Hello!

*Covers Face* You didn’t think I was quitting blogging, did you? I knew my January was going to be quite busy, but I did not see it taking a long three weeks though. But I am back and I will explain… However, you did not look for me, *sobs* Is this life? I thought we are family. You’ve got my back and I’ve got yours. Or you just assumed, she will come back and tell us what happened? Well! you are right. I will tell you. But, you need to tell me why you didn’t look for me too.

I do not know if you still remember but immediately I submitted my dissertation for my Masters programme, I left for Canada as my graduation was not taking place till January 2015. So I always knew I had an unfinished business with England, UK…

I was off blogging unintentionally because of work (it got mega busy), preparation for my trip to England, my trip to London for my graduation, my laptop finally got spoilt beyond repair, serious jet lag (I never knew how that felt until few days ago, and it was horrible) and flu paid a visit as well. But I am determined to put on the garment of consistency, henceforth, so help me God. Amen!

Back to my unfinished business….

I know I do not have to share this, but I will. This is my testimony.

I remember one day in 2009, I received a phone call from my mum telling me that I will be going to the UK to continue my studies. My reaction- I cried saying no! no!! I don’t want to go there. I remember my friend was absolutely shocked at my reaction and said Princess, you are not serious. Let’s swap places please. Her words did not change how I felt about the news. I wanted to stay where I was. I was comfortable. I knew the people. It was easier to relate with them. Everything was just great, I did not want change. But that was something God needed to teach me.

I fought this change until the day I got the visa to travel. The documents had been returned and the letter we sent in from our bank was not signed but my visa was still granted. I do not know if this is a trivial thing, but it was a sign for me. A sign that this was God’s will and nothing, not even myself could stop it.

I arrived UK. My intention or to put it correctly, I was given a year’s visa to do a foundation course first before going on to start my first degree. Then my aunty informed me that since I had a good result from my one year of study in Ghana, I could make use of the result and there’s a probability of my foundation year being waived. Just typing this post, I remember I had to do a lot of running around then. There was this man who I needed to speak to but he was never available. But all in all, my foundation year was waived and I started my first year of my Law degree. That’s just God’s favour, no other explanation can work for me. A year’s payment of fees saved.

Three years passed. I was successfully done with my first degree, and it was the what’s next phase. And then I enquired of God, what He will have me do next. Kingston, London was my next stop for my Masters in Law. I remember searching for a house online, prayed about it, spoke to the landlady and had this peace and went with it. The first day I was in Kingston, was the first time I saw the room and everything was perfect. God orders the steps of his own.

A year passed and I had submitted my dissertation. I was unofficially done with my masters. But you see all these I have narrated is just a glimpse of God’s work…

I remember failing a coursework that I had worked so hard on, coupled with the fact that our lecturer was not an enthusiastic one, he was a nonchalant, unhelpful kind. The next thing that I was supposed to do was wait to rewrite the coursework, but I went to a mid-week service after that happened and cried to God. That day I was Jacob holding onto God and saying, I won’t leave you till you turn this around. I did not know what could be done, but I wanted something to be done. The next day, I checked my uni email, and there it was, an email saying that it had come to knowledge of the school’s board that there was something wrong with how the lecturer executed the course and the coursework and I had the option of accepting my first coursework’s mark as my overall mark or I could still rewrite the coursework, I had a choice. Oh! I wept for joy and chose the first option as my first coursework mark was absolutely good… For all I cared to know, God did it for all of us that were affected.

Or is it the time when I was asked by a family to move in with them- no rent, no bills; for five months? Or the building of virtue through different experiences?

You see I was not born with a silver spoon, so staying in the UK for almost five years was just solely on God’s provision. Yes, my mum is hard-working. But everything I needed during my time there was not solely just her hard work (I do not take for granted her sacrifices). It was just God written all over everything.

I am wholeheartedly thankful to God because my time in the UK was not a tale of She did well in her studies but her walk with God was the price OR she really walked with God but her results were appalling OR She did well with God and her studies but she has no virtue.

It was a success on ALL sides- spiritually, physically, socially, emotionally, academically, financially….

If after reading this post, all you take away is Oh! she went to the UK for a number of years and studied….Then you got it all wrong. What I want you to take away from this post is

God is real. He leads. He reigns in the affairs of men. He provides. He restores. He delivers. He grooms. His presence in a person’s life is not dependent on the age of a person. Whoever He calls He qualifies. You may not know what tomorrow holds for you, but He knows. God is mighty. His wonders are endless and limitless. God does not need the opinion of man to do what He has told you He will do. No one ever seeks God and fails.

When I set my feet on UK soil, I did not know how it was going to be or how it was going to end, but one thing I consciously set out to do, was to hold on to the one who knows all; and He delivered. There were times I failed, but God picked me up and said try again, and this time; with the help I’m giving you. 

A post won’t tell it all, but I want everyone that is reading today’s post to trust God and keep being faithful. It is not really about the achievements, if you ask me, the degrees are God’s. It is more about the fact that, I started with God and successfully finished my sojourn in the UK with God. Praise God!

I know God has been good to you, what has he done/is he doing? No testimony is too small. A grateful heart sees the hand of God even in the supposed little miracles.

PS: My time in the UK wasn’t all sweet and rosy. There were afflictions, but as God promises his children, He delivered me from all. As the Lord will have me, I may share them. But let no one tell you that walking with God is all rosy. But you will overcome them all.

PT TIP OF THE DAY

Don’t hoard or hide your testimony. Your testimony can be what a person needs to hear to believe that God is real. God is not working in your life for you alone, there are souls tied to his wonders in your life.

Missed my last post?

For questions/suggestions: preciousthoughts2013@gmail.com

Princess Okechukwu!