JOURNEY OF FAITH

It's easy to say you know God but having an experiential knowledge of Him is totally different. To say you know the President of Nigeria is a tenable fact, at least one can claim to have almost all the statistics of him but that doesn't mean he has a personal relationship with you enough to call you up at anytime to discuss pertinent issues. Same with the Lord, it all begins with a personal relationship that you and I must establish by an act of our wills then the relationship grows by the day and the depth and level of that growth is dependent on how much am willing to let him control my life.

In the last 2 weeks, work for me has been quite tedious, at the same time the Lord was stretching my faith in an area where I wouldn't complain except there's a deadline. I had thought through and through WHY LORD? Can't you just help me through? I know you can, so what do you intend to do by stretching me? At first I prayed, then I began to ask questions, then I became angry with the Lord because I wanted to know why? In His sovereignty I've learned that it was just a test of my faithfulness to him, not so much the volume of work I did but by how much I was willing for Him to work through me. It hit me so hard that just a day to the deadline, He showed up beyond my expectation. 

Through this I've learned that the next time the Lord decides to stretch me, it is to test my faithfulness to him, whether my faith was truly in him or men.

WHAT REALLY IS MINISTERING?

The more I think about this issue, the more I discover new things about it. My thoughts on this subject are not exhaustive and some of us may not agree about them but I'll share them.
This week has really been a stretching one for me because I've had to undergo a training on Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills. As I sit with my colleagues,  contemporaries, superiors and people from cultures different from mine, especially those from the West. I realize how aggressive the average Nigerian is. Not necessarily in behavior but in approach to life and taking what we think is rightfully ours. I've tried to explain it to be that since we were once colonized, we don't want to feel like we are dependent so it possibly affects our approach to life.
I realize how many people are NOT AT PEACE with themselves as touching phase of life, financial, marital status and other vital areas of life. On the contrary I really don't want to be CONVENTIONAL am probably willing to be content with what I consider to be just enough to go by, meaning having my basic needs met; being in the position where I may not be noticed because my focus is on building the' little human beings' God has blessed me with, so I can be available to watch them grow, help shape their world view because of how impressionable they are at this stage of life.
Have I given up on life? Have I become sedate or laid back? I doubt because of the intensity of my tasks, I also have my hands lightly on my job so I don't completely lose touch (thank God for my kind of job I have and the amazing support of my husband). I have come to a point where I consider what I do as ministering, whether it is washing the dishes, cleaning a mucour filled nose or speaking at a seminar, it is ministering. Whether to my husband or little children or to an audience, it is ministering. So if I do it whole heartedly and as unto the Lord, my rewards know no bounds both here on earth and in heaven.

All hail Full time Mums'

The more I think of it and as I see the society decay by the day, I know it will take the intervention of God and Mums who are willing to sacrifice. To all my friends who currently aren't holding formal jobs but are full time Mum's and wives, I HAIL THEE. It's a lost art that if more Mums did our society may not have these many vices because you are there to watch the child grow, caution him when he makes poor choices, be with him and just love him.
For me I work in an organization that prioritizes family so I have the privilege of caring for my family and working in the evenings. This is quite challenging because I do the chores, care for the kids and head for work when my husband returns but I consider it worthwhile spending that much time with my children. I get to see them hit their milestones, say funny stuff, apply the values I desire to see in their lives and that makes me fulfilled. My prayer today is that we Mums will make more sacrifices to be with our children and create a better society.

WE REALLY CAN'T CARRY IT ALONE

More and more I'm realizing that the blessing of been a wife, mother and having a job to do isn't something I can do on my own and in my strength. Each day I'm realizing I need to draw strength from my maker to get the tasks before me done. The last 4 weeks have been particularly hectic and as I look back, I know that if it depended on my strength I would have given way to complete exhaustion. My husband was away for 2 weeks for a job. As soon as he returned, I went in for a 2 week training. In between all of that, my house help took ill and has since not returned to work because her health condition is rather critical, so am caught between caring for the children, house chores, work and all. All of these but for the grace of God. Am learning to depend on Him when it gets really tiring, shelf certain chores, so am not doing too much at a time and nap when I get a chance to. We really can't get through lifes tasks and challenges without the help of our maker and you can be guaranteed that help when you have a personal relationship with Him.

I'm glad I know the feeling. . .

Here I am walking the street back home and sharing with a younger colleague of mine at almost half past 7p.m. and am saying to her I couldn't have been anywhere else, doing the job am doing. I came out of University not sure what kind of job to pick and then am offered a job to tell others what I believe and assure them of their eternity. What could be better than that? I see the faces of young women LIGHT UP as I assure them of the life here after and how they too can be sure of it as I am. What better job can there be? I know the feeling of being in the right place, the fulfillment can't really be explained. I hope you too can find that fulfillment.

The return of Chai

It's really been ages I wrote on my blog. Now that I have access to my blog from my mobile phone. My job just got easier.