TRUST THE PROCESS

GENESIS 37 (TPT)

The Story of Joseph

1-2This is the story of the family of Jacob, who had settled in the land of Canaan, where his father Isaac had lived as an immigrant. 

Jacob’s son Joseph was seventeen, and he served his older half brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah, helping them watch over the flocks. One day Joseph went to his father with a bad report about their behavior. 

3Now Israel’s love for Joseph surpassed that for his other sons because he was born to him in his old age.

Familiar story, I assume. Hello my precious faves, how are you doing? It's really been a while, and a lot has happened, but you never left my thoughts and prayers. This year is still a great year, no matter what. The joy of the Lord will always be our strength.

Today, we are discussing the process of making. For those of you familiar with my other blog, "LEEZIE'S SNUG ROOM", we discussed the challenges of puberty and adolescence. One of those challenges is finding purpose. A lot of questions flood every teenager's heart at every step; Who am I? What am I here for? What am I supposed to be doing now? Asking these questions and being confused at this stage are normal, because adolescence is the rehearsal for adulthood. 

Joseph was a seventeen year old, in a very large household. He lived with his mother,  stepmother, eleven brothers, one sister, two house helps who were also baby-mamas. Very complicated background, if you ask me. He was the second to the last son, and I'm sure, on some levels, his achievements could have been insignificant at that stage. But it is very significant to us today. 

As a teenager, he might not have figured out God's divine assignment for him, but Joseph learned to do what was expected of him as a child in a Jewish household, and also as a child of God. He knew quite early, that even though he didn't have a picture of what the rest of his life would look like, a life of service and integrity were non-negotiable. He served his parents consistently, and was upright in all his dealings. The Bible records that he used to report the wrongdoings of his brothers to his father. A clear conscience was his priority.

This brings us to the conversation on purpose. There are two levels of purpose; the general and specific. General purpose is the realm that links all believers into one big family. Here, we have same purpose and passion, same foundation, and same direction. This can be found in Ecclesiastes 12 vs 13(GNB), "After all this, there is only one thing to say: Have reverence for God, and obey his commands, because this is all that we were created for."  This means we are all called to a life of reverence and obedience, total service and dependence on God. This is what helps us maintain a unified identity as God's children. At this stage, whatever you end up doing with the rest of your life, you still have a foundation rooted in reverence and obedience to God. This was the code Joseph cracked that charted the course for the rest of his life.

So, while you ask your valid questions about the now and the future, make sure you have your general purpose locked in. It was from the realm of general purpose that Joseph soared. As we read on, we discover that the rest of Joseph's life still depended on his decisions as a teenager, to be a person of integrity and service. This brings me to the question; the choices and principles you live by, can they sustain your specific purpose? I need you to understand that, the person you are, is the same person you will bring to the office, family, ministry, business and politics. I ask again; can your choices and principles sustain your specific purpose? That's a question ever teenager will have to answer.

So while you wait on God to give you the full picture of where He is taking you to, live each day in total submission and dependence on Him. He knows exactly what He is doing, and His plan is always better and bigger. Remember the potter working on the clay in the picture above? All the clay ever needs to do is to be clay; be flexible. Take the shape the potter is asking of you. The finished product will justify the whole process. Just be clay.

In our next edition, we will talk about specific purpose still with Joseph as a case study. Until then, just be clay. God's got you 🤗🤗🤗 

Photo credit: Pexels.com

JAR OF OIL SEASONS.... REAL STORIES, REAL PEOPLE

 REAL STORIES..... REAL PEOPLE

        Hello dearest, how have you been? It's been a while. I believe you're good. So we will continue from where we stopped. The last time we spoke about little drops of water that make a mighty ocean. In this context, we call them "our jar of oil" seasons. So I got a beautiful couple to share their personal stories on how they were able to make something out of what they considered nothing or too little. This couple, are my pastors: Rev and Pastor Lilian Ochemba👼👼💓💖💗.

Let's do ladies first😁.

               PASTOR LILIAN

   

 What I had, but didn't realize I had, was, (shall we say?) relationships  or gift of men. I had always wanted to start an NGO. I had always wanted to reach out to others, make a difference in people's lives, and help them get well. My husband would often say, "why don't you start?" And I will tell him I don't have the funds to begin.. I need funds to purchase the items these people require. I need resources to  plan, logistics and everything else. 

    As a result, I would constantly inform them that I lacked the resources. And then I didn't want to do it any longer. I wanted to execute it in such a way that when I go on my outreaches, these individuals would be aware. That meant I'd have to think and plan large.

    I've been making this same justification for years. But one day, I just decided to start. I attended an event, and the things mentioned really got me motivated. So I told myself I would start regardless. 

    When I started, I tried to reach out to a specific community but they wouldn't even give me attention. This was because they were looking for food🍛 or any other items, and I didn't have any at my disposal.  So I needed to re-strategize, which meant getting food items, clothing, and other things that would really draw their attention. 

        Then my husband suggested I did a video telling people what I was doing. So I made a video and people helped me share. And before you know it, people started sending me messages; "I have bag of clothes. I will bring it". "I have food, I will bring it." "I will support you with so and so". People sent money💰.

    And the funny thing is that, I didn't even have a registered NGO so it was my personal business account they were sending it to. And at the end of the day, the outreach was successful and we shared more than enough things.

    Now I've done a second outreach without having the "money" I was looking for, but by the help of men, by the gift of men and relationships around me. Initially I believed no good could come from relationships. But God taught me  that even men are gifts from Him and He can choose to give them to us to help sort out our personal needs if only we can trust Him.

    So that's pretty much it. I had the gift of men but I didn't know the value of people around me. I didn't know people could be of help to me so I was thinking I was all by myself and I was going to figure it all by myself.  I was going to look for how to make it work myself but God opened my eyes to the fact that relationships are also key.

    A day to the outreach, I was telling my husband that it is only someone that has gone through this path that will sincerely understand when you say you don't need money to carry out most of these projects🚧. I always thought I needed plenty money to start in a big way, but God blew my mind by the gifts of people around me.

    Nice story indeed, and very inspiring. But what's a Rev's wife story without mentioning her husband ten times?😆😆😆   

    REV CHIMA 

    My life amplifies a lot of "jar of oil" moments; moments when I felt inadequate. Moments when I felt unable. Moments when I felt like the "five loaves of bread" scenario against the "five thousand". There are several moments like that in my life but let me talk about my fashion business.

    In 2004, my family was in a situation where my dad hadn't gotten big contracts for a while and I had to go back to school. He made sure he got all our school books and our fees paid. 

     I remember on of those cases, I was given pocket money, part of which was my transport fare from Warri to FUTO. "Pastor Chi" was coming back😅so I had to buy two loaves of bread🍞 and banana🍌, and by the time I got to school, it was almost gone. I just had to manage myself through that season, through that time. 

    On a certain day I got a call from one of my uncles and he said, "hey, what's happening with you at school? Are you alright? What's the matter? I hope everything is okay." So I told him the usual, "I wish I had more funds, but we are fine". So he sent me #5000 on MoneyGram. Back then, account numbers and transfers were not as fluid as they are these days.  I remember borrowing #100 from my neighbor to go to the bank in town (Standard Trust) then. By 9am I was in the bank and I didn't leave there till past 5😃. It was a long, hungry and hopeful day. I remember when they gave me the money a few minutes past 5, I had to go to a nearby restaurant and I sorted myself with a loaded wrap of fufu😋. 

    So I came back to the hostel that day with my #5K as a big boy. I paid back my friend his #100. I knew that I needed something to help sustain myself even though it wasn't anything big, but I didn't know what it was. I couldn't do anything unethical because I had a very strong believers' background⛪. My parents did a fantastic job on that for which I'm eternally grateful. I knew there was something more for me to do  but I didn't know exactly what it was. And like I said earlier, I didn't want to do anything that was ungodly. I didn't want to be in that association that seemed as though they could meet my physical needs. My faith☩ was more important than anything else.

    I spoke to a friend of mine who lived in Aba about making a shirt from my #5K. Back then, to make shirts (both fabric and sewing), was #600 or so, depending on the quality of the fabric. But with a good fabric, you could get for #600. So I got my friend to help me get to Aba🚌. I remember him giving me descriptions and thereafter following me. I made two shirts and wore one. No business in mind. I just needed shirts to add to my wardrobe since I hadn't had anything new for a while.

    I went back to school and wore one of them to class. A friend and classmate of mine looked at me and said, "wow, nice shirt man." I didn't know where it came from but I said, "well, they are for sale oh😁". I can remember selling those shirts for #1400. In fact I sold the one I wore that day and came home with a white round neck tee-shirt. In other words, I already had that business grit within me that I hadn't maximized. So I said to myself, "wow, that's some good stuff😎". 

    I went back to Aba, made three shirts this time, wore one, sold the other two. I made one and sent to my friend in Benin and when he wore it to class, he started marketing the shirt there as well. From there, it just kept getting better and better. I remember when I got my first call to make 120 shirts and I was like, "are you serious? Is this even possible?" Then from shirts👕, I started making trousers, to waist coats, to suits🕴 and then to choir robes. Before you know, the full fashion and costume business became a stay for me.

     From 2004 up till today, I still have that business running. I got married on that business. I was doing a lot of work and making some money from there. What's the lesson from this? I could have blown that #5000 but that #5K became my five loaves and two fishes. I brought it before the LORD and He blessed it, and here I am today. That is how most of my increase has come; from fashion. The same way also, the little skill of graphics design, when I took it seriously, got me my job at an International organization. From doing graphics for social media, to designing graphics internationally. So you see the evolution from my little?

    What is my message? Young man, young lady, do not take for granted what you have. Do not take for granted what you know. Do not take for granted what is available for you. God never leaves us without our cruise of oil. God never leaves us without our five loaves and two fishes. There is always something small that He gives us, but in that small lies great potential. That's my story. Hope it helped you😇😇😇.

        So these are real stories, by real people, giving us their own version of their "jar of oil" seasons.  The question still remains; what do you have? Jesus asked that question. Elisha asked the same question. I ask again, what do you have?

    Thanks for your time. Stay blessed and established. Love you aplenty💖💖💖

 LITTLE DROPS OF WATER.....

2 Kings 4:1-7 (NLT)

        1. One day a widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, "my husband who       served you is dead, and you know how he feared the LORD. And now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves."

       2. "What can I do to help you?" Elisha asked. "Tell me, what do you have in the house?"

        "Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil", she replied.

      3. And Elisha said, "borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors"

      4. "Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door. Pour olive oil from your flask into the  jars, setting      each one aside when it is filled.

      5. So she did as she was told. Her sons bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another.

      6. Soon every container was filled to the brim! " Bring me another jar", she said to one of her sons.

            "There aren't anymore!" he told her. And then the oil stopped flowing.

      7.When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, "Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts,             and you and your sons can live on what is left over.

        This story is very familiar. You must have known every detail by heart. You might even have questions. Legit         questions. Why would a prophet be in debt🙄🙄🙄? What kind of person did he borrow from, that was                 threatening his kids😱😱😱? Prophets got a lot of gifts back then, why did he have to borrow? No legit Jew      could give him😕?

    All these questions are what we all would love to get answers to, but the Bible didn't say. We just know there was    a problem, and a solution was needed ASAP. These kids would be sold, if help didn't come. A widow would lose her    kids. These are the facts before us. 

    The part that still gets my attention was when Prophet Elisha asked her what she had and she said "nothing,           except...". The answer "nothing" was based on what she could see. Her current reality before her eyes. She was       speaking from a place of defeat. I am quite sure that she just mentioned the jar of olive oil in passing, not              expecting it to be of any use. "Let it not be that I didn't say anything. It isn't much, but let me mention it, so the     prophet would know how bad it is.' My thoughts actually🤔🤔🤔

     I think the first miracle in the story, is her ability to remember the insignificant oil. That was what led to the       series of miracles she experienced. We tend to forget that saying the right thing at the right time is the Spirit's       leading by compulsion👼. Unconsciously and impulsively saying what needs to be said, is a miracle we overlook. 

    From her reply, the prophet saw an opportunity to change her story and he took it. Asked her to fill all her jars with oil, borrow from neighbors and keep pouring. As long as there was an empty jar to pour into, the oil kept      flowing. It didn't stop until she said "there isn't any more". 

    Elisha then instructed them to sell the oil, pay the debts and live on what was left. They had more than enough       left. From the same jar of oil that shared a sentence with nothing. It wasn't meant to be of any use. But in the  hand of God, it became everything.

    What does this teach us? Quite a few lessons actually. You are never empty. God never leaves us empty. We           didn't come to the world empty, and for the rest of our lives, we will always have something. It is very easy to look    at your present reality and conclude. Very easy to accept defeat. Very easy to give up. Sometimes what we might    call a hobby, a weakness, a disadvantage, an inadequacy, a setback, would end up being the very thing that opens    the door for us.

       Every time there was a miracle in scripture, especially when it was a miracle of multiplication, it came from       what was handy. The feeding of the 5000 (John 6:1-14). Turning water to wine (John 2:1-10). Parting the Red Sea    (read the whole book of Exodus, when you have the time).  Funny enough, for each time, those involved never knew the power they carried. Sound familiar?

        I am very sure the boy who gave his lunch to the disciples, never knew twelve baskets of leftovers could come from five loaves and two fishes. I am certain that the servants thought they were serving people ordinary water,  when Jesus asked them to. I also believe that Moses always saw his staff as a normal stick, until a sizeable  number of miracles came from him wielding the staff as God led.

    This brings me to my second lesson. Do not take for granted, any gift or possession, or ability, God has placed in  your hand. God is very intentional about us. It doesn't matter how young you are, God gives you enough for the    now. As a teenager, you are enough. God has given you enough.

       I encourage you, to make a list of your strengths, hobbies, interests and the like. Present them before God, and ask Him for the why and the how. The why stands for purpose and plan. The how stands for direction and            execution. It is not too early to find out what God requires of the life He has given you. There is a purpose for every season. 

        Then my third lesson. As long as there was an empty jar, the oil kept flowing. The moment the widow declared    that there was none left, the flow stopped. If there was more, the flow of oil would have continued. This means    there are no limits with God. There is no limit to what God can do in you and with you. There is always supply and avenues for God to manifest Himself through us, as long as we are willing. Do not limit yourself to what you are seeing; your age, background, finances, family, society, ability/disability, mistakes etc. You are so much  more.

          Final lesson from my end. Ask for help, when you need it. The widow could have had her sons sold to slavery,        if she didn't speak up. she could have ended up in depression, or died in sorrow, if she didn't speak up.                           Whatever shame she could have hidden from, would have been worse if others heard her sons have bee sold to pay her late husband's debt. Sometimes we make a bad situation worse, when we choose ego over crying for help.

        When you speak up on time, you save yourself and others a lot of headache. No matter how bad it is, it can't be worse than the danger ahead. Defy the shame and speak up!!!

         These are my own lessons from the story. The little oil, made the whole difference. Hence the topic, "little     drops of water, make a mighty ocean". 🤗🤗🤗

       What other lessons did you learn from the story? You can engage in the comment section, and I will answer.                 But before I go, I leave you with this passage to commit to memory; 1Timothy 4:14. It says, "Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on    you". You are loaded. Don't let circumstances tell you otherwise💪💪💪