It’s a cool evening in March 2022. Anita stood in front of the door of her one-bedroom apartment, somewhere in the city of Kumasi, Ghana. The evening breeze brushed against her skin; the city lights sparkled like glittering diamonds. The air was clean and fresh, smelling of damp earth.
Anita looked on from one corner of the compound to the other corners, beaming at the happy children playing without any bother. Some of the children recited songs in their local language, whilst others engaged in a playful combat with their joyous shouts echoing through the compound.
A few moments ago, Anita had cried her eyes out whilst trying to do the laundry in her bathroom. She couldn’t stop crying, that’s why she went outside to clear her head by watching the kids play. But for some reason, she found it difficult to distract her mind from her worries.
Anita is a devout Christian. The past months have been very challenging for her. She has never felt this stuck in her life. So many waters have gone under the bridge in the past six months; she had experienced a broken relationship, job loss, visa denial, health scare, and just the previous week, another dream had dissolved – a business venture she had poured her heart into. Disbelief weighed heavily on her chest, fear and doubts overwhelmed her. She is uncertain of what life will throw at her next – a breakthrough or another misfortune? She had just a little strength left inside of her to keep pushing.
Before proceeding to do the laundry and then going outside to watch the playing children, she had tried to find comfort in her bible. She clutched to her bible; its pages softened by her anxious fingers seeking solace. Unable to find solace, she decided to proceed to occupy herself with other activities.
Whilst she watched the children play, she wished she had the power to rewind time so that she could be a child once again, being a child comes with no worries, probably just a little worry.
It was getting dark; the children were gradually dispersing; some of the children had gone indoors. Anita decided to take a walk, believing it could help relieve her of her worries.
Aside from all the mishaps of the past few months, she had so many dreams that are yet to be fulfilled – getting married, having a successful career, relocating overseas, and birthing her children before she turned 35.
The next month, April 2022 would be her 32nd birthday. There is no man currently showing interest in marrying her now, how can she start a godly family before she is 35? How can she pick up from where she stopped after the visa denial? How can she build a successful career after a job loss and a business loss? How can she improve her health given the difficult circumstances? How can she make God understand that time is running against her, and he needs to show up now? How can she feel better?
Anyway, the short walk did help her to an extent. When she got home, she was so exhausted that she slept off almost immediately.
The next morning, Anita was up quite late, at around 11am. She decided to have a short moment of prayer and bible study before she continued with the laundry that she abandoned the previous day. As she studied the book of Isaiah chapter 60, being the bible study for the day, verse 22 jumped out at her. This has been the solace she has been looking for all the while. “…at the right time, I, the LORD, will make it happen” (Isaiah 60 vs 22b – NLT).
She got the message; God’s timing was simply different from hers. It seemed like a huge burden was lifted off her chest. She was so glad she heard God speak so clearly to her even in the darkest of times. After her prayers, she proceeded to do the laundry and slowly, she began to shift her focus.
Instead of wallowing in self-pity, she began to list her blessings in her diary. This act ignited a spark of hope in her; as she reminisced on how God had paved the way for her severally in the past when circumstances seemed unfavorable, she had faith in God that he would work things for her in His own time.
Anita rekindled an old hobby she hadn’t done in a while – painting, this filled her life with bright colors. She started exercising and eating healthy so that she could stay off medications as soon as possible. She started volunteering at an orphanage and gave hope to the kids there. Every little thing she did for herself and for others helped provide relief and a sense of satisfaction.
One ordinary day, shortly after Anita’s birthday (towards the end of April 2022), an opportunity came through. A friend called to inform her about an opening at her place of work, the opening perfectly aligned with Anita’s skills and experience. She went ahead to apply for the job. It felt different this time, it wasn’t a desperate action, it was a gentle nudge urging her to do the needful by putting in her best while filling out the application form.
The interview was challenging, but Anita navigated it with a kind of confidence she had never experienced before. As she walked out of the interview, she felt so calm; it wasn’t a sense of optimism, but a deep trust in God’s promises.
A week later, the call she had been expecting came through; she got the job. Tears dropped down from her eyes, not out of sadness this time, but out of unspeakable joy. It wasn’t just about the job; it was the culmination of her journey in the past few months, a testimony of unwavering belief and newfound resilience through God’s help.
As Anita settled into her new role, her life bloomed. The job and business she had lost became a stepping stone to equipping her with valuable skills. The health scare she had faced led to a healthier lifestyle. The broken relationship helped her gain focus on the qualities she desires in a future partner to build the godly home she desires. The visa denial has helped her gain more information and taught her to be more meticulous in her future application. All these experiences were stepping stones toward her personal growth and a brighter future.
Looking back, Anita has come to realize that disappointments serve a purpose. They helped her break down the walls of self-doubt and revealed the strong woman that she is. They had increased her faith and strengthened her relationship with God.
She is yet to get all her desires and dreams fulfilled, but her confidence is in God’s promise – “…at the right time, I, the LORD, will make it happen” (Isaiah 60 vs 22b – NLT version). The “right time” might still be unknown, but “God will make it happen”.
You may be in a similar situation to Anita’s; all you need to do is hold on to God, read and meditate on the word of God, and let it mix with faith in your heart.
Would there be new challenges and disappointments in the future? Probably, yes, but when the time is right, God will make it happen.
by Christiana Oghogho Okafor
Isaiah 60 vs 22 (KJV) – A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time.
Isaiah 60 vs 22 (NKJV) – A little one shall become a thousand, And a small one a strong nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.
Isaiah 60 vs 22 (NIV) – The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly.
Isaiah 60 vs 22 (NLT) – The smallest family will become a thousand people, and the tiniest group will become a mighty nation. At the right time, I, the LORD, will make it happen.
Isaiah 60 vs 22 (MSG) – The runt will become a great tribe, the weakling become a strong nation. I am God. At the right time I’ll make it happen.
Isaiah 60 vs 22 (ASV) – The little one shall become a thousand, and the small one a strong nation; I, Jehovah, will hasten it in its time.
Isaiah 60 vs 22 (NAS) – The smallest one will become a clan, And the least one a mighty nation. I, the LORD, will hasten it in its time.
Isaiah 60 vs 22 (ESV) – The least one shall become a clan, and the smallest one a mighty nation; I am the LORD; in its time I will hasten it.
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