There is one other miracle from the pandemic that I would like to share, but that one is a series on its own, because it covers a period of over 2+ years.
But let’s go back to what a testimony is. A testimony (in my view and when it comes to faith) is about sharing the good, extraordinary, and spectacular things God has done for you. These things don't have to be "Grand" in "size". We know a good thing has happened to us because we know, if it didn't happen, oh! the impact would be quite significant. Where it looked like it was a small thing, it really wasn't small. It was a big deal. So more than anything, a testimony is about first recognising what God has done. If you don't see what God has done, how can you then share your experience. In recognising what God has done, you begin to see or understand which of His glorious attributes allowed you to experience the blessings you have received. His Love, Faithfulness, Favour, Comfort, Healing, Kindness, Patience, Mercy, and Grace. They are so many.
I've heard various definitions of Grace from various sermons. The one I liked said, God's Grace is when He decides to give you something that you don't deserve. In short you get something that you shouldn't get or don't get something that you should get. Maybe you went for an interview and bombed it (in a horrible way) yet you still got the job. I saw one meme where the interviewer asks, "So where do you see yourself in five years?" and the person replies, "I'd say my biggest weakness is listening." If this candidate has been answering all the questions like this and gets the job, truly God's Grace is upon them, and they need to praise Him.
Let me say at this point I don't believe in luck. I recognise every positive thing that happens to me, however small it is, is a blessing directly from God. I have parked in a single yellow line "quickly" and haven't got a ticket. In the spirit of tell the truth and shame the devil, I have also quickly passed the red traffic light and quickly passed the speed camera and didn't get a ticket. I didn't deserve to get off Scot free, but I did. During the pandemic I had lots of such moments of Gods' Kindness, Patience, Mercy and Grace, K.P.M.G, that I am thankful for.
When I returned to work after being off sick for a while most people were working from home, so it meant my long journey usually filled with traffic at certain points, was now smooth sailing. When I arrived at work, my team had worked so hard at costs only known to them, and I found the place in excellent condition. This made it easier to settle back. The workload was not as manic as they had experienced in my absence, and they were surprised. In my head I just said thank you God! Months later when another lockdown was announced, I thought it would be as manic as the last day I worked before I went off sick, 3 days before the first lockdown.
I'm a forward planner and had come up with a strategy of how we would manage in the upcoming lockdown. I had a meeting with the team and went through the things we could do, based on what we had learnt. Lockdown came and it wasn't manic! Thank You Jesus! In addition to that despite being on the front line, I didn't get re-infected with Covid. God kept His protective hedge around me even when one of my colleagues got infected and was quite ill. Despite the difficulty of the times, I found myself in good spirits overall.
Around me, my family, friends, and colleagues were also safe. In particular, my mom was "Samson strong" as she helped me through my convalescence. She really was and anytime anyone asked of her, those were my exact words. When I was off sick and on my own (my mom hadn't yet come to help me) a neighbour dropped a handwritten note in my letter box. We had never seen each other or spoken to each other. She had noticed my car had not moved for some days and wanted to make sure I was ok. She had written her number and said if I needed anything to let her know. This was Gods' K.P.M.G in action. God knew I needed help. My Uncle Job was helping me with my shopping and now I had an extra person close by in case I needed anything.
When she would go to the supermarket to do her shopping, she would bring for me some supplies. She would buy things without me asking and just place them at the door. She would then message me to say she has left some stuff at the door. She would never let me refund her. Even now as I write this, it makes me want to tear. It’s not every day you see such kindness. When the masses had cleared all the toilet paper, Sharon had offered to get me some if I needed. Two years on, Sharon is now one of my good friends.
Three of my colleagues would message and check on me and one of them who didn't live near me, would also offer to bring me supplies if I needed. There's nothing as soothing to the soul as being checked on and being offered help when you're ill. I believe these are the things that kept me going and kept my spirits up when in the natural they should have been low.
In other areas, technology enabled me to continue hanging out with God on Sabbath, just like I used to, before the pandemic, through online services. I also started a "world tour" of churches. Time difference (Australia) and language barriers, limited me from "visiting" as many as I wanted to. However, I found two that I now attend every Sabbath, Revision Church Atlanta, and Plantation SDA Church. I have also recently added Oakwood university Church. Thanks to technology and the pandemic I now get to "go" to Florida, Atlanta and Huntsville, every week, without leaving my house or buying these expensive air tickets. I also don't have to go through U.S TSA & the long immigration queues, which can make you easily miss your connecting flight. I love many fruits of the pandemic. This is definitely one of them.
God cares about every part of us not just the "serious" parts. The pandemic saw the rise of Verzuz and this really entertained me. The Babyface and Teddy Riley Verzuz was one I won't forget together with the tweets and memes that followed. It was good to see some of my favourite singers come together and sing songs from my youth. This memory of Verzuz is now special because my cousin, Sonya, who is now waiting peacefully for the resurrection, would remind me when it was on, because they used to stream very early UK time. We would chit chat about the artists in the show, which song we were hoping they would sing and I definitely won't forget that period. I thought I was just having fun, but God knew I was making memories that I now treasure. (I will one day share my testimony of Sonya.)
The thing about Gods' K.P.M.G is that you recognise you are receiving His blessings because of Him and not because of yourself. I am not more special than anyone else. I am not "holier" than anyone else and fall short just like everyone else. Sometimes when I do something raggedy that false narrative comes in my head saying, "now God won't answer your prayers." That is one of those many lies the father of lies wants us to believe. God has made it His mission to show me that indeed it is a lie, by answering my prayers regardless of how short I've fallen.
Off course there are consequences to my poor choices. If I chose to drive in the bus lane, I will get a ticket. Getting the ticket is not God punishing me. There is a line in one of my favourite films The Shack that says, "sin is its own punishment". God keeps answering prayers because His K.P.M.G is fully dependent on who He is and not me and my character or behaviour. Thank God! because if it was dependent on me, would I have received all the blessings I have received in my life? The ones I know about and the ones I have no clue? Would I even be here? (God fights some battles that we don't know about, may be there was going to be a fatal accident but because of his K.P.M.G, I am here today.)
God is so good and can't help but be Kind to all His children because He loves them unconditionally like that. He shows His Kindness in so many ways and throughout the pandemic I have seen this first hand. He is so Patient and waits for me to give Him permission to lead me in the path that will give me the life He has beautifully planned for me. Sometimes I walk with Him and hold his hand as He leads me, just like a wonderful Father would. Just like a child, sometimes I will let His hand go and wander off somewhere near or far.
Let it be clear if anyone lets go of the hand it is us and NOT God. He promises to never leave us nor forsake us, and He doesn't. He always stays true to His word and promise. Next time you doubt Him, ask yourself, between this unconditionally loving, K.P.M.G God who sent His Son so we may have eternal life Versus our raggedy sinful selves, who is likely to let who down? Who is likely to break their promise? How many times have we said "aki God if you just do this for me I wont ... or I will..." Ok let me speak for myself. I have broken many promises and fallen short...again!
Our feelings or the one who was kicked out of heaven lie to us that when we are going through an extremely challenging time, God has left us and this is not true. First of all our feelings can't be trusted because they are fickle. (I am not saying don't feel them because that will be unhealthy. Pray that they don't rule you.)I have watched small children walking with their parents and seen how they wander off and the parent just observes them as they explore whatever they're exploring. Sometimes it’s a stone or a stem i.e., nothing of value. That's the same thing we do when we let go of Gods' hand and wander off. Trust you me, there's nothing of value we are going to find when we leave Gods' hand.
The difference with the earthly parent and God, is that God is Patient with us and doesn't scold or shout at us or even condemn us. He just waits patiently as we explore this "stone". Lord have mercy! And sure enough He does pour his Mercy on us and holds our hands, like we never left His, when we go back to hold His hand. I love the story of Jesus and the woman who was caught in the act of adultery in John 8:3-11. Yes, she (and the man) committed adultery and the scribes and Pharisees were ready to deliver the punishment of stoning her. In my opinion Jesus is the Master of clap backs and He told them "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her". One by one they left the scene! He asked the woman "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?...Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again."
The reason why I love this story is because it just shows the K.P.M.G. of God. Jesus was in every position to condemn her, He didn't. Gods' K.P.M.G is always upon us, and we shouldn't be surprised when He does great things for us because that is just how He is. He doesn't wait for us to feel we deserve his K.P.M.G. He will give it anyway, Amen! I heard a sermon by Pastor Gena Gordon, (Revision Church) and she said, "Grace is not Grace if you deserve it". There are so many blessings I received throughout the pandemic that I know I didn't deserve. Praise God He saw it fit to bless me anyway!
I am very grateful for God's K.P.M.G in bringing these blessings (known and unknown). I am grateful that I will never receive His blessings based on what I do or don't do. Yaani this is so comforting. Nothing I do/ don't do, can ever prevent Him from sending me His blessings. And God is a multi-blessing kind of God. He won't just give you one blessing. He gives you many blessings. If He gives you one blessing, it becomes fruitful and multiplies. Most of all God blesses us at any time, pandemic, endemic, recession, stagflation, and all life's seasons. Whether we see it or not God is blessing us. So many times I've suddenly realised, that God has answered a prayer that I even forgot about or because He has answered it in a different way, I was slow to realise. Dear brain, the Excellent book, says be slow to anger NOT be slow to realise when the prayer has been answered yaye! I really do believe it is during our deepest valleys that God is Phenomenally Excellent in making sure His K.P.M.G is fully active and in supreme motion. How do I know? I am here telling the tale having executed two words "Only Believe".
May The Lord Bless you and Keep you.
Related verses: Mark 5:36, Matthew 24:14, John 3:16, 1 John 1:9, 1 Corinthians 1:9, 2 Corinthians 1:3, Exodus 15:26, Psalm 145:8-12, Ephesians 4:32, Exodus 34:6, James 1:17, Ephesians 3:20, Job 1:10
#Comfort #Healing #Kindness #Patience #Mercy #Grace #Blessings #Gratitude #SmoothTraffic #SmoothWorkload #Lockdown #ForewardPlanning #Neighbours #HelpIsOnTheWay #SoulSoothing #UpSpirited #OnlineChurch #SimpleBlessings #TSA #Verzuz #Father #ChildOfGod #Stone #Adultery #Condemn #Pharisees #Scribes #Sin #Pandemic #Endemic #Recession #Stagflation #Valleys #Tale #SlowToAnger
Next post: 30/10/2022
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No one can convince me that God isn't real.
Miracles, signs and wonders..