The Story Changer

Current pondering: I know I am much loved because I was forgiven much.

God is Awesome

As we walked towards the car after evening service, I saw her some distance away walking beside a young, handsome man. I had not seen her in 2 years. She looked a bit younger and more beautiful than I remembered her. She was dressed in a beautiful gown. I had never seen her dress so simply though her beauty still could not hide. She caught my eyes with a smile. I waved though wondering,"what is she doing in church? During mid week service for that matter?"

"Who's she?" Mr. Rita asked, noticing my hesitance to enter the car.

"She is..." I started but I had to go down memory lane...

I remember the first time I saw her. She was to give me my employment letter. "What beauty!" I exclaimed the moment I laid my eyes on her. Dresses in tight jeans and well tucked in T.M. shirt, her curves and natural endowments were accentuated. She towered over me with the help of her 5" stilettos. I had never seen such beauty in what seemed to be a woman of 35. She had smooth, spotless, light-complexioned skin.

I later learnt she was single and she selected the best of men - high-profiled married men. She had a top shot (everyone knew except his wife) who couldn't stay home whenever he knew she was around. We gossipped about her because her gist was sweet. It was even said that she had nothing in her head but was promoted based on bedroom connections. When top shot left, she was among those down-sized. Most ladies, who felt she took their positions, rejoiced.

As Mr. Rita asked the question, I wanted to give him full details of her history. But something stopped me. I heard a voice say clearly, "She is not that person you once knew. She is a new person. Everything you knew about her has passed away. She now has a new story".

I glanced at her - a beautiful smile lit her face. She looked younger and relaxed. There seemed to be something softer about her. She still had her coquettish gestures as she talked with the single guy by her side but I believe she was using her skills appropriately. I knew something about her had changed - I could feel it but could not place it. I don't know if you have experienced seeing a physical change in someone you once knew was in the world. Only God could have done it. God is wonderful!

"...She is a former colleague," I finally replied Mr. Rita. "One thing I learnt from her was to always make photocopies of every document I have. She once told me that I'll never know when I'll need them." Then we began our journey home and moved on to other subjects.

This experience made me realize that no matter where you've been, what you've done, and no matter where you are coming from, God can change your story for better - if you let Him. He is full of grace and mercy. His forgiveness is complete. He can take you to that point such that when you go down memory lane you will say "Father, is this how much you love me that you saved me from destruction?" I say this so often because I know what He has saved me from and forgiven me of.

May God continue to work in our hearts and in our lives, moulding us into the people He has called us to be and leading us on the path that is His will for us. May we never fall short of fulfilling His purpose for which He created us for. May our stories with Him be testimonies and encouragement to the lives of those who hear/read them. Amen.

Remain blessed.

To you who I am writing about, may God grant you all your heart's desires and make you fulfilled in every area of your life. IJN, Amen.

Daddy And My Relationship With God

I was wondering if our relationship with our earthly fathers has any correlation with our relationship with our Heavenly Father? Does a person who desperately needed the love of a father receive God with so much hunger on knowing how loving God is? Does one who understands the love of a father find it easy to understand the love of God? Or does one who has had it rough with their earthly father find it difficult to embrace God for who He is?

I have mused over such thoughts for some years now. When I mentioned to a mentor that I might carry out a study on this, in her wisdom, she advised me not to because the results may just not correlate the way I want to. But this morning, as I pondered over the revelation that God is a prayer-hearing and answering God, I had to reflect on my relationship with my late father and why it took me so long to understand that God is one who hears and answers prayers.

Asking Daddy for anything, including basic necessities, was a task to first overcome fear and prepare my heart for disappointments. I had to check if I had been good in the past week - making me worthy of the request. If I had passed my exams very well, I would not only make requests for myself, but take that of my sisters, to kill 6 birds with one stone. His initial reply was either "No" or "Ask your mother" or "Bring it up later". Eventually he would do it, but the "No" and "Later" was always to painful to bear. I believed all fathers were like that.

As I got older and met other fathers, especially my father-in-law, I realized not all father's were like Daddy. Please understand, my Daddy was a very good man, very jovial, had lots of friends, very intelligent, and I love him. I am only using a part of him for this post. Every time I read the contribution to "From The Heart Of  A Loving Father" by a friend whom I know is very close to her father, I say, "this lady truly understands the love of a father". When Mr. Rita prays, he has this confidence that what he has asked for, he will get. He does not need to remind God or even beg for it. Why not, when every time he asked his father for anything, he did not get "No" or "remind me later".

So you can imagine that a part of me believed whenever I asked God for something for myself His response was "No", "Not Now", "Ask again". (I had no doubt that if I prayed for someone else, He will answer). It was always a surprise when He answered my prayers on time and exceeded my expectations. Today I finally knew why - He is a Prayer hearing and answering God. He even hears the prayers of the sinner, for when I had not accepted Jesus into my life, God had answered my prayers. He is the God who changes not. For ALL the Promises of God in Him [Christ Jesus] are Yea, and in Him Amen, unto the Glory of God by us.

From today henceforth, as I come to Him, I come with the confidence that He hears and answers my prayers. What about you?  

Pardon My Shortsightedness

Driving on the busy Lekki-epe expressway at different times of the day, and different days of the week, has given me so much experience that I claim to know the fastest lanes to get to my destination. The person who suffers for this my arrogance on the knowledge of the road is Mr. Rita. When he is the one driving, all he hears is "on this side, stay in the middle lane" or "keep to your right at this part, everyone else is struggling for the left" or "keep to your left today, the bus drivers will be on the right this morning and they will make your journey longer". That's just to mention a few. Like 99% of men, he will just ignore me and do what he thinks is best, which ends up being the right decision. I still have not learnt.

One fateful morning, when we left home late, I had to apply my make-up in the car while he was driving. I wear glasses - I do not see far without them. To apply the cosmetics, I had to remove my glasses. Everything in front of me became blurred. I could not see clearly the lanes, the cars or any other thing around us. This meant I could not instruct Mr. Rita on which lane to choose. I was unsettled. In my mind I wondered, "will he take the shortest route this morning? will he know which lanes to avoid? Will we get late to work this morning leaving me with no parking space?" This was one time when I had to trust his judgement completely. I also had to keep quiet and focus on what I needed to do at the moment-my make-up. Though difficult, I had to let go and relax. Surprisingly, we got to work on time and I got a parking space.

Most times in our walk with God, we want to see the end from where we are. Everything ahead seems blurred but we do not want blurred pictures. We could go as far as taking decisions into our own hands to fulfil what He has already promised us. You may be at a point in your life where you ask God "Why?" and you say "If only you can show me a glimpse of the end, I will be satisfied".

Beloved, without faith, it is impossible to please God. It is time to stop asking "why" or demanding signs. It is time to let Him be the driver. It is time to let go completely, stop telling Him how, and let Him. He knows the plans He has for you - plans to prosper you and bring you to an expected end. Not one word of His would fail - they will surely come to pass, so you can fasten your seatbelt, relax, and enjoy the ride with God, your Father, as your driver on this journey called life. The road ahead is only blurred from your point of view not His. He sees the end from the beginning. Trust Him completely.

Remain blessed.