(First of all, I would like to thank Koinonia and 'Faith Dames' for inviting me and accepting me into your fold of Dames with Faith. I am truly honoured and feel so blessed. 'Through Mary's Lenses' is not new. I just 'stole' it from my book 'The Diary of a Desperate Naija Woman in the Year 20-Ten' because I just could not wait to be part of this group! I hope you like it. I hope it blesses you. And most of all, I hope it, in any little way possible, makes the fires of your faith flare more ferociously!
Usually, all my thoughts are on Baby Jesus at Christmas. How bout you? Same, abi? There are always, and rightly so, calls from all corners for us to remember the real reason for the season and so we do. We do our best to make sure that as we go through all the eating, drinking and jisting, we do not forget to give thanks for the real gift that keeps on giving. The gift from God to a world in dire need of a way out from eternal destruction - Jesus Christ .
This year has been no different. Thanks to reading 'The Shack', this Christmas, I am very aware of the awesome love God has for me more than ever. I am so grateful to God for Jesus Christ but today is a little different. Thanks to my Pastor, I was called on to think about his mother, Mary . At least, right now, today, Jesus Christ is really just a tiny baby in a manger so I think it will be OK to spend some time thinking about his Mama, abi?
We really do not think about this woman often enough. Not sure why cos THAT was no mean feat agreeing to be 'conceived of the Holy Spirit' especially in the times she lived in. Especially when there was a very likely chance Joseph would not believe her incredible story. And who would blame him? Never before had a woman, a virgin, come forward to claim that she was pregnant. Wahala number 1. We are talking, fornication here and offense punishable by death. A very painful, slow death by stoning. Then on top of that she goes on to claim that the one 'who dunnit' is not a mere man but a 'spirit'! Wahala number 2! Come on! She has surely gone mad, they would say. Not only had she been messing around, she now had the audacity to be claiming that God was responsible! Just try to imagine the faces of her people as she told them this story! And I remember reading somewhere that Mary was only about 14/15 years at the time!
So for just the time it will take you to read this rest of this, please wear the 'glasses' Mary must have been looking at her life through in this season of her life after she had that one of a kind meeting with Angel Gabriel Joseph say? What would her parents and her soon to be in laws think of her? How would the people look at her now? What if ALL this was the figment of some serious fever she MUST be suffering from? Who had ever heard of a virgin getting pregnant? Oh my gosh, her reputation will be in shreds now! Her engagement will surely be annulled and on top of that surely, they will stone her! I am going to die! And on and one her mind must have been reeling.........but what did she do with all these thoughts? How would she cope? What did she say? Let's see, follow me to Luke 1: 38 and we shall see what this young woman said:
Wow! She was basically saying - Let them reject me if that's part of your plan, let them think I have gone mad, let Joseph turn his back on me if that's what it means, in fact, yes! let them stone me if that is what God wants. What a demonstration of absolute TRUST in her God. And I know that deep in her heart, she somehow knew that God loved her too much and that it would ALL work out for good. She may not have had one single clue HOW but she knew HE would come through. Mary trusted God with her very life.
In 2011, by the special grace of God, I am going to be like Mary , mother of Jesus Christ .
I will trust God with my very life.
How about you dear one? How about you?
How about you dear one? How about you?
(c) DesperateNaijaWoman
I wanna trust God with my very life
ReplyDeleteI do
I guess they were not very mush different from us.
'Simple people who trust God with their very lives'
...that's what makes everything extraordinary.
I will trust God to take perfect control
ReplyDeleteDear DNW, welcome to Faith Dames. So glad you've come on board. This is really interesting and deep. A blind trust without fear of consequences. I most definitely want to trust God as well.
ReplyDelete@Tisha: Exactly! That who were are too. We are nothing special just Ordinary people trying to live extra-ordinary lives powered by an Extra-ordinary God.....That's our only boast abi?
ReplyDelete@ilola: I'm with you on that one!
@Maid of Heart:It is the only way...it is not easy sometimes....cos God's timing/plans seems so crazy sometimes! Its painful but in the end, always worth the obedience and trust. Always.
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ReplyDeleteOne of Donnie McClurkin's most powerful songs came to mind after reading your beautiful post ..........
ReplyDeleteI know that faith is easy when everything is going well. But can you still believe in me when your life’s a living hell. And when all the things around you seem to quickly fade away. There’s just one thing I really want to know.
Will you let go. (I’ll trust you lord)
Stand on my word.(I’ll trust you lord)
Against all odds will you believe what I have said.(I’ll trust you lord)
What seems impossible.(I’ll trust you lord)
Will you believe.(I’ll trust you lord)
Every promise that I make will you receive?(yes I will trust u lord)
......Thank you so much for this DNW, you have no idea how much impact this post had on me. I woke up this morning with so many doubts of unfulfilled promises of God in my life. Reading this and the lyrics of Donnie's song just made me tear up and say between sobs Yes, I wlll trust you lord.
Thank you for accepting our invitation.
Oh Lord, you are just too much! Do you know Koinonia, I almost did not post this in the end! Do you know why? I was feeling 'shy' that it was old and referring to Christmas' which was past.....You see how satan tries to block our stuff. he really hates us and just loves to see us in despair and doubt. But God, our God! Who is especially fond of you and knows your heart, thwarted the enemy by 'making me get over myself!'
ReplyDeleteI am so thankful to God...its so vital to be assured in all sorts of ways of his love. I am glad it did something for you.
....and Lord please show that you love the women who come here and prevent me from posting looooooong comments!!!! Lol!
I'm loving this fellowship, this banter. :-)
ReplyDeleteDNW, I'm so glad you 'got over yourself' and posted this.
Lol @ the loooong comments. :-)
I never ever imagined that she would have thought "Even if Joseph turned his back on me..."
ReplyDeleteThis is really deep. It means she put God first before her own life. She trusted Him before any man.
wow! God has proven yet again that he'll do all he must to ensure I get his message for me. Thanks for heeding.
ReplyDeletelol@ posting long comments, I seem to have that effect on you :)
@Exactly Jaycee! Can you beat that? She was like 'If I perish, I perish' just like Esther.
ReplyDelete@Koinonia: Yes you do! I have my eye on you! Lol!
I am glad I heeded too. Obedience is one of the master keys.....
'I will trust God with my very life'... probably the most difficult thing to say and definately the hardest way to live.
ReplyDeleteLike i read somewhere, we (christians) are the radicals in the world. we break all the rules - no sleeping around, drinking, smoking, living in revelries, giving or taking bribes often referred to as 'a little something'and so on- in faith that God will see us through and someone will hopefully learn from us.
i've looked at Christmas from everyone's lenses including the innkeeper's but somehow i ignored Mary, smh. She trusted God against all odds and like the faithful God that He is, He came through for her.
The psalmist said something like 'I was young and now i'm old but never have i seen the righteous forsaken nor their children beg for bread', the God we serve will never leave us if we live for Him and i will trust Him with my very life.
thanks alot for sharing this DNW and welcome to the family. God bless you
Thanks dosh! I am so blessed to be a part of this family. And you know, since I posted that blog here God has given me ample opportunity to 'live' my faith stance AND reap its gains. No doubt, putting you eggs in one basket is foolish but if that basket is in the hands of our Papa God? Your omelette is sure!
ReplyDeleteYes, with our very lives......in God we trust!