Something told me that all was
not well with her. There was a calm about her that was almost surreal. She smiled
outwardly, but I could see pain mirrored deep in her eyes. I guess it’s a kind
of gift for me, the ability to ‘see’ into people. So while she might have
fooled everyone else, I knew better. Of course, at the earliest opportunity I pulled
her aside. The more I inquired, the more she tried to laugh it off and convince
me that I was imagining things. To me however, her laugh was hollow and there
was emptiness to her smiles. The more she tried, the stronger my conviction became
that I was on assignment from the Lord where this young woman was concerned. Quietly I asked the Lord to give me some
insight so that I would be able to speak to her situation in specifics, and
amazing Father that He is, He came through for me. I had an immediate knowing
deep inside and I spoke to her from that place.
not well with her. There was a calm about her that was almost surreal. She smiled
outwardly, but I could see pain mirrored deep in her eyes. I guess it’s a kind
of gift for me, the ability to ‘see’ into people. So while she might have
fooled everyone else, I knew better. Of course, at the earliest opportunity I pulled
her aside. The more I inquired, the more she tried to laugh it off and convince
me that I was imagining things. To me however, her laugh was hollow and there
was emptiness to her smiles. The more she tried, the stronger my conviction became
that I was on assignment from the Lord where this young woman was concerned. Quietly I asked the Lord to give me some
insight so that I would be able to speak to her situation in specifics, and
amazing Father that He is, He came through for me. I had an immediate knowing
deep inside and I spoke to her from that place.
The Lord reminded me that she had
earlier told me she was going to a meeting called by one of her previous
teachers who also has a ministry for young women. As He reminded me of this,
the Lord showed me that she was dealing with a weight of negative comparison,
instigated by spirits of oppression and depression. As I was led, I asked her
how that meeting had gone. Her response was ‘fine’. I asked who else had been
at the meeting and she said a few old classmates had also been in attendance. Then
I said to her: ‘So, you spent time at that meeting comparing yourself to the
heights your mates appear to have attained and you came out feeling like a
failure, right?’ She didn’t utter a word rather, in response tears immediately
welled up in her eyes and began to flow down her face in a steady stream. I gave
quiet thanks to God for this breakthrough and then also offered a prayer that
He would help me discern the things which He would have me speak to her.
earlier told me she was going to a meeting called by one of her previous
teachers who also has a ministry for young women. As He reminded me of this,
the Lord showed me that she was dealing with a weight of negative comparison,
instigated by spirits of oppression and depression. As I was led, I asked her
how that meeting had gone. Her response was ‘fine’. I asked who else had been
at the meeting and she said a few old classmates had also been in attendance. Then
I said to her: ‘So, you spent time at that meeting comparing yourself to the
heights your mates appear to have attained and you came out feeling like a
failure, right?’ She didn’t utter a word rather, in response tears immediately
welled up in her eyes and began to flow down her face in a steady stream. I gave
quiet thanks to God for this breakthrough and then also offered a prayer that
He would help me discern the things which He would have me speak to her.
As I began to speak, I asked her
where she thought she would have been and how much more different (for the
worse) her life would have been had her adopted family not brought her into
their home. I reminded her that she had said to me more than once in times past,
that she would most likely have been married off at a young age to some petty
trader, carpenter, driver or some other very lowly status person, and would
likely have had one child too many at a young age as did some of those she had
grown up with earlier in her life. With her adopted family she had grown up in
the big city, finished her secondary education, been privileged to travel to
several countries around the world, is living in comfort and in a style her own
immediate family can only dream about, etc. She had been sent on a skills training
program and was doing excellently well at it, and she was being groomed on
creating a proper business out of this training. She is in a home where she is treated like a
daughter, and most importantly, is in a Christian home where she is able to know
and experience and grow in the love of God herself.
where she thought she would have been and how much more different (for the
worse) her life would have been had her adopted family not brought her into
their home. I reminded her that she had said to me more than once in times past,
that she would most likely have been married off at a young age to some petty
trader, carpenter, driver or some other very lowly status person, and would
likely have had one child too many at a young age as did some of those she had
grown up with earlier in her life. With her adopted family she had grown up in
the big city, finished her secondary education, been privileged to travel to
several countries around the world, is living in comfort and in a style her own
immediate family can only dream about, etc. She had been sent on a skills training
program and was doing excellently well at it, and she was being groomed on
creating a proper business out of this training. She is in a home where she is treated like a
daughter, and most importantly, is in a Christian home where she is able to know
and experience and grow in the love of God herself.
So what was or is the problem? Well,
she has not been able to get into a ‘proper’ university. She has taken the qualifying
entrance exams three times but has not made the cut off for admission. Indeed,
in the interim her adoptive parents have put her in a state-run higher
institution but she has her sights set on attending one of the federal
universities. This is not a problem because her parents have once again bought
her the admission forms for her to take the exams a fourth time. They have also
tried to encourage her to consider going for a full-time higher diploma in catering
and hospitality management as she has shown incredible passion for and dexterity
in creating meals and entertaining generally speaking. She has shared with them
her desire to one day own and manage chains of restaurants and hotels, and they
have advised her that a regular degree might not be her first priority, but rather
a specialist catering course that she could then follow up with various
executive masters and certifications in business management to support her
ventures in the food and hospitality arena. Bottom line is that she has a hope
and a future, and adoptive parents who are more than ready to support her through
the process of making a success of her life out of her passions and gifting’s –
in line with God’s word that our gifts will make room for us.
she has not been able to get into a ‘proper’ university. She has taken the qualifying
entrance exams three times but has not made the cut off for admission. Indeed,
in the interim her adoptive parents have put her in a state-run higher
institution but she has her sights set on attending one of the federal
universities. This is not a problem because her parents have once again bought
her the admission forms for her to take the exams a fourth time. They have also
tried to encourage her to consider going for a full-time higher diploma in catering
and hospitality management as she has shown incredible passion for and dexterity
in creating meals and entertaining generally speaking. She has shared with them
her desire to one day own and manage chains of restaurants and hotels, and they
have advised her that a regular degree might not be her first priority, but rather
a specialist catering course that she could then follow up with various
executive masters and certifications in business management to support her
ventures in the food and hospitality arena. Bottom line is that she has a hope
and a future, and adoptive parents who are more than ready to support her through
the process of making a success of her life out of her passions and gifting’s –
in line with God’s word that our gifts will make room for us.
So sis, I hear you say again ‘So,
what is the problem?’ Well, the problem as the Lord showed me, and which she also
confirmed, is that somehow she has still settled in her mind that her ‘classmates’
who are in their second and third years at various universities are ahead of
her, and that – in her words: ‘My life is not moving forward’. Hmmm! I can’t go
into enough detail on the things the Lord helped me to share with her sis,
except to say that He helped me show her that the enemy was trying to deceive her
in the worst of ways. I shared with her that in life, it is truly not of him
that runneth or that willeth, but of the Lord that shows mercy. I was able to
use my own life as an example of the fact that we each come into our own at
various times and seasons of our lives – as the Lord wills, and that we are not
to compare ourselves to the next person but to run our very own race.
what is the problem?’ Well, the problem as the Lord showed me, and which she also
confirmed, is that somehow she has still settled in her mind that her ‘classmates’
who are in their second and third years at various universities are ahead of
her, and that – in her words: ‘My life is not moving forward’. Hmmm! I can’t go
into enough detail on the things the Lord helped me to share with her sis,
except to say that He helped me show her that the enemy was trying to deceive her
in the worst of ways. I shared with her that in life, it is truly not of him
that runneth or that willeth, but of the Lord that shows mercy. I was able to
use my own life as an example of the fact that we each come into our own at
various times and seasons of our lives – as the Lord wills, and that we are not
to compare ourselves to the next person but to run our very own race.
I reminded her that the streets
are lined with university graduates who have been unemployed for ten years, or who
are working as drivers, as waiters or waitresses or security personnel. I reminded
her of graduates who have died and are only being remembered by their classmates
at reunions. I reminded her of graduates who have found themselves working for and
being managed by people who left school a decade after they did, etc etc Suffice it to say that in the end, she calmed
down and was clearly looking at things from a different perspective. I challenged
her, as I did in my last post, to count her blessings every time the enemy
comes knocking, and simply shoo him away with a recital of all the great things
the Lord has done and will continue to do in her life.
are lined with university graduates who have been unemployed for ten years, or who
are working as drivers, as waiters or waitresses or security personnel. I reminded
her of graduates who have died and are only being remembered by their classmates
at reunions. I reminded her of graduates who have found themselves working for and
being managed by people who left school a decade after they did, etc etc Suffice it to say that in the end, she calmed
down and was clearly looking at things from a different perspective. I challenged
her, as I did in my last post, to count her blessings every time the enemy
comes knocking, and simply shoo him away with a recital of all the great things
the Lord has done and will continue to do in her life.
This is that young lady’s story,
sis. But you and I know that more often than not, we allow ourselves drive pegs
to secure our tents in ‘camp comparison’. We find ourselves dwelling more on those
things that have not been, as they compare to the things that appear to ‘be’ in
the lives of our ‘mates’. We forget that being in the same class, year, school,
age grade, family, etc has no bearing whatsoever on destiny and purpose. We forget
that our assignments are unique to us and should not be colored by the
assignments of those who we determine (through fleshly eyes) to be our contenders
in and through this journey of life. We sometimes spiritualize our discontent,
trying not to color it as envy; but really and truly questioning when God will
do for us what He has done for others….instead of looking more intently on what
He has done for us already and how we can use that to be a blessing right where
we are.
sis. But you and I know that more often than not, we allow ourselves drive pegs
to secure our tents in ‘camp comparison’. We find ourselves dwelling more on those
things that have not been, as they compare to the things that appear to ‘be’ in
the lives of our ‘mates’. We forget that being in the same class, year, school,
age grade, family, etc has no bearing whatsoever on destiny and purpose. We forget
that our assignments are unique to us and should not be colored by the
assignments of those who we determine (through fleshly eyes) to be our contenders
in and through this journey of life. We sometimes spiritualize our discontent,
trying not to color it as envy; but really and truly questioning when God will
do for us what He has done for others….instead of looking more intently on what
He has done for us already and how we can use that to be a blessing right where
we are.
And how the enemy loves it when
we are in this space! In the space of discontent, frustration and depression, our
minds are totally bowed down in pain and we are unable to see or to think
properly. In this space, by our very thoughts, actions and countenance we make
the word of God – that which we otherwise know and believe to be true, to be of
no effect. And the enemy loves this. This is the space where he brings doubt
and confusion and despair and so on. This is the space where he convinces us to
try to ‘help’ God by helping ourselves. This is the space where he is set to
derail us from that which the Lord has for us, by blinding us to the things
that we should otherwise truly see with the eyes of the Spirit. I could go on
but you get my drift right?
we are in this space! In the space of discontent, frustration and depression, our
minds are totally bowed down in pain and we are unable to see or to think
properly. In this space, by our very thoughts, actions and countenance we make
the word of God – that which we otherwise know and believe to be true, to be of
no effect. And the enemy loves this. This is the space where he brings doubt
and confusion and despair and so on. This is the space where he convinces us to
try to ‘help’ God by helping ourselves. This is the space where he is set to
derail us from that which the Lord has for us, by blinding us to the things
that we should otherwise truly see with the eyes of the Spirit. I could go on
but you get my drift right?
Sis, with each passing year of
our lives the demand for us to take charge of our thoughts and perspectives
grows. As we grow also as Christians, there is an increasing demand for us to
focus on God, to trust in Him, to lean not on our own understanding –
especially at those times when we truly do not understand, when things look
very far from what we would like them to be. You see, all we ever see is our
one tiny corner of a very grand and beautiful picture sis, that’s all we ever
truly see. But… if we hold firm to God’s word that His plans for us are good
and that all things work together for our good; if we hold firm to seeking God
and trusting Him to be faithful to His word that He rewards those who
diligently seek Him; if we would walk in and celebrate the uniqueness of our
lives and situations, and cease to compare ourselves with others; if we would
just trust Him… if we would just trust Him! Sis, if we would do all these, our
lives would truly be grand and peaceful, purposeful and restful, and ultimately
daily fulfilling. What more could we ask for?
our lives the demand for us to take charge of our thoughts and perspectives
grows. As we grow also as Christians, there is an increasing demand for us to
focus on God, to trust in Him, to lean not on our own understanding –
especially at those times when we truly do not understand, when things look
very far from what we would like them to be. You see, all we ever see is our
one tiny corner of a very grand and beautiful picture sis, that’s all we ever
truly see. But… if we hold firm to God’s word that His plans for us are good
and that all things work together for our good; if we hold firm to seeking God
and trusting Him to be faithful to His word that He rewards those who
diligently seek Him; if we would walk in and celebrate the uniqueness of our
lives and situations, and cease to compare ourselves with others; if we would
just trust Him… if we would just trust Him! Sis, if we would do all these, our
lives would truly be grand and peaceful, purposeful and restful, and ultimately
daily fulfilling. What more could we ask for?
It’s a New Year sis. There’s
perhaps no better time than now to make a commitment to run your own race, to
not allow the enemy hold you down with his negativity and distortions of the
reality of your blessed life, for indeed your life is blessed because you are
here …and because you are here in Christ. This year, commit to making peace
with your corner of the grand picture, sis. It all eventually adds up, of this
I’m more than sure ….not by sight necessarily, but by faith – of a certainty! I’m
more than sure of this because I know in Whom I believe, as should you.
perhaps no better time than now to make a commitment to run your own race, to
not allow the enemy hold you down with his negativity and distortions of the
reality of your blessed life, for indeed your life is blessed because you are
here …and because you are here in Christ. This year, commit to making peace
with your corner of the grand picture, sis. It all eventually adds up, of this
I’m more than sure ….not by sight necessarily, but by faith – of a certainty! I’m
more than sure of this because I know in Whom I believe, as should you.
I leave you with this sis… ‘Trust
in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all
your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path’. Please let these
words take on a new and deeper meaning for you in 2015. Trust Him with your corner
of the big picture, sis. In the end, all of us who set our eyes on Him alone
will get a remarkable and eternal prize; a prize that is not dependent on how
we fared compared to the earthly ‘successes’ or ‘achievements’ of others. We get a prize that is dependent on how well
we have run our own race and fulfilled the purpose for which we were each sent,
sis. How beautiful is that? The Lord will help you through this year sis, and
He will surely help me. With this same assurance and with the confidence in our
God Who is our source, I command the fire of God to consume every spirit of
comparison, of despair, of frustration, of depression, that is looming around
you, in Jesus might name amen. I speak a fresh measure of understanding into
your spirit, in Jesus name – that you may truly discern and walk confidently in
that which the Lord has purposed for you and you alone. Enter afresh into the
rest of God, sis. In the place of His rest, it is surely going to be an awesome
year for you and I, in Jesus mighty name, Amen.
in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all
your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path’. Please let these
words take on a new and deeper meaning for you in 2015. Trust Him with your corner
of the big picture, sis. In the end, all of us who set our eyes on Him alone
will get a remarkable and eternal prize; a prize that is not dependent on how
we fared compared to the earthly ‘successes’ or ‘achievements’ of others. We get a prize that is dependent on how well
we have run our own race and fulfilled the purpose for which we were each sent,
sis. How beautiful is that? The Lord will help you through this year sis, and
He will surely help me. With this same assurance and with the confidence in our
God Who is our source, I command the fire of God to consume every spirit of
comparison, of despair, of frustration, of depression, that is looming around
you, in Jesus might name amen. I speak a fresh measure of understanding into
your spirit, in Jesus name – that you may truly discern and walk confidently in
that which the Lord has purposed for you and you alone. Enter afresh into the
rest of God, sis. In the place of His rest, it is surely going to be an awesome
year for you and I, in Jesus mighty name, Amen.
Be blessed sis….. for you surely
are!
are!
