Day 6

My service year (still serving though) has been an eye-opener. There are things I'm just getting to understand. Some things that happened before, I'm beginning to understand why they happened.

For example, truth be told, I don't have the luxury of time on my hands to do things the way I used to before now, and I'm not just talking spirituals now, but in other aspects like writing, taking a course, and all. However, for the purpose of this post, I'll emphasize on the spiritual aspect.

I have a circle of supernatural relationships (a group of us 8 friends on a WhatsApp group just praying, studying, doing God's will and fulfilling purpose together). Daily, we drop reports in this format;

Prayer:

Bible study:

Books:

Message:

Fasting:

Purpose related activities:

We just fill it up with whatever we did during the day and fix the time frame in bracket.

The Lord helped me then, I could go 2-3 hours praying. About an hour studying, could fast for days (not dry fasting), I could afford to write daily, do vigils and sometimes, I’m opportune to listen to 2 messages of more than and hour, 30 minutes each.

That's to tell you how much ample time I had on my hands. Mind you, I was staying alone then and was working (as a freelancer though, but later got a 7-2 job).

Even with the job, I still found a way around it and my friends were always astonished as to how I was able to go about it and I knew there was a grace upon my life back then that strengthened me for that. However, my parents kicked against me staying away. It was a lot, but I stood my ground because I know I heard from God and I heard clearly when He asked me to stay back in school after I was done with my university degree.

It was a lot with my parents then, but I was willing to go down that route with God while praying that my parents will understand in the long run.

(This is to elaborate Day 4)

Fast forward to now, to pray and study for 1 hour is a battle. I go weeks without listening to a message and as for reading books, I totally left it. I totally forgot about writing all together. 

Yes, I have genuine and legal excuses as to why I can't engage in these as before but then I still try my possible best.

Now, I was praying the other day, and then I was wondering why I felt so drowned and why I couldn't do these things like before, and the Holy Spirit gave me a simple answer. He said; “This was why you had to stay back in Ife (Ife is where my school is located). You needed to build yourself for what was coming because this was bound to happen."

Now, I might not be able to go deeply into this but I now understood why I had to stay back in school then. I just thought it was about staying away from my parents for a while in order to build myself. Meanwhile, it was for now. Trust me, if I didn't develop a level of knowledge back then, there'd be a lot that I would do wrongly or not do at all at this time. Since then, I try my possible best to do these things with the time I have on my hands now.

Matter of fact, I already had an idea of what my service year was gonna look like in those days of training. If not for that, I'd have packed my bags and left (I'd have ghosted service year and found something else to do). It was the Words and Instructions I heard from the Lord that I'm hanging on to right now.

I would give anything to have those days back but then, I have to work with what I have now but with the knowledge I developed back then.

As for my parents, we still didn't see eye-to-eye on the issue but they still let me be; trusting God that I wouldn't go astray.

****

After a story like this, usually I'd say a thing or two on how to work with these informations. However, I just choose to tell the story and leave (except of course He asks me to buttress my story with an admonition) The Holy Spirit will brood upon it in your heart, give you the right interpretation and instruct you on how to a engage the same in your life.

I'll leave you with this: Never joke with any moment or phase of your life. You might never have access to that opportunity anymore. I'd give anything to have those times back. However, I don't look back with regrets that I didn't make good use of that time because I did the exact opposite. I didn't wile away that time and it's yielding it's dividends now.

Shalom.