In a Time of Waiting.

Hullo, readers!

Wow. December’s moving fast, we’re already in the second week. So that’s… a week and six days till Christmas!

*hysterical laughter* 🤣🤪😂

Okay, okay. Enough laughter and hysterics. Let’s move over to today’s post:

This is season where we wait for the coming of Christ into the world. If we’re to rewind to about two thousand years ago, we’d see the people of Israel waiting for the coming of the Messiah.

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According to the Catholic doctrine, this period is called ‘Advent’, and advent simply means ‘waiting’. So, we are in a time of waiting.

But what are waiting for?

Yeah, sure. We know we’re waiting for the coming of Christ, but on a personal note, what are you waiting for?

A priest in my church, in his homily last week Sunday, said that 2021 was the worst year he had ever seen in his life. When he said that, I began to ask myself if it was actually true. In my case, I can’t say it’s the worst year so far. All I can say is that I went through a lot this year.

And it was because I went through a lot this year that I had not yet realised what this period of waiting is all about. My head was still full of thoughts about all the problems I’d faced – and am still facing – this year. I didn’t have the hope that some of them could be solved completely, all I wanted to do was to get through them.

That was actually my thing this year: get through it. “When something bad happens, don’t cry; push it behind you, put your game face back on and get through it,” was my unconscious watchword.

Awesome motto, right?

No.

It was because I always had to get through it that I forgot that God promised that we wouldn’t go through our problems alone.

I will instruct you (says the Lord) and guide you along the best pathway for your life; I will advise you and watch your progress.

Psalms 32:8. The Living Bible.

I forgot that I had ‘a hope’ in God.

Maybe you’re like me. Maybe you haven’t yet realised that we have an anticipation when we’re with God. Hebrews 13:5 says:

.

For God has said, “I will never, never fail you nor forsake you.”

– Hebrews 13:5. The Living Bible.

So that means that we always have something to look forward to, in every part of our lives.

But although God helped me solve all my problems this year, one problem lingered, and it’s been lingering for years. Whenever it seems like it’s going away, it comes back worse than ever.

And that was the problem that was keeping me from seeing the hope I had in God.

All I want to say today is that, in this time of waiting, no matter the kind of craziness that’s going on in your life, YOU HAVE AN EXPECTATION IN GOD.

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The birth of Christ signifies the fulfillment of an age-long promise, the insertion of joy into the world after centuries of sadness, captivity and grief. God is telling you today that although that problem might not be solved today, next week, or even this year, He wants you to have joy.

Always be full of joy in the Lord; I say it again: rejoice!

Philippians 4:4. The Living Bible..

Be joyful because you have a God that can do ANYTHING. He knows you’re going through that problem, but He’s permitting it maybe because He wants you to learn something from it. Maybe He wants to teach you endurance. I’ve learned that God never gives us more than we can handle, because He doesn’t want our problems to overwhelm and kill us.

I’m not writing this because my problem has been solved. My problem is yet to be solved, yo! But I won’t despair, I won’t fall back into my get through it mindset. I’ll tell God everything, ask Him to help me carry the burden, and just be happy that I have a Friend that’ll walk me through it.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank Him for His answers.

Philippians 4:6. The Living Bible.

Let Him have all your worries and cares, for He is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.

1 Peter 5:7. The Living Bible.

And what better way to source out joy than to count your blessings? Count your blessings, dear reader, name them one by one. Amidst all the ups and downs this year brought, there’s NO WAY God didn’t do anything good for you.

In my case,

• I’m thankful that I wasn’t a victim of the unknown gunmen crisis in my country, even on days when they shot at places near my house.
• I’m thankful that my loved one survived and recovered from a car accident.
• I’m thankful that although times were VERY HARD in Nigeria this year, God always provided. No matter how small, He always provided.
• I’m thankful that God saw me through IT ALL. *happy tear*

And if I can say this much, you can too.

So, dear reader, in this time of waiting, forget all that’s happened. If there is any difficulty that lingers, tell God all about it, and pray for Him to help you get through it. He will. I promise you He will.

Also, pray to God to forgive you of all your failings, for all the times you gave in to temptation, because don’t you think it would be better if you receive the joy of Christmas with a clean and clear heart? I think that would be better. So, go to God, tell Him all your wrongs, and ask Him to wash you clean of them.

For everyone, both great and small, shall really know me then, says the Lord, and I will forgive and forget their sins.

Jeremiah 31:31. The Living Bible.

We might not get it right the first time, but God will see our effort.  He’ll see how much we’re trying to let go of our problems so we can be joyful in Him. And He will surely bless us with the joy of Christmas. Amen.

I know this post is kinda long, but I also know that it didn’t just beat around the bush. It touched a part of you… just as I prayed it would.

I have loved you, O my people, with an everlasting love; with lovingkindness I have drawn you to me.

Jeremiah 31:3. The Living Bible.

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Remember that.

Yours in Christ,

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Why Do You Think Religious Blogs Aren’t Popular?

Hey, readers!

This is my first post in the You and God category of Olaedo!

Now, those that know me personally know that I’m not some kind of (as us Nigerians would say) holy-holy, sister-in-Christ person. I like to see myself as ‘in the world, but not of the world’. And I’m just doing my own bit in helping others see that you don’t have to change all of your personality because you’re a Christian. All you need to do is change the parts that wrong God… and most times, those parts of us that wrong God are the parts of us even we know we need to get rid of.

So sit back, RE-lax and read!

I’ve realised something about the way most people (including me) react to religious write-ups. People just skim down the write-up and stop when a word or sentence catches their interest, but read on when they didn’t see what they expected. (I know what I’m saying is true). Now, I know a handful of people already do this for regular posts, but it’s a lot more rampant when religious posts are concerned.

And because of this, if you’re reading this and you write religious articles, I have to say that you should conform your articles to suit the short attention span of people. We live in a world where people want to read what will be relevant to their lives, not some sentimental, over-zealous bible-verse-crammed article.

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It’s your choice if you want to pour out your entire soul into one article without bothering if it will actually make an impact in today’s society, but know that only few people will read it and be changed by it. And the ‘few’ you might now claim are the important ones to you, might just consist of people like you who turn one single tittle into an article of 2,000 words where you just beat around the bush and stuff bible verses all over the place.

Let me tell you that if as a religious writer, your articles don’t make an impact in the lives of unbelievers or ailing believers, you have done nothing. Listen, God conforms His message with every passing generation. God does not change His message, He just gives it a different packaging, so that it can appeal to the set of people it is being preached to. Even Saint Paul said it in 1 Corinthians 9:20-23.

When I am with the Jews, I am seen as one of them so that they will listen to the Gospel and I can win them to Christ. When I am with the Gentiles who follow Jewish customs and ceremonies I don’t argue, even though I don’t agree, because I want to help them. When with the heathen I agree with them as much as I can, except of course that I must always do what is right as a Christian. And so, by agreeing, I can win their confidence and help them too. When I am with those whose consciences bother them easily, I don’t act as though I know it all and don’t say they are foolish, the result is that they are willing to let me help them. Yes, whatever a person is like, I try to find common ground with him so that he will let me tell him about Christ and let Christ save him. I do this to get the Gospel to them and also for the blessing I myself receive when I see them come to Christ.

1 Corinthians 9:20-23. The Living Bible.

In fact, this should be the motto of every evangelist.

Even Jesus did it. He didn’t always have plain sermons, sometimes he taught in parables, he told stories. Why? ‘Cause people liked stories, and, honestly, you tend to remember and learn more from a story than from a plain, old sermon.

Now, before I start to beat around the bush, all I want to say is that religious writers, preachers and all evangelists of the Word should learn to study their audience before dishing out an article or a sermon. If it’s young people you’re addressing, speak our language; if it’s adults, speak to appeal to their interests. It’s not all about all the articles we’ve ever written, or all the places we’ve ever gone to preach, it’s all about the people you’ve helped have a change of heart, the souls you’ve saved.

So there you have it.

I think this is a nice message to all evangelists out there (including me!). Are you a religious blogger or a person who helps people see God’s light in any way? I’d really love to hear what you have to say about presenting the Word in a way it will interest your audience and change them; so leave a comment, please! And even as I know some people in the world today are onlookers, or (as us Nigerians would say) aren’t jim jim, concerning God and religion, God doesn’t select, all He does is give us inspiration and truth that we can use to get through life; so I urge you to look out for more articles in the You and God category (or any other religious blogs that strike your interest) and keep listening to what God is using us to say to you.

Just trying to follow God’s will and do the right things, too. 😘