find obstacles along the pathway to change—hurdles to leap over and puddles to wade through—these make the process more challenging.

"We are all on a journey to somewhere,

and the twists and turns are what makes it interesting"

- Jeff Goins.

Implicit in this, is the time required for the process to be completed—time required for change to take place. When time is required, it calls for waiting, and waiting calls for patience and endurance.

Those who would go the long haul and all the way to the finish line have need of patient endurance. Waiting for a miracle, for a dream to come true, and for a goal to be accomplished can be a test of endurance and patience—just like the steeplechase race and the process to change.

These are the virtues waiting taught me—patience, endurance and perseverance.

Perseverance is the tenacity to endure to the end and not give up along the way—the patience to wait well. There is a difference between waiting and waiting well. If we are encumbered with anxiety and agitation during the waiting season, it makes the period more stressful and seemingly more prolonged.

Waiting well with patience is resting on the grace of God which is abundantly available. It takes the sting out of the waiting. Ultimately those who learn to endure the long haul with patience will have much to be glad for at the end of the race or process.

Lessons in endurance:

In the school of discipleship, there is no limit to the number of times you will be required to take lessons in endurance and patience. But each lesson and test you take and pass takes you to a higher level.

So it was for me last Thursday as I underwent a surgical procedure, which was indeed a test of endurance—how much pain, distress and discomfort I could gracefully endure. I asked the Lord to hold my right hand and surround me with His presence. He did.

Hours later, the doctors said, "Madame Olumese, you were brave and courageous." I mustered the strength to smile and give thanks to God Who held me in His Hands.

That night was one of the longest in my life, I wanted to scream, "I can't take any more," yet what came out was a whisper, "Give me the grace to endure this night, Lord."

And night did pass because the covenant-keeping faithfulness of God endures forever. With the dawn of the new day came the assurance of hope and confirmation of the victory God wrought for me.

Outlook for 2013:

These and more have set the tone for this year for me. That is, the readiness to go through the process that is required for me to reach my desired goal with endurance and patience.

Each of us have dreams or goals we desire to have fulfilled this year. It is profitable to begin the year with a strong determination founded on faith in God to go through the process or run the race, with endurance and with patience, irrespective of the obstacles along the way.

Going through the process may push our ability to endure to the limit. If we respond with unbelief, bitterness and discouragement, we will rob ourselves of the treasure God is refining in us and others who could benefit from it will also miss out.

You can't pick up endurance, perseverance or patience from the shelves. They can't be imparted on you by the laying on of hands. They have to be worked out in us through the testing of our faith. We learn to wait with patience when we don’t know the end date for the resolution of the situation but we only know there is an end to it simply because God says so!

It is in experiencing the challenges, overcoming the obstacles and going through the process that perseverance is squeezed out of us. And perseverance must have its full course so that we can become mature and complete. The sterling quality of our character becomes prominent and more obvious when it has gone through the process of refinement.

Every trial becomes an opportunity to see God's beautiful hands working in the finest detail in our lives.

Patiently enduring tests and trials puts the faithfulness of God in fulfilling His promise and His power to sustain us on display. It also shows our trust and dependence on God's ability to keep us.

It is when we endure to the end that we can testify that it is God Who brought us through to the finish line.

This is my outlook for 2013—I'm going all the way to the finish line in every sphere of my life. And in all God has called me to do. I will not give up. I will not give in. I will endure the process until I get to the finish line. Not in my strength but by faith in God.

What about you? What goals have you set for this year? Will you trust in God for the grace to endure the process and remain resilient until you get to the finish line? You can rely on God's covenant-keeping faithfulness to see you through.

"Whatever it will take…to help you reach that goal!
Don’t give up HOPE!…I KNOW YOU CAN COPE!"

- I'm Going All The Way by Sound of Blackness

There is Purpose in the Process

Remove the dross from silver and the sterling will be ready for the silversmith

 - Prov. 25:4

I remembered that time before the advent of washing machines and Vanish Stain Remover, when you rub the bar soap on a dirty outfit especially around the collar and cuffs or on a stain, and you wash vigorously until the stain is removed.

The vigorous washing has a purpose—to make the cloth clean and spotless. If it were possible, the cloth will cry out during the process but that would not stop the launderer, because his purpose is to restore cleanness to the fabric. God is like the launderer's soap.

Refined as silver, tested as gold.

The Refiner's Fire

It melts down the bar of silver or gold, separates out the impurities (dross) that ruin its value, burns them up, and leaves the silver and gold intact. God's furnace of affliction is always for refinement, never for destruction like the fire of an incinerator.

The pure silver or gold which comes out is used to make vessels honourable, beautiful and fit for the master's use. A refiner's fire refines. It purifies. God is like a refiner's fire.

Every child of God will go through the refiner's fire at one time or the other in life. These furnace of trials, persecutions, suffering and afflictions, could be relational, physical, economic, emotional or circumstantial. 

Sometimes when trouble comes, it does not drizzle, it can be torrential—challenges at work, financial difficulties, failing health, a marriage that has dissolved into an endless string of loveless and lifeless days or a child whose decision grieves the parents' heart. And all avenues for escape seem blocked.

The trials that God allows have a purpose, they can change our conduct and refine our character. He uses our momentary trials and afflictions to change us and accomplish His purpose for our lives.

James encouraged us to consider it pure joy whenever we are enveloped in trials of any sort, being assured that ultimately the trial of our faith will bring perseverance (James 1: 2-3).

We are never alone in the furnace of trials.

The Refiner is never far from the mouth of the furnace when his gold is in the fire. His eyes are always fixed on the metal, taking care the fire is not too hot, and keeping the metal in until he knows the dross is completely removed when he sees his image reflected in the glowing mass.

The Son of God is always walking in the midst of the flames when his children are cast into them.

Knowing this kept me through many fiery experiences. Just knowing that God is there with me gave me the strength to hold on to hope.

You don’t want to miss the purpose:

Many times trials prompt grumblings and we complain like the children of Israel did while they were in the wilderness.

We want to fast track the process or by some means shorten the walk through the valley of the shadow of death, so that we can quickly come out on the other side. In so doing we can miss what we are supposed to learn through this process.

But what if we choose to go through it, determined to get the best God has in stock for us there? It is in our going through that we can experience His presence with us. David said, "I fear no evil, for thou art with me." He experienced the presence of God in such a way that it transcends him over the fear of evil. He got that only by going through.

Let's ponder for a moment on the anguish of the soul Jeremiah felt in Lamentations 3. Broken in body and spirit, his outward affliction and inward turmoil pushed him towards despair as would be the case for anyone faced with such challenging circumstances. Yet one thought kept at bay the hopelessness that was threatening to overwhelm him — it is because of God's great love he was not consume, for His compassion never fails.

Jeremiah could praise God in the midst of his adversity because he understood that God's supply of loyal love  and grace offered to him is inexhaustible. Therefore, he resolved to wait for God to act on his behalf and bring restoration.

He could trust God despite his circumstances because he realized there was a purpose for his affliction — it was to accomplish the greater good of turning God's people back to Him.

Perhaps the purpose of your affliction is to cause others to see that God never abandons, leaves or forsakes His own at their times of trials and difficulties. He can demonstrate to the world around you that He is a God Who shows great compassion because of His unfailing love.

The bottom-line is that the trials you are going is not about you alone. Our trials are attacks against the Kingdom of God. The enemy is trying to limit our ability to exercise our purposes to help others. So if in the periods of our trials we become self-absorbed in pity parties, we deny ourselves access to the supernatural power of God to help us through it.

If we respond to the process with unbelief, discouragement or bitterness, these will rob us of the treasure God is refining in us and others will miss out too.

God will never allow us to suffer in vain. If we trust Him, He can use whatever painful circumstance we encounter to accomplish His good purpose in our lives. There is gold to find in the midst of our trials, but we must go through to mine for it.

I can testify that I have found gold in the midst of my trials and afflictions.

Our experiences shape us

Our outlook to life is shaped by diverse life experiences. The furnace of trials and affliction may just be the very thing that will shape your life and ministry in the most powerful ways.

God can use the memory of our experience in our times of affliction as a source of encouragement for others going through similar experiences. He comforts us so we can comfort others in their troubles with the same comfort we have received.

What can we learn from the furnace of affliction ?

There is so much to learn from life's challenging situation if we perceive it as being used of God to accomplish His purpose in us.

First, we get to know God more intimately as the life and breath of our very existence and we experience the help of the Holy Spirit as we walk on the path marked with pain, suffering and affliction.

We put the glory of God on display:

Our lives in our period of trials and difficulties can display the superiority of the life lived in God. He wants to impact the world supernaturally through our lives. Because the three Hebrew boys stood by their faith in God and willingly endured the fiery furnace, a heathen King celebrated the name of God.

We are prepared for eternal glory:

Our momentary and light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison (2 Cor. 4:17). The trials Paul endured can not be considered light but yet he spoke of it as of the lightest conceivable thing compared with the weight eternal of glory which awaits him.

Weeping may endure for the night, joy comes in the morning:

No matter how hard and difficult the process of refining may be, it will soon pass away, it will not be for ever. Afflictions are only momentary, transient and temporary. It tempered by God's compassion and love and can be endured with hope in God's salvation and deliverance.

As bad as things may be, it is by God's mercy that they are not worse.

"The Promises of God never shine as brightly as in the furnace of affliction"

- A.W. Pink.

 Perhaps you are at a point where you do not feel the comfort the Bible promises for those in pain and anguish. And you don’t understand what God has planned for you in this fiery furnace you are in but you can have this confident assurance that your life is in His hands and His eyes are intent on you.

What do we need to go through the process?

We need …

… the right attitude to trials,

            …to understand the advantages of the trials,

                        … and to know where to obtain help.

Ultimately as a child of God, you can stand strong through the storm by pursuing, perceiving and practicing the Word of God. And your life will inspire hope in others.

In what ways have the fire of affliction and trials shaped your life? What golden nuggets did you mine in the midst of your trials? Please share in the comment box below.

Waiting For a Change

“But when you pray, you must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind” - James 1:6 paraphrased.

There are many reasons why we pray.

We pray for our children, for our spouses, for our families, and for our churches. We pray for our workplaces, for our cities, for our nations, and we pray for ourselves.

We pray because we desire to see a change.

Sometimes trials and tragedies force us to our knees to pray. We pray when we are harassed by adversities and afflictions. Our righteousness does not shield us from the trials of life.

When we pray, often we do not get immediate answers to our prayers: there seems to be no instant change in the situation. God does not always give the response we expect or the answer on our timetable. God answers our prayers in His own time and His timing is different from ours. He does His things with due process.

The answer to our prayers may appear to take a longtime in coming but we must live each day in anticipation of the answers to our prayers.

When we pray, do we really prepare for the answer to come?

Do we have an expectation of God’s power to move on our behalf?

How is this reflected in what we say and do?

Waiting in Faith (Believing)

Faith demands that we wait for God's time. Waiting is an essential part of faith. Waiting for God is an authentic reality of faith. When you’ve had to pray for the same thing year after year you know the quiet resignation that can creep into your faith.

Do we pray because we believe God will fulfill His promises or do we just mindlessly make petitions before God without an expectation?

We must believe, and behave as if we believe, that God is able to use our prayers to bring about a transformation in that situation and that He is already working behind the scenes in ways beyond our imaginations to bring His purpose to pass.

It takes faith to live in anticipation of a change but your faith can not go beyond the knowledge of the word of God concerning what you are praying about.

Waiting with Praise

Complaining, grumbling and whining delays the answer to our prayers. We must be grateful that God is able and willing to answer prayers. We can deliberately hunt for blessings in that situation to give praise to God for while we are waiting.

Guard Your Tongue

What are you saying about the situation you are praying about at personal, family and national level?

Does your comment reflect hope, expectation and anticipation of a change in the life of person or people you are praying for? Or does it reflect a bleak future?

Do your words connote hopelessness or are you inspiring hope with your comments?

Are you laying a heavy cloak of despair on those who listen to you or lifting up their hearts with words of encouragement?

Sometimes our posture, words and actions after praying often implies that we do not understand the power of prayer and the might of the One Who answers prayers. It may be necessary to keep silent at times so that we do not say things that will negate our prayers or find something positive to hook our hope on instead of sinking in the quagmire of hopelessness and negativity. We can make a conscious effort to speak with hope while waiting for a change.

The changes we desire to see in our nations will not come with the depth of our analysis of the problems in the country. It will come only when we pray in faith, believing that God has the power to make a change starting with each of us and when each individual, in the sphere of influence God has given us, live a righteous life in integrity, pursuing excellence and serving as unto God—doing what is right by God’s standard.

Though we do not understand the reason why God makes us wait for answers to prayers we do know that He is working out His purpose during our waiting period. We grow in faith and become stronger in our time of waiting if we wait well. Waiting well requires us to be cautious, mindful and watchful over what we say, what pronouncement we make even in the name of analyzing or calling attention to the gravity of the problem.

There is only One Who can bring about a change. He is the only One Who can touch hardened hearts and make it responsive and sensitive to His touch and malleable to His will.

What do I know about waiting?

At a personal level, I wait in hope to see the physical manifestation of my healing – It has been over 10 years of waiting but I have many testimonies of God acting on my behalf in this situation.

Beyond me, I wait to see changes in the lives and circumstances of families and friends I am praying for, and I wait to see my country become a praise among nations.

I have also learnt to consciously seek to see something to give praise to God for everyday and most times I don’t have to try hard, they are right there staring at me.

God delights in our prayers. He hears every prayer we utter in faith and He answers them in His own way and in His own time. When we pray, we must believe that God will answer. Our words and actions should reflect this expectation.

What are you doing to keep hope alive while waiting for answers to your prayers?

Share your story and encourage someone today.

I share with you Lifeline by Mandisa

The Year I Stopped Playing with Dolls

That twenty-second day of May could have been just like any other day except that I woke up and Mother was not at home.

Later, Dad came home with the good news. "We have a baby girl," he announced. I waited with great expectation to see the bundle of joy everyone was talking about.

I did not have to wait for long, in a few days, Mother was back at home with this little bundle wrapped in floral flannel with the brightest eyes you could ever imagine, and far more beautiful than all my dolls.

I stayed glued to Mother’s side, watched her feed, bath, change and care for the baby. Everywhere she turned I was there like the shell on the back of a snail, I followed her. I watched and I learnt.

Of course, Mother wasted no time to show me the ropes—how to hold the baby when feeding her, where you put your finger when you pin the terry nappy, how to make the feeds and wash the bottles.

I went up and down the house to bring whatever she needed whenever she needed it. My excitement was boundless: I was helping to take care of my baby sister. I touched her, held her hands and hug her, but I wanted more. I wanted to hold her in my arms.

Mother said, “Wait, be patient.”

It was not long before my patience was rewarded. Mother sat me in a sofa in the sitting room, she placed the baby on my laps, propped her head against the crock of my arms, gave me the bottle and showed me how to feed her. After that day, playing with dolls was not much fun anymore—I had greater fun helping to take care of a real baby.



www.123rf.com/photo_6334222/

 That was 1972.

That was the year Mother showed me and taught me how to take care of babies with my baby sister. And I was just about 6 years old. She was the first of the many babies I have since taken care of.

It is incredible how much a child can learn and how early a child can be actively involved in contributing at home as an act of service. Daryl Hoole in The Art of Homemaking wrote, “It is in the home where children best learn to express love by serving one another.”

Skills which will make a child a responsible, competent and contributing adult are best nurtured in the home. What I learnt from Mother that year and afterwards stayed with me throughout my life.

Even more important is that it created a special bonding between my sister and I—I was a part of nurturing and caring for her. I have followed closely her life’s journey since then, and shared in both her good times and her not-so-good times.

It was melodious music to my ears, listening to her yesterday. She was overflowing with ebullient joy. I could tell across thousands of kilometers how overwhelmed she was at the faithfulness of God. One minute, her voice was light and bubbly, the next, it was deepened with emotion. I could imagine her face radiating with happiness and a big smile flashing across her face. Her outlook of the future is brighter than before, as she testified of the breakthrough God had given her after years of being faced with many dead ends.

When I woke up this morning singing, “What a faithful God we serve…,” I knew I wanted to do something special to appreciate the faithfulness of God in her life.

1972 will always be a memorable year for me—the year I set my dolls aside and learnt the essence of serving with love.

To commemorate this, I ask you to join me and let us pray together for the 1972 Babies.

·    On the last day of each month, beginning from May 31^st, I will post the names of the 1972 babies I have for the month in a special blog post. The first edition will have names of those born between January and May.

·    I will request everyone to pray and also leave a word of encouragement for them. And I will do so too.

Here is what you can do:

·     Do you have a sister, brother or a friend born in 1972?

·     If yes, please share the first name and the birthday with me in the comment box below.

·     You can also send me an email if you would like to share more details – email address and specific prayer points. This information will not be posted in the blog.

Did you learn a lesson at home as a child which left an imprint on your life? Share your story in the comment box.

An Icon for a Dream

When I saw the beautifully wrapped parcel on my bed a couple of weeks ago, neither I nor my husband who gave me the gift could have imagined the tremendous impact it would have on me. I opened the parcel, lifted the gift out of the wrapping paper, and a flood gate of memories sprung open. In rapid flashes, images from a dream I had two years ago dashed across my mind.

I turned the gift around several times, examined it closely, it was a very close replica of the finished product I envisioned in my dream. I recalled the details of that dream, how I wrote down all the specifications which would make my product unique and set it apart from others. I remembered identifying a label name for the product of my dream, and how I started collecting the raw materials for it. I also remembered how after a while it looked impossible for this dream to be pursued and how I had let it fade into near oblivion. The gift item brought it all back, every single detail of my dream.

Every time I look at the gift since that day, it reminds me of my dream, not to give up on it and to start again collecting the materials. The conditions are not yet right for me to pursue it vigorously but I know that there are some things I can do now in preparation for the fulfillment of my heart desire. The gift reminded me to keep doing what is possible now. The gift has become an icon for my dream, a symbol that my dream can come true.

I had learnt a while back to envision myself in the future living my dream; I learnt to sketch it in my inner mind and to make it plain by writing the details out on a paper. Recently I read Woman Act Now and Coach Anna McCoy wrote “You want them so real that you would never think of giving up….It has to be so beyond your current circumstances and what physically exists.” I identified with that. The gift reminded me of the vivid image engrafted in my mind from my dream and my desire to see it come to pass.

I had also learnt that it is not sufficient for me to just dream but I have to act out the possibilities of achieving my dreams. Somehow, I had allowed the obstacles to pursuing this dream to overwhelm me, but this reminder helped me to regain my focus and to be assured that I have the potential and passion to pursue the dream.

Just as architects create three-dimensional models to help us appreciate what the completed project of our dream could look like, identifying an icon for the endpoint of your dream will help to give dimensions to it such that it becomes so real to you and keep you reminded of it.

Faith calls those things which are not as if they are. You need to see with the eyes of your inner mind what your heart desires, what you are dreaming about and praying about.

God said to Abraham, “Look up into the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them…so shall your offspring be” and “I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars I the sky and as the sand on the seashore” (Gen. 15:5, 22:17). I am sure that the numerous stars in the sky and the sand on the beach must have become to Abraham the emblems of envisioning the fulfillment of God’s promise to him, and the answer to his prayers. I am sure each time he looked up into the sky at night and saw the numerous stars, he was reminded that faithful is He who has promised, and his heart must have been stirred up in faith that it will definitely come to pass that he will become a father of nations even though he and his wife, Sarah were advanced in age.

An icon for your dream will affirm the possibilities of your dream, it will encourage you to take steps and actions each day to accomplish your dreams and it will nudge you not to give up on the prospect of living your dream.

I have yet another dream, a vision of an answered prayer and in this vision, I saw myself—handbag over my arm, passport, ticket and boarding pass in one hand and my carry on luggage in the other hand—walking into a Jumbo Jet, in readiness for a long haul flight. I walked into the plane without any encumbrances or paraphernalia, just my personal effects. Indeed, that will be the open manifestation of God’s promise fulfilled in my life which will require no further explanation—a walking testimony.

Now I seek an icon to symbolize this vision of dream come true, one which will constantly remind me that it is coming soon. If I were an artist, I would have sketched the picture in my heart, framed it and keep it in view!

Do you have a vivid picture in your mind of what you desire and you are trusting God for?

Can you see the endpoint or end product of your dream?

Write down the details today and identify a graphic symbol to keep you reminded of your dreams.

Share the icon for your dream and we will join in encouraging you to keep it in view.

In the Waiting Room

I am writing to one person today.

To one person who is in the waiting room – that place where you  stay and hope for a favorable change in your situation or in the situation of a loved one.

To one person waiting – day and night.

To someone in an extended period of waiting — you have been waiting and waiting a long time. You can only see the end by faith and not by sight.

To one person for whom things appear to be contrary – you have prayed and prayed some more.



http://www.dreamstime.com/



The waiting room—the place where you learn to hold on to the Word of God as if you next breath depends on it—the place where the Word becomes to you a life line.

Waiting in any form can be tough but it is essential.

What are you waiting for – a change, a breakthrough, an answer to prayer or a miracle?

Whatever it is, you can rejoice in the waiting room because God know you are there.

God takes note. He hears your deep, silent and unspoken cry. He notices you.

I simply love God. He works in amazing ways to assure you that He knows you are in the waiting room. Sometimes He sends His servants to confirm His Word just for you to know that He takes note of all that concerns you. He is God of knowledge. He knows where you are.

A short while ago, I testified of how God restored my strength and enabled me to do a number of things I had not been able to do for a long while. Barely a week afterwards, I noticed the symptoms return with fury. At first, I ignored it; I told myself I don’t have to accept its presence or message. I chose to focus on the truth, and that is – I am healed and I am delivered from the harassment of the affliction.

In a few more days, it got worse, I was struggling and I was angry but I knew I had to turn my energy to wage warfare against this encroachment on my health. One night, distressed with the choking, head resting on my hands, elbows burrowing into my laps, I sat on my bed and declared, “Thank You God, thank You because I have hope, thank You that I know Your promises concerning me.” I knew that without this assurance holding my heart trusting in the Lord, the cloud of heaviness and despair will envelop me. I asked God for a peaceful night rest, standing on the authority of His word – He gives His beloved sleep. I am His beloved. I am precious in His sight. I slept through the night.

The following morning God confirmed that He has His eyes on me in the waiting room. He sent me a message through His servant – a phone call from a dear Sister who declared to me the Word God placed on her heart concerning me. It was timely and on target. I was overwhelmed. It got to me the way God assured me that He takes notice of me.  He is taking note of every detail of my life – what I am doing in His service, what I am struggling with and what I am going through. Nothing about me is hidden from Him. In a flash, the cloud of despair dissipated and my spirit was elated.

Be assured, dear friend, God takes notice of you in the waiting room. He will confirm His Word to you in mysterious ways. So while you are waiting you can draw on the infinite resources of His grace. You can make your time in the waiting room worthwhile by being busy doing good. You can let the time count for something of eternal value.

Your waiting time is a time to nourish the seed you have planted – with praise, with prayer, and with abundant patience.

 Your waiting room can become the presence room where you wait in the presence of God to comfort and strengthen you, the place where you can experientially declare, “Thou art with me.” It can be a time of refreshing and renewal in His presence.

While Joseph was waiting for his dream to come true, he maintained an exemplary character in the face of temptation, he was an excellent worker in the prison and he was attentive to the needs of others. He used the gifts and talents God blessed him with to meet the need of others. And he was still waiting for his heart desire to be fulfilled.

You too have been blessed with a gift, a talent or a skill which can be used to bless lives around you while you are waiting. There is something in your hands you can release to be used of God to add value to the lives of others. Everyone has something in their hands – no one is empty handed. Give and be assured that God will honor His word.

To you, my dear friend in the waiting room, I write:

Be at rest. Let His peace enfold you.

Be creative, be passionate and be zealous at doing good.

Wait with hope. Wait with expectation.  Wait with patience. Wait trusting in God. Wait doing good.

Though things may be contrary to your dream and desire now, don’t give up, don’t give in, hold on tenaciously to your dream and give it all you have got.

Watch out for God. Be attentive to hear His voice and the confirmation of His everlasting love for you.

When and how will it end?

 I can’t give an answer, but this much I know, it will be a demonstration of the sovereignty of God and a display of His power at work in you. For Joseph, it happened – at that moment, in a flash – the years of waiting were wiped out.

For you too, the end point will bear God’s signature if you wait on God.

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” – Ps 27:14