I have been on my marks
Set, ready to go
But the whistle is yet to blow
Others have been running
Others have been winning
Yet here I wait, on my knees
Ready to go, unable to go
Lest I be disqualified.
I am itching, restless, anxious
I can barely contain the urge
To get up and run toward the goal
Yet I know I shouldn’t:
The timing is not in my hands
Timings vary for every runner
Just as the track and the goal:
To win my race, I must run to order
To win my race, I must wait my turn.

It’s already the 8th month, did anybody notice that? Before you know it, the 2017 we welcomed not long ago is ready to pass the ball to another year. How has it been?

In Church on Sunday, the person who rounded off the service placed a pertinent request, “If this year has been tough for you, raise your hand.” I could see so many hands going up all around me; hands lifted in sincerity, hands affirming that it hasn’t been the best of years, hands acknowledging the challenges that are as real as they are obvious. I stood there deep in thought, unable to raise mine.

Instead, I walked back in time; I pondered how far God has brought me in the past  months. Like everyone else, my life has not been perfect, yet I cannot deny that I have seen the manifest hands of the Almighty in every area. It has been years since I saw the insides of a hospital. I am not on any medication. I am alive and well, a gift often taken for granted in a world where many are ailing and suffering and dying by the seconds: this gave me cause for gratitude.

I have traversed through Africa, the Middle East and North America in the past months and recorded no incident, no loss. Instead, God’s faithfulness has been the cloud by day leading the advance and the pillar of fire by night, guarding my rear. His favor has gone ahead of me to pave ways where there was none, open doors I didn’t realize I would need, answer prayers that were yet to be uttered, avail more provisions than I could ever ask for, and shelter me in ways that surpass my prayers. Like He promised Israel, I have lived in homes I didn’t build, feasted on harvests that were not products of my sweat, drank from cisterns I didn’t dig, and savored blessings only God could give.

Who said there is no profit in serving God? Because He doesn’t work the way we expect, many get disappointed too soon and give up. By choosing to follow God, He stirred vessels prepared ahead of time to be there for me before my needs emerged. In every location, help was ready and waiting and from one phase to the other, I did not have to do anything but follow, one step at a time, from one day to the other. By trusting God, I have lived beyond imaginations, wholly sustained by God.

He has used vessels that pleased Him (all of which I couldn’t have chosen on my own) to guide every phase of the journey, to provide before I ask, to protect and sustain as He continues to work out His promises in my life. It has been an adventure but God has been there for me, a very present help, undeniably faithful.

In view of these, it didn’t seem fair for the reason of the promises I am yet to experience, to write off all of these mercies and blessings I have freely enjoyed. No, I have been blessed beyond measure! Yes, it has been challenging but I can’t label it a bad year. For me, my testimony remains that this is the year that the Lord has made, I continue to choose again and again to rejoice and be glad because of Him who started this awesome work – I have seen enough to trust that He is well able to finish it.

I’m not sure what your story is. I am only hopeful that you will not write off all the goodness of God that you have enjoyed in the past 8 months simply because of some sad events, because you are not yet where you want to be, because you are not what you thought you’d be by now. He who promised is faithful. As we continue to trust and obey Him, God will bring us into the fullness of His sure promises. Stand on those promises no matter what and don’t stop believing, don’t stop obeying, God will come through in due time. And when you get tired, remember that God does exceedingly, abundantly, far above all that we could ever ask or think: I am a living witness.

Blessings
Glory!