At the beginning of every year, most spiritual entities, businesses, and organizations are led to have themes that later become a guiding light through the progression of the year. The message that God spoke to us at my church as the year 2023 began was that God would deliberately cause extra ordinary resurrections to happen in many aspects of our lives. One of the statements that were a ‘take home’ for me was that for some, certain things would first die, for God to raise them right, because may be just may be, their foundation was wrong.
I am not exactly sure if the biggest percentage of the people listening that night utterly understood what God was about to take our lives through, I surely wonder!
For me as an individual, the year began in an interesting way; firstly, I had an attack on my voice and was not able to sing and talk as normally as I used to. What started as a voice overuse, ended up as a major infirmity resulting from the effects of acid reflux caused by acute gastritis and H-pyroli infection. At first, I thought I could just rest and not strain myself so much, but the more I rested the worse I became. The next time I tried to sing, my voice snapped and that is when I realized there was a problem.
The doctor later found out that my tonsils had enlarged and were starting to block my breathing space, and after several treatments, I was advised to have them removed. Long and short, I had a tonsillectomy whose aftermath was uninteresting. I spent the biggest part of the year in and out of hospital, twice in theatre, spending and being spent.
As anyone would, I reached a point where my flesh was tired. After the surgery, I could not talk for weeks or eat, and so I had to figure out ways of going through those days, losing weight and unable to pray as I used to.
Because of the shenanigans that were happening with my body, I was not able to work and so for a space of five months, I was out of work and had to trust God to not only manifest His healing but also sustain me in that season.
The biggest blow was that I thought I would settle in marriage and all things planned out for my progress, but I guess because of the things that were happening in our lives separately, it didn’t work out as expected and we had to let it go, not without learning a few lessons here and there.
Many things continued to happen till July, which would have frustrated me if I had not trusted my God. By this time, the devil had started using some unstable people to say things that were assumed and not true about me and my ministry. Some were having funny dreams and visions about me and had the courage to make sure I got to know. When you are going through such days, it is quite easy to blame everyone around you and forget the real enemy.
One thing I appreciate about this season is that the word never left my side. I made sure that every day, I had a word to meditate on and through that whole season, the word was my anchor.
When that season of 6 months was ending, I was reminded to listen to the sermon that was preached on the Night of Prayer as we crossed over to 2023, and well, what a deliverance it was. I was reminded that God does not make mistakes, and whatever he allows is usually for our good regardless of whether we see it or not. I was reminded that for some, things would have to first die; I was reminded that I wrote some statements in my notebook that night, declaring that several things were going to be resurrected in my life this year. When I renewed my mind about the situation and what was happening, that week on Sunday, God in his sovereignty saw it fit to end whatever was happening in my life that wasn’t in his purpose and will and seeing the work of patience in my life, called me to the altar and judged the matter.
From that day, things started to turn around for my good. I was able to sing again, my mind was kept in perfect peace, I could eat a number of foods I wasn’t able to eat, I was greatly restored, and the year is ending with a far and much better job opportunity than the one I had at the beginning of the year.
Many of the things that concern my life have also been redefined. God has given me a new perspective about my marital destiny, He has matured my mind to evolve into someone that I was not before and caused me to fix my eyes and heart on the things that matter to him most.
He has redefined the meaning of many things in my life and given a certain weight to my experiences, that now my relationship with him is beyond what he can do, but who he truly is. I have learnt to love him and to trust him with all my heart even in the smallest details of life. I have seen His extraordinary hand of provision and sustenance, his vindication in service and assignment and His favor in uncommon places. As I continue to expect the least expected or the unexpected, I am confident that he is able to do exceeding-abundantly, far above all expectations, dreams, and thoughts.
In my whole experience, I have learnt that the situations someone is going through do not define them, and so it would be wrong for me to judge them by the things they are going through. God always has ways of making us better people. What you think is someone’s downfall could be their process of promotion if they respond the right way according to truth.
I have also learnt that it is the engrafted word that will save your soul. It does not matter how much you love the promises of God, if they are not engrafted in you or rather a personal revelation to you, they surely will not work in you.
Finally, I have also learnt that when it comes to walking with people, what defines a healthy relationship is partly whether the people in your life share the same values, can adapt to your standards, or respect the boundaries you have set and communicated. Furthermore, in finding ourselves, we are able to know what our personal needs are and identify those that can comfortably meet them, even as we meet theirs too.
I do not know what your year has been like, what you have been through or still going through, but my encouragement is that God knows, and he will provide a way of escape. For some of you, your time could be coming eventually, but either way, remember that God is Emmanuel, and he is with you through the storm.
If there is one thing that I have proved this year, it is that God is Faithful. For me, it is no longer an English statement, but rather an experience. I have seen his faithfulness, and I can testify all my days that He is good, and his love endures forever. So, stand strong, and keep on trusting the lover of your soul. Everything that is confusing and chaotic in your life will soon be sorted. According to God, all that you are seeing and feeling is working together for your good and soon, you will testify.
I would also love to end this article appreciating all the people that have been there for me in many ways this year; those that were with me in hospital and out, those that made sure i had everything i needed, those that have mentioned my name in high places, those that prayed for me, those that have loved me relentlessly and unconditionally, those that have walked with me through thick and thin; I appreciate you so much and I pray that God multiplies all your seed sown and may He prove Himself faithful to you all. I love you.
Blessings.
#WiGTyT
