Some of my closest friendships bonds till date are those formed in my secondary school days. We were few and tight, everybody knew everybody. Many years after, we still relieve the experiences and fond memories that we shared in those days. A lot of the character traits that have helped us stay above board many years down the line were instilled into us in those days by our wonderful teachers and a Principal like no other. In its first year of establishment, students in three different grades were introduced at the same time. My set was the lowest of the three. We experienced a lot of hardship in those early days because of non-existent basic infrastructure. Hurricane lanterns were essential commodities because we needed them for illumination in the night. The term ‘midnight candle’ was very real to us. To get potable water, we all had to take turns at the only hand pump in the school…that was really an experience because sometimes you could exert a lot of energy in pumping the water and you will be blessed with only a few drops of water. Even though we faced all these hardships and more, we always looked forward to returning to school at the end of each school holiday period. During those days, the experience was unmatched by any other and the people we were with made everything all the more worth the while.
When there’s a greater cause, the temporary pain and struggles are greatly diminished and become insignificant in the scheme of things – we only need to keep our eyes on that ‘greater cause’. The road to where we are headed may be filled with bumps, potholes and dark patches, but we can always count on the grace of God to abound in our weakest moments. His promises are sure and steadfast. He said:
“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” Isaiah 43:2 (NLT)
Remembering these unfailing promises as well as past victories will help us keep our heads above the storms when they come. We brave the storms with joy just like Habakkuk testified.
“Fig trees may no longer bloom, or vineyards produce grapes; olive trees may be fruitless, and harvest time a failure; sheep pens may be empty, and cattle stalls vacant but I will still celebrate because the LORD God is my Savior.” Habakkuk 3:17-18 (CEV)
When we are in the middle of those stormy days, it’s difficult to steady our ship, the gust often obscures our vision and makes it hard for us to see far enough and we can’t perceive what God is doing. In those times, these lines of the song – Way Maker by Sinach – are very instructive:
“Even when I don’t see it, You’re working Even when I don’t feel it, You’re working You never stop, You never stop working”
We will work hard, we will do everything that we need to do, we will pray hard and we will wait with joy. This ties in nicely with a piece I wrote in the past: WHILE WAITING…
Chidi Ukandu's Blog 