Tag Archives: Disappointment

The Certainty of the Promise

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Have you ever gone through a disappointment as a result of broken promises, or unmet expectations?

It is said of a certain commander that when he was marching to help a friend, his troops faltered:

“It can’t be done!”

His answer was, “It must be done! I have promised to be there – promised, do you hear? You would not have me break my word!”

He would not be hindered, for his promise had been given.

We all admire men and women who keep their promises. Out tendency and proclivity is to trust and confide in people who have a track record of keeping promise!

The truth is that the promise of man is not foolproof…

Even trusted friends can disappoint!

….and I am realizing that sometimes disappointment is a blessing in disguise…

..Because it teaches you to expect little or nothing from man while fully depending on God!

In…

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What Do You Do When You Lack Peace?

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Peace. What is peace? Well, Merriam Webster dictionary has five definitions:

(1) A state of tranquillity or quiet: such as
a : freedom from civil disturbance. For example, Peace and order were finally restored in the town.

b : a state of security or order within a community provided for by law or custom. For example, a breach of the peace.

(2) Freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions. For example, I have been in perfect peace and contentment —J. H. Newman

(3) Harmony in personal relations. For example, the sisters are at peace with each other.

(4) a: a state or period of mutual concord between governments. For example, there was a peace of 50 years before war broke out again.

b: a pact or agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war or in a state of enmity. For example, offered the possibility of a negotiated peace.

(5) —used interjectionally to ask for silence or calm or as a greeting or farewell
— at peace: in a state of concord or tranquillity. For example, the problem was settled and his mind was at peace. The peace am referring to in this post today is that of freedom from disquieting or oppressive emotions. Peace despite facing volatile circumstances. How do you have such in your life? Well, the Word of God says in Philippians 4:6-7

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. How often do we allow ourselves to want to solve matters our own way? Or want to ache our minds with worry, yet there is nothing much we can do to change the situation?

A story is told of a member of a famous orchestra group who approached the great Italian conductor with an expression of sheer terror on his face. This was shortly before a major concert before a standing-room-only audience. “Maestro,” the musician fretted, “my instrument is not working properly. I cannot reach the note of E-flat. Whatever will I do? We are to begin in a few moments.” The great conductor looked at the man with utter amazement. Then he smiled kindly and placed an arm around his shoulders. “My friend,” the maestro replied, “Do not worry about it. The note E-flat does not appear anywhere in the music that you will be playing this evening.”

My confession today would be to admit that the orchestra player and I share something. In such moments, I tend to ignore the still small voice that says everything will be all right. I figure it is better to worry then afterwards nothing happens than not to worry and then something bad does happen. A complete lie from the devil. That is such a waste of time and emotions that could be used more positively. The author of “The Waste of Worry”, Brad Stevens wrote the following: “If we were to keep a record of all the things we worried about during a given period of time, we would discover–in reviewing them–which the great majority of our anticipated problems or troubles never come to pass. This means that most of the time we devote to worrying, even the constructive kind that prompts us to try to come up with a solution to what is troubling us, is wasted. Thus, we not only caused ourselves unnecessary mental anguish, but also took up valuable minutes and hours that could have been spent elsewhere. To avoid this, it is often necessary to subject potential sources of worry to the coldly objective and analytical light of reason.

So How Do You Have Peace In Volatile Circumstances?

Many self-help ideas tend to focus on deep and long breathing exercises, Yoga, others talk of taking a walk, reading a book, walking away from the volatile environment, counselling, and going to the gym, cooking or really doing something to take your mind off the problem. When you come to a church setting, solutions vary from praying, singing, opening up to the Pastor or close confidant or even taking time to serve in church or the needy. The latter two stem from the idea of taking focus from yourself and help out others who may actually be in a greater dire situation than you.

One of the great reliefs I have discovered recently is to just praise God. Praising Him with actual utterances from my mouth. Not necessarily singing but speaking out praises to the Kings of Kings. I had to work on the inner me to avoid the temptation of doing so in expectation of reciprocation of immediate blessings or sudden solutions to my problems. It is important for me that my motives are pleasing to my Heavenly Father in all that I do. One morning in the past few weeks as I made a few steps in my bathroom, I was overwhelmed by intense pain in my body. Mobility was completely not possible as a tiny movement of my legs brought excruciating pain. I believe neighbours must have heard my screams. As I was standing still for about twenty long minutes in pain, I sang and praised God. I told Him that He was good and I was glad to rejoice in the day He had made. I recall calling out the name of Jesus so many times. In my mind, whether God took away the pain that moment or not, He remains to be God. His throne remains to be in heaven and earth His footstool.

As I digress a bit, my personal testimony of my journey in writing since February 2018 has created events in my life that test the word that I actually share. It comes back to test whether I would do exactly as my post say. And that experience in the bathroom was one of them. It was a test of the post “…God remains to be God”. What I did in that bathroom did not take away my pain immediately. Taking a bath, heading to work, and working through the day, I was still in pain. But guess what? Something changed inside of me that gave me the strength to take the next steps of the day. There was the option of calling in sick and not go to work, but my mind and heart had changed despite the circumstances not changing much.

What then is the use of praising God if the current circumstances do not change immediately?

Well, in my experience they will change. It may not be at the time or the way you desire but the promise is that they will change. It is not a matter of if, but when. Whatever has a beginning on earth has an end. It is only Jehovah who is the same yesterday, today and forever. It is not easy when the flesh is fighting back with anxiety but that has been a sure way for me to receive peace in my not so interesting moments. Remember 1 Corinthians 10:13..No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

The fiery furnace may not be the most exciting place to be in life, but it sure does make one grow. So, maybe our prayers should focus on allowing God to be glorified in the valley and ask for grace and strength to see us through. One prayer I have been making this week as I thanked God for my birthday is to use all my pain and suffering in my past for His glory. That it would not be in vain and the results of the fiery furnace be used to expand His Kingdom. Just noticed I have no emoji today and am not sure what that means. All I know is that God remains to be God. Our environment does not change who He is. He deserves worship and adoration no matter our circumstances. My prayer is that He shows Himself strong in and through our lives even as we purpose to do exactly what we were created to do. To worship Him!!!!

Thank you so much for taking time to read. May the Good Lord lead you in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Amen and God bless. See you next week Friday!!!!!!!

#UnchangeableGod #Peace #PraisingGod #Worship #Hopeforyouandme

I Will Not Work Anymore…🙅😉!!!

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What would you say to living and never having to work? To be in that position where you own everything you desire but never having to sweat for it. Can you picture that? Would you want such a life?

Started with lots of questions to help me know where you lie with reference to this topic? Feel free to start the read again and honestly examine yourself on the basis of the questions I posed….the key word here is honestly!!😊. I mean it is just you thinking and answering so you could as well be honest with yourself 😇.

Okay, now that we are done with that, how about a life of extreme labour? I mean you work day and night, in cold and hot weather, everywhere and every time. Just to console you, you do get everything you desire as above, the only difference is that you have to work really hard….extremely hard. Who would want this???I, for one already have a bias for the first paragraph set of questions.

Do you remember the parable of the prodigal son? His elder brother got so angry because of the party held for his sibling, his lost and found brother who squandered off all his inheritance. He just couldn’t understand how he could be the one working so hard and someone else just comes and receives so much appreciation….which was never done for him.

The focus of this post is more on the older son. In his own words, he expressed that he was slaving for his father. His attitude and mentality towards all the work he did was similar to that of a slave. Despite being a legitimate son of his father, his identity was really misplaced. A slave as we all know has no right of ownership to his master’s property. The job description would be one and one only…obey all the instructions. And this is what the older son confesses to doing fully.

What would make the eldest son of a rich man feel like a slave? It is obvious he did not know his rightful position in the family tree. Even after the youngest son left with his inheritance, he still continued working with the mentality that he was a slave to his father.

Many a times I have felt the emotions of the older son. I focused on deeds to gain my Heavenly Father’s approval. A path similar to that of a perfectionist in an aim to obey all the ‘orders’. This led to a personal struggle with self condemnation and guilt every time I fall short yet there is really no one perfect…NO ONE!!

I focused on a path that would only lead to disappointment. Disappointment in no one else but myself. Why would I do that? Why would I beat myself up yet there is nothing that can ever separate me from the love of my Creator.

What if this parable was about the eldest son squandering his inheritance and the youngest son worked really hard? Then this parable wouldn’t pass the message it was meant to. It was deliberately set that the youngest son misuses all the wealth given to him while his brother remains home with his father.

The eldest son in most societies stands as the likely successor of his father’s title and heir to the family’s wealth, property and riches. By never leaving his father, the eldest son represents the believers who are already called to be heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.

Image by Liv Bruce via Unsplash

Both the older son and I had one problem. We did not know who we really are to our fathers. How are we to know our rightful place? Well we just needed to have a small chat with our father. From the parable, to me it feels like the older son never had such a discussion with the father. His father seemed to feel it was really automatic/obvious that his eldest son knew of his position in the family.

Do you think that would have made a difference if this conversation happened much earlier? Maybe! I will not talk on behalf of the older son or anyone else because in my personal experience, I have had to have this chat severally. Yes, I have heard it before but somehow life together with the devil have fervently tried to shake this foundation. And it is in such moments that God sends people my way to remind me of what His word says.

God’s word through the Bible is the only sure way of anyone knowing who we really are. It is that conversation between a child and his father. So who are we as believers?

  1. We have the right to be called children of God
  2. We were chosen before creation
  3. We are God’s creation
  4. God knew us before creating us in the womb of our mothers
  5. Our lives are hidden in Christ
  6. The world does not know us
  7. We are all one in Christ
  8. We are the Body of Christ
  9. We should no longer be slaves to sin
  10. God does not make us timid

Absolute great reminder to myself in this journey. God bless and see you next week Friday 😊😇🙂

#Iwillnotwork

#LabourDay

#Hopeforyouandme

When Pain Turns Out To Be A Blessing!

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Looking back at my life, I feel great appreciation for the journey that has become of it. To know that all things have worked out for my good. To know that God has been in control all through. He still is!

I am a testimony of God’s never ending mercy and sufficient grace. Through the despair, the anxiety and most of all the pain. Pain of hurting from strangers and loved ones alike. Pain that has now become a place I recall for the purpose of drawing lessons and remain deeply grateful that I am who I am today because of it. That pain!

Knowing oh so well that it was the pain that increased my faith. It was the pain that refined me for my next level of glory. It was the pain that led me closer to my Heavenly Father.

That pain led to great and deep connections to people that held my hand through the darkness. People that have become great companions and source of wise counsel 😇

Am forced to recall the labour pains during child delivery which was a punishment to Eve for disobedience at the Garden of Eden. Painful toil and sweat was for Adam. Despite the pain that comes from both, if persevered with the right attitude and application of right procedures, blessings are what come forth!

It is never easy to perceive this during the season itself. Ask me, I know. But remembering that we go through the fire not because God does not love us but because He has good thoughts for us and great plans ahead. Doesn’t make sense right? Again, I admit that it is truly hard to accept and even understand at times, if not most.

I recall the story of Job in the Bible who lost all his wealth, family and friends. I imagine the loneliness and sense of loss anyone of us would feel if we were to go through such moments.

One major factor that pulled me through is the people around me. I had people that prayed with me and many a times prayed for me when it was difficult for myself to do so. God used them to speak greatly in my life.

This post is for those in pain with no one around to help them through their dark season. This is to let you know that Jesus Christ of Nazareth can be closer than a brother. He is the Great Comforter and the Prince of Peace. He is a faithful High Priest who can empathize with our weaknesses.

He can bind up your broken heart, free you from captivity and release you from every darkness. He can bestow upon you a crown of beauty instead of ashes, pour the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a give you a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

Won’t you please allow our All Knowing God to finish the good work He has began in you. Many a sermons we have heard that the pain will go away tomorrow. This is indeed true. It will go away. Please feel free to call me a prophet of doom, but maybe the pain will not end tomorrow.

Maybe you just need to stay in the fiery furnace just a little while longer for a true diamond to come out of you🤔🙏

And maybe our prayer should be to ask God for strength and grace to persevere so that we may grow into what He envisions of us. May He help you understand the purpose of your pain and give you strength to hold on. All for the glory of His name!

#Theblessingcalledpain

#Hopeforyouandme

What Do You Do After Deep Disappointment In Life?

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I would ask all of us to take just a few seconds to visualize the efforts of a child learning how to walk…standing,seating down hard, stand again, make few steps, fall, stand,increase in number of steps, holding onto a table/chair for support, tripping, hitting the head, standing..this goes on till he/she finally walks on their own.

Except for those born with certain disabilities or severe illnesses, we all did pass through this stage. Well, that in my opinion was a hurdle of a much lower level and perhaps God’s way of preparing us for the much higher trials in our future. Preparing us to apply the same principle of trying again and again and again until the door of success opens.

A story that may encourage us is that of Frederick Douglass who was born into slavery in Maryland, United States in 1818. He, however recalls it to be either that year or the year before due to lack of records in those times. And yes, I read his narrative book from Amazon Kindle.

Despite his status as a slave, he yearned to read and write much much later in his life when he was around 12 years old. This desire grew when he moved to a new master’s home in Baltimore and the wife of his master began teaching him the alphabet. He felt it was a vital key to his freedom and better future.

It was an offence during his time to look for such knowledge as a slave and being of black descent yet he devised his own ways to get the fulfillment he longed for despite the consequences it posed and the discouragement the journey came with.

His masters later got rid of any reading material that he had for fear he would become unmanageable and no longer desire to be a slave. The more they acted in this manner, the more curious he became of the wisdom that lay in learning to read and write. He formed friendships with little white children in the streets as he went out for errands that were willing to teach him.

Frederick had already been much disappointed by the life he lived and the related inhumane conditions, not only to his physical self but to his inner emotional man vital for true living.

Any human would get affected to see their loved intensely whipped while bound, some even to death, some get shot, women sexually abused and impregnated, forced separation of mother and child soon after birth, forced separation of family members, denied basic needs like food and shelter in really cold weather and also forced to work long hours and in harsh conditions. But despite those very deep wounds, he was able to recognize a path to his freedom and a better future for himself and fellow slaves.

Not only did he see the chance but grabbed it to see it change his life as he desired. He later gained his freedom and became a Great African American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer and statesman before his death on 20th February 1985.

Emphasis for Reflection What are your desires, your longings? What are those fears/concerns that our Father in Heaven cannot deal with? Don’t we ought it to Him for the gift of life and thus not give up? Isn’t He a rewarder of the works of our hands? The lesson to draw from Frederick’s story is the desire to try again despite past disappointments in ones’ life.

This post is for those who desire children and that path has proved unsuccessful for several years now. This is also for those entrepreneurs who have struggling start ups and financial stress is kicking in. Won’t you try again and see that the Lord is faithful?

This post is also for those who on the outside look like everything is working out well, yet deep wounds lie within them that make them lead a life of bondage and slavery. This is for those who put up a face that all is well yet their life experiences have made them feel unworthy of being alive. This is for those who desire freedom!

Yes, disappointments are real and I like every other mortal acknowledges so. It is, however, the steps we take afterwards that will determine the compass direction of our ship called life. For some of us, the fears are only perceived and seen by only us and we end up becoming our own enemies. Noting very well I fall in this category several a times, if not many, God being my witness.

I choose not to focus on the discouragement that past disappointments bring us but to direct us all to the great possibilities that lie ahead if only we take the extra step to stand up again. How beautiful it would be to look back at our trials and realize that God was with us all through even though it may not seem that way currently.

That while we felt hopeless, His grace was sufficient and while we felt helpless, His mercy was new every morning for us. That while we waited, we were actually getting stronger and our faith was forced to increase.

Maybe we just need to hang in there a little bit longer and let the fire refine us to enable us handle the greatness ahead. But also remain hopeful of the day when we will finally fully accept that all things are working out for our good!🙏

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness”Desmond Tutu

#Principleoftryingagainandagainagain

#Hopeforyouandme