What's your part? Play that.

There is something I have noticed with most families I have interacted with, and most individuals likewise. Even after praying for God's protection for the night, they lock their doors before sleeping. I don't know about you, but I surely hope you lock yours (and I hope you pray too).

Basing my discussion on that point, it is clear that there is a part to play in the process of your protection. That is not to say that you trust in padlocks and keys, no. But that you have understanding/ knowledge. Remember "My people perish for lack of knowledge"(Hosea 4:6).

I would like to challenge you today, to get out of your comfort zone. It's not called comfort zone for nothing. It is comfortable, predictable, static. But let me take you to another more desirable place.... A place where you have fully discovered your potential. A place where you are as successful as you could ever get. A place where you are fully living out the life God envisioned for you. A place where all your dreams come true. A place where mediocrity is foreign. That is the place God desires you to be. And trust Him as you may, you've got a part to play.

Luke 24:45 (KJV) Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
(This is my prayer) 

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you a prophet unto the nations. (Jer 1:5)
 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jer 29:11)
Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.(Jer 32:41)

So we are sure about what God wants of us. We are sure that He desires us to live in greatness, joy, peace and He has a plan laid out already. We still have a part to play.... He rejoices over us and has the best plans for us. He will prosper us with all His heart and soul.

So why do I have to do anything?? I mean, He is God, everything is in His hands... Why do I have to do anything? You may ask.

Let us look at a few more scriptures:

For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. They shall bear you up in their hands, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. (Psalm91:11-12)

You shall not tempt the Lord your God as you tempted him in Massah. (Deut6:16)

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge concerning you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.' " Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.' " (Mat4:5-7)

So as much as it is truly written so many things concerning your life, you have a part to play. Let me brief you on what exactly happened in Massah. The story is in Exodus 17:1-7
The children of Israel, after having seen the hand of the Lord numerous times, (as I believe you know the story) got thirsty. They started quarreling Moses asking whether he had taken them there to kill them, their children and their livestock with thirst(vs3) You would think, after all the promises of the Lord to be with them, they would know He would come through for them, yes? Not really... They still complained asking whether the Lord was still among them, or not.(vs7)

Their part there, was to trust the Lord. (Simple, right?)

2 Chronicles 20:17 'You will not need to fight this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you..."
 I would like to make it clear, God is not any less able to make your life perfect. He needs you to stand in a position that can receive these blessings... That's your part. To know the position and take it.

Prosperity and contentment is your portion
If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; (Isaiah 1:19) Let me mention the verse before this, for a bit of insight. "Come now, and let us reason together," says the LORD, "Though your sins are red as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

So reason with the Lord. Let Him take away the dirty past, the sins you think He can't forgive... And start your amazing journey in newness.

If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in  prosperity, and their years in contentment. (Job 36:11)
Please see how God values your obedience. Then He gives your hands power to make wealth. (Deut8:18)... So now your hands have God's backing. His power. Get out there and use them. He says, whatever you find to do, do. For God is with you. (1Sam10:7) You shall be blessed. 

Don't ask for a job, then sit at home and wait for it. Go out there and God will open doors for you.


Get out of your comfort zone. Start a business. God will honor your efforts and expand you. Remember Jacob. He fled from his angry brother with nothing. He went to his uncle Laban with nothing. He came back home with two wives and lots and lots of wealth.see Gen 31
Remember Joseph, sold by his brothers as a slave, became a prisoner out of malice, ended up a Prime Minister in the foreign land, and brought salvation to his entire family.see Gen 37 onwards

Regardless of where you've been, what you have been through, carry these promises of the Lord in your heart, and get out and do something.

Let the Lord bless the work of your hands. 

Yes you are from a wealthy family. But they disowned you, disinherited you, or all the wealth was taken away by unscrupulous neighbors or relatives. The Lord is a restorer. Go out there and do what your hands can do. He will expand you from there. Take a risk. Try. Just try. The Lord will see you through. Don't get tired of trying. It's not over for you until the Lord says it's over. Only He has the final say.
For everything you desire from the Lord, ask Him for wisdom to know your part. Take that position, and see the deliverance of the Lord. It may be in many forms, that position. God has always needed us to be holy as He is. He needs our full trust. He would still want us to be wise. Be ye transformed with the renewing of your mind.

Go out there and explore your ability. Let God show you just how much you can achieve when you stand on His word.

Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah40:31) They shall not sit and cry all day saying the world is unfair and the Lord has deserted them. They shall not complain about their shortcomings. They shall know that the Lord will bless what they purpose to do.

Joshua won the battle of Jericho under God's instructions. He trusted God to get them through. He played his part with all the army. They saw the deliverance of the Lord.

 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? (Matthew6:25-27)

 “You were born with potential.
You were born with goodness and trust. You were born with ideals and dreams. You were born with greatness.
You were born with wings.
You are not meant for crawling, so don't.
You have wings.
Learn to use them and fly.” 
-Rumi


Speak life... Call yourself a success, walk like success, think like success, do success, be success. As a man thinketh, so is he.

 

Know thy worth

So sometimes we face circumstances that leave us feeling twisted, torn, bent over and broken. Yea, sometimes you lose sight of who you are. Forget all the promises over your life, and the prophecies spoken by the Lord to you.

I have been there more times than I care to count. 

Here's the thing though, no matter how much life has roughed you up, your value is not any less. Like that crumpled 100dollar bill, no matter how many  hands have pressed you, no matter how many hands you have been through, no matter how crumpled you feel, your value has not changed. You are still precious, still worth the life of a King.

You may have sinned against God, and now feel like you are not good enough to be His, well He says, (Isaiah 1:18) "Come now let us reason together," says the Lord, "Though your sins are red as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

You may have been rejected or hurt in the hands of people, but He says, (Deuteronomy 31:6) "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord you God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.

Smile and hold your head high, and know your worth. You are who God says you are. No matter where you have been, you are still the apple of God's eye.

(Jeremiah 31:3-4)..."Yes , I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt....

(2 Corinthians 4:8-9) We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed

 Know your worth. God still has the final say.

Speak life. You are good enough. Strong enough. Beautiful enough. You are more than a conqueror, more than what people say

Cover of love

I had for many a day read the scripture that reads, "love covers a multitude of sins" but the impact and truth of these words had not occurred to me until recently. I will tell you the story.
Having had a friend for close to a year who I looked up to especially on entrepreneurial  terms, I was once required to give an evaluation of him. I was very positive in my report, giving my honest opinion as at that time, despite his unpopularity with the rest of the team. They thought he was boring. I didn't. About a fortnight later, I needed something from the said friend as a matter of urgency.... something within his ability. He very rudely turned me down, saying something to the effect that I did not deserve the assistance. I was shocked by his words, staring in disbelief hoping someone would wake me up. It was one rude awakening. I walked away thinking I would never stand his sight again.
The next time I was to interact with him, I couldn't help but notice how boring he was. Come to think of it, he always talked a bit too much, right? How could I not have seen? I didn't seem to mind earlier, but after my change of heart, I could barely stand him.
He had not changed. My heart had. The cover of love had been lifted off my eyes. That which covers a multitude of sin and weaknesses.
(Proverbs 10:12) Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins- in some versions, weaknesses.
Have you ever been in a relationship, and just when it goes sour you look at the person and wonder what you had seen in them?
Have you ever had interest in a lady and just when she rejects you, you notice that her teeth are crooked?
Have you ever disagreed with your friend then suddenly noticed that her jokes are actually not funny, or her accent is weird?
I am sure you have heard of people who suddenly say that their spouse, or fiance is  not who they thought they were, and the thing they say is actually not a new trait in the accused...
I cannot for one second try to rule out the fact that people change, but many times, the love faded away, probably after a disappointment or fight with the person, or having your attention drift to another interest, at the expense of the first.
They said love is blind, then beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.
Love does not see flaw... It understands that flaws are there, they just don't appear in its line of vision. If the beholder has love, the thing is beautiful. If the beholder lacks love, the thing is not beautiful.
You view things from your perspective. From the veil over your eyes. If your eyes are covered with love, you see beauty. If they are veiled with hatred, you see ugliness...
The flaws had been there before, except love had covered them.
When you start focusing on the flaws and weaknesses of another, you can barely stand them...
Conflict is an inevitable part of any relationship where two individuals are real to each other... Parent-child, brother-sister, friends, spouses, etc. When they do arise, view each other with love and fight the issue, not each other. Hate the problem, not each other.
Let love cover the multitude of weaknesses your neighbor has. Let love cover the fact that she sings off-key. Let it cover your spouse's weaknesses, and they are many. This is not to say that you should be silent when someone does wrong, but could you please fight the ill and not the person? Can you correct them lovingly?
Pretending is very different from loving. Taking an example of a man whose wife always make saltless food that he doesn't like, he has two options: Pretend that he doesn't mind when really he does, and he will slowly develop a distaste for her cooking, and y'all know the repercussions of this... or he can lovingly correct her and ask for more salt in her cooking, as he commends her for the job that far.
Pretending always grows tired and it will boil over in a moment of pressure, while the loving correction will yield the desired fruit, with no negative effect.
I know... I know... There are those veeeery "unlovable" people. You know that type that is always up in your business sourcing for something to gossip about over all social media, the type that doesn't seem to understand that mobile phones are not public booths ( they don't seem to understand the meaning of 'private' and 'personal'), that neighbor who just won't stop telling everyone who cares to listen how lately you seem to be barely living, that your house rarely smells of food, and that girl who just won't stop sneering at you... I know those are there, I have met my share of them. But what would  Jesus say to you?
(Matthew 5:43-48) "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies , bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect."

Yes, we should love even them whom we think don't deserve it. That is what Jesus did for you and I!
Decide to live a life of selfless love. Even when you stand to gain nothing, just love anyway. If God chose to love only those who deserved it, and hate those who deserved it, what side of the divide would you be on?
(John 13:35) "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
Be true to God and to yourself and ask Him to  fill your heart with love. If you particularly find it hard to love a specific person, tell it to the Lord and ask that He give you a heart like His, to love even them who don't deserve it.
Speak life and speak love.

Lean on Him

(Ecc 4:9-12) Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not easily broken.

Here is the thing, there are some plants that just can't survive on their own. They need support to stand straight. If they are tied to another weak plant, their chances of standing together are almost nil, right? On the other hand, the height that will be achieved by this plant basically is the height of its supporting plant. The shape of this tree will largely depend on the shape of the host plant, if I may call it that way. The strength to stand storms, and winds without breaking under the pressure depends on the strength of the host. 

We are like these plants that need support. We are not made to stand alone. It is not in our nature not to place our trust in anything. Some trust in men, others in things, material or not. 

I had placed my trust in my friends at some point. I could almost swear these ones will never leave me. Well, you can guess, they left. A false rumour started spreading at school, that really left me scarred. Everyone at school was talking about it, and shunning me like I had some deadly disease, and yes you guessed it, my friends did too... Of course I was broken. I could go on and on about the many times I have trusted in men and was let down thoroughly. This is not at all to say that there are no genuine friends. I know I have one who has stuck through almost 20 years of friendship. These exist and I pray that each of us gets a covenant friend who the Lord places in your life strategically for His own divine purposes. 

Anyway, there are many things we trust in. Parents... oh how I did this. In my previous post everything will work together for your good, I talked of how I lost my dad some time ago. Well, I had put my trust in him so much, God almost never got credit for anything I was provided with, and neither did He know of anything I needed except when I asked Him to remind dad that I wanted such and such... So when he rested, I was left stranded because he had been what I had looked to for everything. 

Some trust in their beauty... I have heard of ladies who know they won't lack a husband because they are beautiful...newsflash for you, there are many beautiful women who for many reasons didn't get spouses at the age they had desired. (Prov 31:30)... beauty is vain... 

There was once we had auditions to join one of the most popular clubs in high school. They were quite tough for me and I did not expect to pass them. On the next morning, we found pinned to a notice board, a list of the names of those who passed. I looked the list from bottom-up and was really happy to see my name on the list along with other very talented girls... As we walked towards the dining hall for breakfast, chattering excitedly about the club, I commented how grateful to God I was for enabling me. One lady shocked me with her response, "For me it's not God. I couldn't have missed." I went silent the rest of the way in amazement at her words. 

(Col 3:2) Set your mind on things above, not on things below... 

So many times we put our trust on temporary things. We tie ourselves to things that have an end. When for a reason they do come to an end, we are left broken, lost and in pain. Many times a woman finds her identity in the relationship she is in, and when it comes to an end, she too feels 'ended'. Man may find his identity in his business or in his job. If trouble strikes and it hits the rock, they are devastated. 

We are as strong as what we tie ourselves to. When we think of the man who built His house upon a rock, when storms hit, the house stood. What is your foundation? Where do you draw your strength? How tall will you grow? Money and wealth is good, we all desire to have it in plenty... friends are a blessing, we all need them... Will you stand if you got separated from that friend? Don't love them any less, don't be less devoted to your career. But let your eyes be trained on God, the author and perfector of your faith. Will you stand tall and God forbid, if there were no phones or computers? Would you survive? 

Many benefits accrue to you when you trust in God, among them being,

1. You do not worry

(Rom 8:28) for we know that God makes all things work out together for our good if we love Christ and are called according to His purpose.  In my words...

2. You flourish uncontrollably.

(Prov 11:28) He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage

(Prov 28:25) He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, but he who trusts k  the Lord will be prospered.

3. You are always safe.

(Prov 29:25) The fear of a man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.

(Prov 30:5) Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. 

4. You get what you desire

(Psalm 37:4-6) Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noonday. 

5. You are never alone

(Psalm 9:10) And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

6. You live in perfect peace

(Isaiah 26:3) You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Many people know repercussions of trusting in earthly things... I will highlight a few verses.

(Jer 17:5-12) Thus says the Lord, "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places in the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. " Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is in the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water,  that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit." The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?...

I don't know about you but I would surely hate to be deemed cursed by the Lord Himself...for the Word was God...(John 1:1) for what He blesses no man can curse and what He curses no man can bless

Does anyone know your schedules before God does?

 Does anyone know you are hurt before God does?

 When you meet a challenge is there someone who pops in your mind a that you need to tell before God pops up?

 When you have good news is there someone you tell before you tell God? 

When you are called for an interview do you think of your qualifications before you think of your God?

 If you answered yes to any of the questions then you need to realign whom you trust. Only God never changes, never leaves, never turns His back on us... Choose to cling to the strongest support you can get.

Speak life and ask God to teach you how to trust Him. That you may never lean on your skills or understanding, on money nor man... That He may take you where your skills and background do not allow. Ask for His grace, which grants you things you do not deserve, and his mercy, which ensures you do not get the punishment you deserve. For even your good deeds are not enough to save you. Salvation Belongs to the Lord. We receive it by His mercy.

Let it go

There was once a woman walking along a long winding path, whose end she could not see. On her back was load heavier than her weight. She took every painful step slowly, growing weary by the minute. Her back was in excruciating pain, soles bleeding from the rocks scratching at them, and palms losing grip of this luggage... She remembered how she had left for greener pastures, and how that far, life had been nothing but painful.
Lost in thought, she did not realize that a pick-up truck had come up and stopped right where she was. A kind-looking young man went up to greet her very warmly and extended an invitation to her to hitch a ride. She was grateful, wondering how and why this young man would be so kind to a stranger, and accepted smiling. The kind man asked for her luggage to place it in the back of his truck, but she held on to it firmly, and shook her head. She was so used to carrying it, she could not imagine releasing it to a total stranger, his kindness notwithstanding. He opened the front door for her, but again she shook her head. "I will ride in the back," she said. He was now concerned but let her be. She climbed at the back, luggage still on her back, and sat that way for the rest of the journey.
Now you wonder why this woman would decline the offer, and you think she must have been a fool...
I was that woman, and sometimes you too may have been/are that woman.
We all have pasts, mistakes we have made, so grave you are embarrassed to even remember what you did. You look yourself in the mirror and wonder, why would I ever have done that? What was I thinking? Does everybody know? You feel disgusted by your image in the mirror. You wish that part of your life could be blotted out of your memory. How I have wished for this repeatedly!!!!! It is not possible though.
I remember very vividly the mistakes or sins I committed in the past that cost me a huge price... Quarrels with parents, lost friends, broken relationships, lost money, shame and dishonor... We all have those.
Ladies, you may have given yourself heart, mind and body to a man, thinking he was 'the one' and lost your dignity, confidence, or even self... Of course now you know he was not the one. You may not have ended there, but gone ahead to do the same thing with a different man thinking it is going to be different this time... Well, it was, probably the heartbreak was more painful... You may have terminated a pregnancy because the baby was "unwanted'...
Men, you may have gotten yourself involved in the wrong group and started robbing people on the streets, got a couple of guns, you did not mean to kill anyone, but somehow a bullet ended a life. You may have been the father to a baby whose life did not see the light of day because you denied the young confused pregnant girl, because you could not let her ruin your dreams with a child...
You may have been a teenager when you had your first sip of alcohol, tried all sorts of drugs, went to all forms of parties, in the name of seeking freedom and fitting in... (that age is confusing to the best of us anyway)
But now you are grown up, have some scars that mark the sort of life you lived there before, but somehow you do not feel whole again.
I was not born born again. I made the decision a couple of years back. By then, I had done so much that I should never have done, that I did not think God would care to listen to me. I battled with so much in my initial days in salvation, thinking and feeling that I was never worthy of forgiveness from God. Truth be told, HE had forgiven me the moment I asked Him to, but I had not let go of the guilt. Guilt is the enemy's weapon against your progress... Remember this famous photo?

We say as strong as a horse, yet this one was held prisoner by a mere  plastic chair. That is what guilt does.
(2 Corinthians 5: 17-19) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
Do not live in guilt, for whoever the Son sets free is free indeed. (John 8: 36)
(Isaiah 1:18) Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

I always ask people to make earnest prayers. Don't pretend before God. If you are battling with guilt and feelings of worthlessness, tell it to Him. Tell Him Lord, I did so much before I met You. I know You forgave me and now live in me. I still however feel guilty over what I did. Cleanse my heart and mind that I may see myself the way You see me.
(Romans 8: 1)Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus...
(Romans 5:1)Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Let the Lord take away your guilt. That was the very purpose He offered you the ride. (1 Peter 5:7) Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.
Speak life and declare, "There is now no condemnation for me because I am in Christ Jesus. I have been justified through faith, and I have peace with God through my Lord, Jesus Christ"

All things will work together for your good.

Life sometimes knocks the breath out of you. Now you are standing tall, but in the blink of an eye, you are on the ground, in darkness, searching for a hand to hold you and probably lift you up, but it's too dark. You tearfully and fearfully grope in the darkness looking for the switch, all the while wondering who turned the lights off, and what really happened? You had been so happy, right?
Well, that is what happened to me. I felt like the mat had just been dragged out from under me, like all my foundations had been shaken. (Psalm 11:3) When the foundations are shaken, what shall the righteous do?
I terribly wanted to believe that the gut feeling I had was terribly wrong, that I was just being pessimistic, that I was only being negative, as so many of my friends had kept telling me. I had actually heard those statements quite often up to that time. Something within me had shuttered when I was told that he was admitted in hospital, and I felt convinced that actually he had passed on. Well, I needed to travel back home, three hours by road. Travel, I did.
I could think of nothing else, except that he was gone. Don't get me wrong, nobody had actually told me that he had passed on... It was these annoying, frightful thoughts that kept crossing my mind. He had been unwell, so I should have been prepared for this, yes? No, I wasn't. When I met my mother and she started speaking, trying to prepare me psychologically before breaking the news, I interrupted her with an, "Is he dead?" The words just stumbled out of my mouth. I couldn't handle the suspense. She let out a long sad sigh and said, "Yes, he passed on." I could not believe that he broke the promise. The last time we spoke before I left for school, I forced him to promise that he would not succumb to the failing organs. And he had promised! How could he? I did not cry. Instead I clicked, the now famous nkt! then proceeded to console my wailing younger sister.
I loved him, to bits. But I could not see past the broken promise. In fact I was angry. I wanted to see him and ask him a few questions on what promises are meant for.
That was the most difficult moment of my life. Losing the one man I had known for as long as I had known myself. He was my father, my friend, my confidante, my teammate. I called him dad.
Death has taken away so many people, so many things, and it leaves us broken, lost, confused, hurt, angry, worried, and sometimes poor.
It may come in so many ways, not the one that took away my father. It may be the death of your career, one you have worked for ages to build, and suddenly, someone goes behind your back and it is ruined.
It may be the death of a relationship. This in the form of a breakup or divorce, or even lost contact, probably due to distance.
It may be death of a human being. When a person suddenly loses all form of humanity and turns against you with no emotion, probably in physical, verbal or even sexual abuse.
It may also be loss of a loved one.
All these scenarios are different but they all leave us scarred. I know I was.
After my father's funeral, I thought I needed to go back to my normal life and move on. After all, they kept saying life wasn't over because he had left, right? I was a strong girl after all, or so I thought. I rested for one day and went back to school on the next. I went for class on the next, and I got very pitiful looks from my classmates, the walls I had built against my tears broke. I did not stay, but left for my room shortly after. That is where I stayed for the next month without leaving. I locked myself up, so if anyone came looking for me, they thought I was not in. I did not answer any calls except a few from my mum, when I 'felt like it'. I started thinking of painless ways to commit suicide. I had enough pain as was. I didn't notice I was on a downhill slope, until the day I started screaming and crying, mourning the loss of my father. That was when my recovery started.
I asked the Lord to help me because I could not heal from the pain on my own. This scripture came to mind (Romans 8:28) And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. That was the Word that pulled me through.
There are two things there:
i) loving God
ii)being called according to the Lord's purpose
I know you may have been knocked off your feet by circumstances so painful, you dare not speak them out, lest you lack enough words to express yourself, lest no one listens, lest no one cares, lest they that care fail to understand. But I have good news,(Proverbs 18:24) A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. This friend loves you, and has the power to turn even the most heartbreaking circumstance, the biggest blessing you ever received. Yes, even that which made you shake your head in doubt. Remember Hannah... Her barrenness brought forth one of the greatest prophets that lived. Remember David... His tending the flock and being the errand boy of the family turned him into a king... Remember Joseph, his being sold to slavery turned him into a prime minister.
You too, will amount to something my brother my sister. Trust the Lord to pull you through, and heal you.
Remember that the healing of an emotional wound, like a physical wound is a process. Go through the motions... Cry if you must, it is therapeutic. But never once feel sorry for yourself. Speak the pain out with someone whom you trust, but most of all, tell it to God. He listens and answers(Jeremiah 29:12). He is not a faraway sadistic God who enjoys watching His children living in misery. Rather, He is a loving, caring Father whose ears are always open to your cry, and arms open to receive you, hands ready to uphold you(Isaiah 41:10). Lean on Him and speak life.
Speak life and say, "Even this will work out together for my good" no matter how unbelievable it seems. Eventually it will come to be.