In my little sojourn here on Abba's precious green dot, I have realized that one of the most powerful things to understand is that, there are always 2 sides to every event. Becoming a widow at 28 was one of the most powerful things that happened to me at that point and I got to understand that GRIEF is such a powerful emotion (ok, I've used powerful a lot, lol, but I hope you get the point). It plunged me into my second faith crisis. The first was plainly due to curiosity (I read some material that carried me go where I no know and I wasn't strong enough to understand the purpose or ask myself the right questions).
I was at a gathering of amazing young women a while back and someone emphatically said, 'All bad things come from the devil', while I don't necessarily disagree, my contemplation was on whether she had a fair measurement on what she labelled as bad. Let me explain with a story.
In Lagos, there are 2 very big scam statements - The Island = enjoyment and All weekends are lit.
While you can argue on the latter, the former is so factual that it's a sure conversation starter with any Lagosian (Try it and come and testify). The reason the Island does not emphatically equal enjoyment, asides the massive false lifestyle, is the TRAFFIC, and the exorbitant prices of EVERYTHING! Stay with me pls. On this faithful day on Fashola's Island are 2 young men, lets call them Mr A and Mr B.
A lirru backstory - Mr A is a graduate of University of, sorry, a Federal University (before una wipe me USB), Computer Science, Second Class upper graduate, life has happened to him and he needs N9,500 to be able to enter night bus to go to PH for an interview. His dad's debtors have threatened to take his 13 year old sister as wife and needless to say that his whole family has fasted and prayed that he gets it and as a sharp guy, he believes he will.
Mr B is a 40 year old tech bro, married to the female, (its important to specify these days 🙄) love of his life, who was diagnosed 🤦(abeg, help me put another fancy word) with PCOS, thus she medically has issues conceiving, amidst suffering depression other mental health issues because she's pushing 40 too, she miraculously conceives and is near full term (what God cannot do does not exist, I'm sorry I couldn't resist 😄).
The interview is tomorrow, Mr A has already rescheduled twice and the company has been gracious enough to indulge him twice. He rescheduled because he couldn't meet up with sales.
Mr A is popcorn hawker on Lekki-Epe.
Mr B's wife has been having slight pains on her right lower side and this morning, she starts bleeding accompanied by intense abdominal pain.
Mr A specifically prayed that God created the biggest TRAFFIC Google map has ever seen so he can be able to make up his balance and make the interview.
Mr B, while rushing his wife into the car is frantically praying he somehow maneuvers every TRAFFIC and is able to get to the hospital before his wife passes out.
Now back to you, dear reader, assuming you are able to choose, knowing fully well, the consequences of your decision, which will it be - traffic, or no traffic?
True, the Bible speaks on how all good and precious gifts come from God, but have you stopped to think that God also created the devil and is STILL letting him live because He has use for him!
After my second crisis of faith, and being painfully introverted, God sent my friends at Heaven's Gate Academy to me and used them to help me understand the weight of the statement
GOD IS GOOD!
Realizing that like the uniqueness of saltiness to salt, God's goodness is true and pure and like the picture above, He is the only one who is able to see, I mean, truly SEE in all dimensions and do that which is, in its essence, GOOD. If Jesus' death, which was seen at the time as the greatest BAD and even celebrated in hell as victory, was in essence, the greatest GOOD ever done to man, how then, can we truly call a thing, or event, BAD?
Am I happy that my hubby left home and never came back because he died in a car accident at the junction to our house and it was hidden from me for 2 days, absolutely NOT, but I understand that God let it happen for good.
Olakunle Soriyan, my uncle (na lie o, he's someone I realllllyyyy respect and admire and would love to be mentored by him) once spoke about how he doesn't have any prayers against the devil cos they (Uncle K and devil) are both agents reporting to the same boss (but really, I'm serious about being mentored by him, if you can epp me, reach me personally here). So because he understands this, he looks for the purpose in whatever event that happens to him because there always is.
So my dearly beloved, this post don dey long, the aim of my ranting to let you understand that nothing is really BAD, if you check am well, you just don't know the reason. Know this and know peace.
Peace out 🤞 (I didn't see the peace sign, manage this 😜)
Yours firmly rooted in the Lord Jesus 😇
A.D
So lately I believe God has been teaching me about his sovereignty. I know God is faithful (that has to be my biggest personal testimony of Him) and thanks to you through this post, I appreciate even more deeply the concept of God's goodness.
ReplyDeleteRon. 8:28 tells us all things work together for our good and what comfort that brings. I quote it, I pray it, and I even believe it but much as I do, it wasn't until recently when God started to really open my eyes to see how He'd used everything (the good, the bad and the ugly and the wayyy ugly) to produce what beauty I now have in my life and how he's done that in the life of others, did I realize the need to rest in that scripture and trust him.
Is my life now perfect? Nope, not close
Do I still fret sometimes? Yesss
So what changed? Now, I just don't know it, I have the conviction that He's got me. It's not a case of will he do it? It's how big is it gon'be when he does it cos I'm convinced he'll do exceedingly abundantly above. So I ask, then I make my request bigger and when something happens, even if it gets to me, I feel "well, God can use that too". It's like Nicki Minaj said- even when I cry,I know I'll be fine. I don't cry thinking will he or will he not come through? Sometimes I cry cos of the timing (Cos sissss.. that's another thing! Story for another day tho'), some other times I cry cos I've been so strong for so long and the weight and the wait is getting harder, other times I just cry..yeah, I just cry. But all of those times, I believe God in his sovereignty is shifting things, aligning stuff, and putting it all together, working out the masterpiece for me.
Believe me, I didn't set out to write such long comment but I did. Hope you read through. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience with us. I admire your strength sis.