Imagine you’re going through some rough patch in your life or you’re battling some sin or vice and you finally open up to someone and they say ‘oh my God! I face this same thing’. The words ‘Me too!’ tumble down like the savoury Toblerone chocolate on your tongue. Those two words are most heart-warming and immediately bridge the gap between any two-people facing similar experiences. Read more
The clouds turn dark when it’s about to rain
The soil closes up the seed when it’s about to grow
The night gets darker when the day is about to break
A pregnant woman travails when she’s about to bring forth
Pain before pleasure
Labor before reward
Darkness before light
So why do you despair
Oh my soul?
This darkness you see
Is for a while
This pain you feel
Won’t last forever
Behold!
Pregnant clouds give birth to rain
Pregnant women give birth to babies
Though you travail
You will surely bring forth
Though the storm rages
You will find still waters
Oh my soul
Don’t give up!
Get up!
Get going!
For the light is about to break forth
This darkness is but for a while
©Mfon Etuk, 2016
I’m about to write on a very unlikely subject. This just goes to show that the Holy Spirit can’t be boxed by ‘likely’ topics. So yeah, this may be a PG post- or not. I’m just tryna ease you up before dropping the girl bomb on you. You know that period every month where ladies seem to be short-fused, irritated, cranky, clingy or plain emotional! For some ladies, the menstrual period is a time of excruciating pain where painkillers become their best friends. Others, it’s just a really uncomfortable period where you can’t wear colored outfits. Lol.
What really goes on is a discharge of blood from the female parts (sounds gross, I know) and I guess some hormones in action also make women really sensitive at this point. I can’t remember much of my biology lessons so I may not be able to fully explain this. Point is, I’m always exhausted when I’m in that period and every slight thing irritates me. I could snap at every ill spoken word. But I don’t mean to be that cranky or irritated, I just find myself being that way. It’s almost unexplainable! Some women could even eat more when they are in that period just to top up the energy lost from the discharge.
A lot of us are familiar with the woman with the issue of blood who touched the edge of Jesus’ clothes and got healed (Luke 8:43-48). While trudging to the bus station with heavy feet and irritation written all over my face as a result of the sun overhead and the impending traffic, the Holy Spirit brought the story to remembrance. Ideally, women go through that grueling period for some 5 days tops. But this woman went 12 years! I don’t even think they used portable sanitary towels as we do. Maybe she had to use napkins or something. Think of the money she would have even spent on getting all those towels!
You know the tiredness and irritation I just explained? Yes, she felt all of that. Her strength was gone. Every little activity wore her out. And here’s the massive crowd around Jesus. She couldn’t scream for help like the beggars. She was too unclean for her friends to drop her from the roof like the paralyzed dude.
She was desperate for help. Save me or I die. That’s the state she was.
One last press; one last push. That’s what sends a baby’s head popping out isn’t it? When you push with the last strength within you; that, she did. Tired; emotional; weak; cranky; irritated by the bunch of sweaty men surrounding Jesus. She pressed. She pushed, until she could feel the linen fabric through her slender fingers. Alas! She touched him. Alas! She was healed.
Pause.
There are situations we have been managing and circumstances that have gotten us at our wits end; prayers that seem to remain unanswered. Breakthroughs that just wouldn’t come through and your strength is slipping away with every breath. What if I told you all you needed was one last press with all you’ve got. Don’t give up on that miracle. Don’t give up on that project or dream. Press for it! It doesn’t matter how many rejections you’ve gotten for your proposal. You’re tired, I know. You’re frustrated, I know. But just one push can make the difference.
To complete the story, Jesus noticed virtue went out of him. Someone’s faith had gotten her the victory. ‘Who touched me?’ He asked. And the crowd got confused because people were literally pressed upon him. But no, this touch was different. Just imagine Heaven being still for a moment as God asks who’s that person pressing? Who’s that still knocking? Who’s that still praying? Who’s that still trusting?
She came forward. As shy as I am about sharing on MP today; as timid as I am about being mocked. She came forward. On an unrelated note, some of us don’t go out for altar calls when we know the call is for us because of this same timidity.
But she was able to come out. And Jesus sealed the miracle for her. Glory!
Lessons
Get desperate!
Press with your last strength!
Be ready to step out in faith!
Hope you were blessed by my sermon on the bus? 😃 And yes, now you know why your gf/wife gets a little ‘unusual’ at that time of the month 😉
©Mfon Etuk, 2016
I’ve often considered myself as being friendly. Albeit I have a strong tendency to be into my shell and be more reactive than proactive as a result of personality traits. However, once I identify someone that looks like me or acts like me, I’m more than willing to strike up a conversation! It’s no surprise my friends are pretty much like me, or I’m like them 😀
Making friends is a bit easy. Sustaining such friendships is where the problem lies. People get separated by distance, jobs, new relationships etc. Back in school, my Chancellor would say 20 friends cannot play together in the same place for 20 years. Very true! Just a couple years after school and I have friends spread all over the globe doing various things. Thanks to social media though, you can keep a track of important details.
But it’s really sad how very close friends become estranged. It’s like a garden left uncared for. The weeds of little misunderstandings and mistrust take over and all you’re left with is the memory of what once was. I’ve had so many blooming friendships end up this way. Either one party stopped working on it or both just gave up trying.
My emphasis for this post though is that moment when estranged friends try to get back together. Where do you start from? You would probably start by asking about things you knew previously. “M, how about that your red Toyota car?” “Oh, I sold it. How about your granny? I loved those chips she often made.” “Yeah, she passed away some 2 years back.” “Oh wow, sorry about your loss.” Then an awkward silence follows as you try to find what to say. “Are you still practicing Diplomacy as you wanted to?” “No, I’m into Human Resources now.” “Oh, okay” What would you probably discuss that wouldn’t sound awkward and disconnected?
Truth is, you’ll probably need some time together to catch up. Or you may fumble with awkwardness for some time till you finally accept the fate that life has changed. People change. So just move on. BTW, this isn’t really a post on human relationships and friendship. This is more of that awkwardness that goes on when you become estranged from God; when you stop reading your Bible or having personal quiet times. When you begin to skip Sunday Services and forget what days the midweek services fall on.
A relationship with God is pretty much like human relationships, it needs a lot of communication and ‘keeping in touch’. You hardly tell estranged friends about a crisis you’re going through in the present. “So I and Zac have been having issues with our relationship.” “Who’s Zac? I thought you were with Mike?” “Oh that was donkey years ago!” And you have to start going on and on about how your relationship life has evolved over the years before she can understand the current situation and try to proffer solutions. Exhaustive!
I’ve had those awkward times where I flip through my Bible unsure of where to start from. Times where I ruminate over my past sins, forgetting that He forgives sins and remembers them no more. I’m like “Err, what’s going on God? Where do I start from?” Of course, He is always there. We are the ones who pull back. Who get so busy with life that we forget to check with Him. He becomes strange to us. And of course you go back to playing catch up; trying to reconnect. Personally, I don’t really find the reconnecting process exciting. I usually say; if you leave me, don’t waltz back into my life to take the seat you were used to. You’ve gotta start all over again to know me. That’s also how I perceive my relationship with God. If I leave Him for a couple of weeks, I have to take the time to backtrack and make amends before we pick up. I have to open up about what happened; how I made mistakes (which I could have avoided if I asked Him) and so on.
Have you ever traveled away from a favorite WiFi spot and come back to see it asking for password? I mean, back then it could connect easily as long as you were there. But you left and became ‘estranged’- I find this really frustrating! 😀
So are you estranged from God? Or even from your friends and family? Do the needful. Go back and reconnect. And most importantly, don’t leave, don’t leave God. He loves you dearly and waits for you to come back. Once you reconnect, make sure you remain connected!
Love,
©Mfon Etuk, 2016
Hey guys!
For those of you who have read the last couple of posts, you’d know I’ve been going through a lot and I really appreciate everyone who stuck with me through it! Thanks for the encouragement and prayers. It felt good to be on the receiving end of the encouragement! 😀
I’m glad to let you know I’m okay, and I’m on my way forward. The storm is calm and God’s peace has taken over. Thank God!
So I’m gonna share what I learnt from the past weeks;
Surround Yourself with ‘Encouragers’
I whined a lot about the depression and the bad breaks to quite a number of friends. The listeners listened; the encouragers encouraged me in the word, those who didn’t understand, still said something. A lot said the things I already knew. This reminded me of what Job said;
I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could make fine speeches against you and shake my head at you. –Job 16:4
This made me give a lot more thought to how I encourage others. Let’s face it, most of the things you hear, you already know. What makes the difference is the empathy and the understanding shown by the person encouraging. You don’t go saying stuffs when you have no idea what the person is going through.
It all lies in your hands
One of my senior friends took the time out to let me know the power to stop being miserable was in my hands. She understood my whining and empathized with me. But also told me that we are responsible for our happiness not other people. We determine how to react to bad stuffs that happen and how we let them affect us.
This was followed by another message by Joyce Meyer that spoke about taking personal responsibility of what happens to us. There’s a limit to which people can help us. The bulk of the work still rests on our shoulders and our decisions.
Get your groove back!
So hey, I pulled out of the frumps and into some pumps and took myself out. Watched a really cool movie, didn’t even realize when I finished the pack of popcorn! Then I went on a shopping spree! Got a really cute dress, an amazing perfume and yeah I got a new chunky ring! 😀 Also had my favourite frozen yoghurt! Now that’s my happy place! I forgot about the stuffs weighing me down and I even noticed how cute the clouds were on my way home. Like some soft pillows for the sky to rest upon. So adorable!
You can’t stay in your happy place forever
Oh, shopping is my happy place ! I totally love getting new stuffs! 😀 But I found out you really can’t stay in your happy place forever. Reality kicks in like an unwanted guest. Not long into the week I broke down again. It was an implosion that caused an explosion as I attacked the people that came around me. I always had my moods under control but I just lost it that day and they saw it- and of course, it freaked them out 😦
True Joy comes from God
Happiness is easily triggered by circumstances and is often short lived. But joy! Oh sweet joy that comes from knowing God and how much He loves you regardless of your imperfections. I sought after that joy. Repented of my sins and turned back to His warm embrace. 🙂
I had to stop looking to people and things to give me only what God could give me– joy and peace!
So dear one, if you’re still going through the sad phase, please cheer up. The night can never stop the day from breaking forth. No matter how stormy it is, calmness is certain. Take responsibility for your life. Christ has already given you victory over this battle. Just arise and take it!
Have a super amazing week ahead!
Lots of love,
©Mfon Etuk, 2016
Feel free to share your thoughts! I look forward to reading them 😀
***Song for the day; Wanna Be Happy by Kirk Franklin***
Dainty M. 