Years back, I used to have bouts of depression. When unpleasant things happened, I just sink into the pit and struggle for days in dark mood until heaven opens up and joy shines on my life again. It was reinforced by the reasoning that gifted people are subject to melancholic tendencies. I lived with that until God intervened and delivered me from that awful spirit. Over 10 years now, I have been exercising His power in me to resist and reject that strongman each time he shows up and despite the pulls, I have not visited that pit again. In spite of all that has been happening around lately, I am battling this monster and holding tight to my joy even when it appears like there is nothing to be joyful or grateful for. It is in this state that I cast my mind back on the goodness of God.

One of the recent Christmas holidays, a friend was driving me to the airport to catch an early flight. It was cold and she was going as slowly as she could safely drive on snow. Somehow, the vehicle went out of control, veered across our side of the road, right through the mid barriers, onto the next lane going the opposite direction, reversed, and stopped. We looked at each other…. The car took some scratches but nothing serious and nobody was hurt. We thanked God, found our way back to the right lane and crawled to the airport. There was no telling what would have happened if other cars were on our lane or on the other lane that we veered into. We passed several others being helped but the Lord preserved us – it raised my gratitude in times like this.

I was vacationing with this same friend another time. She was staying somewhere she felt would be comfortable for both of us so I turned down a promotional offer for a hotel accommodation. Late that night when she came to get me where I had spent the day, with a heavy face, she announced my things were in the trunk and that we couldn’t stay there. What next? We got into Hilton and even with privileges of my Hilton honors, I could only get accommodation for a few days and at a higher rate than the one I turned down. We drove to Sheraton which was close by, same story. There were several events that period so all the hotels in that downtown area were filled and could only offer rooms for a few days at higher rates.

Eventually, I felt it was better to head back to Hilton which was a few blocks away. She called to reserve a room for the available days and rates. Less than five minutes later, I was checking in and the lady asked, “How many nights?” I said for the entire trip and she checked me in for the entire period, at the same promotional rate that was no longer available, apologizing because there were separate beds in the room, with a promise to change it later. This is the same place I had asked, and my friend had called just minutes ago. God made a way in the middle of the night when there was nowhere else to turn to and we got our separate beds without having to ask. I came out and told Kat and she went, “Wow, that’s a miracle! You’re going to write about that, right?” I just smiled and then forgot.

How easy it is to lose sight of His love and mercies towards us simply because things are not going as expected. If God goes ahead of us to make ways we didn’t envisage, what is it that we are going through that He cannot settle? Today, I make the choice to remember His goodness, to count His blessings, and to be joy-full until my change comes. I pray you also will hang onto your joy in the nighttime knowing that dawn is close at hand. God bless.

Glory!