There's something beautiful about being reminded of how much you are loved... 

I was at the car dealership with my parents shopping for my very first car as a working adult, and to be honest, I was stressed. I had been saving for a new car for months but hadn't planned to make the purchase until the beginning of next year. Unfortunately, the previous car that I was driving broke down, and for my safety, I knew it was time to invest in a new vehicle. Anyone who has ever been to a car dealership may be able to relate to the frustrations of negotiating for a car: unneeded pressure from car salesmen, lengthy wait times with processing information, and the daunting stress of adding a host of new bills to your monthly expenses. It can be a lot. 

It was nearing the end of the day and we found ourselves tired at the third dealership, yet interested in one particular vehicle that though slightly outside of my budget, was a perfect fit for me. As I test drove the car and inspected it, I began to realize that it was the one I wanted. I had done the calculations and with my down payment, I knew I would just be able to afford the estimated monthly payments. As the true Nigerians we are, we made sure to try to haggle the price down for the best deal (especially my dad). I was so thankful that I had my parents' expertise to help with the decision, and also happy that they were allowing me to trade in the family car that they had given me to use since my early college days. As I was waiting on the salesman to return so that I could seal the deal, my dad said something that stood out to me. He said, "Michelle, you don't know how much you are loved."

I was moved by his statement, and replied with gratitude saying how thankful I was to have parents who devoted their whole day to help me find a car, and time and time again come through to support me through life's transitions. 

When the car salesman came back to discuss what I put as a downpayment, to my surprise, my dad stepped in and ended up telling the car salesmen that we didn't need to take out a loan. He told the man that he would cover the remaining balance of the car's cost. (Insert praise break here!) 

I didn't expect it, I certainly didn't ask for it, but my dad decided to cover the very thing I had been stressing over throughout my entire car search - the cost. If you ask me, the highlight of that weekend wasn't the awesome new car. My highlight was being reminded of God's character shown through the generosity of my parents. 

God has already worked everything out for our good.

I took a long break from blogging mostly because I haven't felt inspired to share anything for the last couple of months. After graduating last year, I have found the job search to be such a mentally draining process that took me on a roller coaster of emotions. These emotions took me through cycles of hope, optimism, and excitement, to heartbreak, disappointment, and doubt... over and over again.

I think many people in the job search can relate to how tough it really is to not only get hired in your respective field, but also to find a job that you actually enjoy. There were some very low points that tested my faith, but thank God for my friends and family that continued to encourage and pray for me.

I don't know what you are going through personally or what you have been waiting on God for, but I want to share two things that God has constantly reminded me of in this whirlwind of a season I have found myself in:

(1) God is a PROVIDER
(2) God is FAITHFUL

When things seem to be going terribly wrong, it always takes a shift in mindset to help you while you are going through your storm. I quickly had to change my thinking from "why is this happening to me?" to "what is this teaching me?" God wants to develop my character in order to show others how great God is and in order to do this, the Bible says that we should:


This past year hasn't been about proving whether God will give me the things I have asked for, it has been about asking myself if I trust God enough to patiently wait for what he has for me. 

Will I trust God's word when he says that he has "plans to prosper me and not harm me, plans to give me a hope and future?" (Jeremiah 29:11) Will I trust God when he says that if I seek first the Kingdom of God, then all of my earthly needs will be taken care of? (Matthew 5:33) Do I believe the Bible when it says that "no word of God will ever fail?" (Luke 1:37) These were - and are - constant things I had to confront within myself when the enemy came repeatedly to speak lies over my life and my circumstances.

If God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above anything we can ask or think (Ephesians 20:21), and if we truly believe that he loves each and every one of us enough to die for us, then we have to believe, that whatever we are desiring, he has heard it, and it will be done. His Word says that "Whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive it, if you have faith." (Matthew 21:22) This means that in the meantime, while you haven't received what you've asked for in the physical yet, it's yours. This means that in the meantime, God will provide you with everything you need to be ready for what you asked for. 

(1) God is a PROVIDER
(2) God is FAITHFUL

What do I mean by God is a provider? Since graduating, God has taken care of every single one of my needs. Additionally, I have been fortunate enough to travel to London and Paris, and also raised money to go on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. I have met so many people and attended different events that I probably would not have been able to go to if I were anywhere else in the world working at one of the jobs that I had been praying to get.

Through the hundreds of jobs I applied for, the ones I interviewed for, the one I was offered and then had it rescinded two weeks before the start date - yes, that happened - there was a reason for all of that. I'm currently working on a project in West Africa in a position that I didn't even have to apply for. I know that God saw this opportunity the moment I began my job search. And while this position is short-term, the journey to get here has taught me not to stress about whatever else I may be expectantly waiting for. I wanted to share this post to encourage others who may be going through a season of waiting and feel like giving up, or feel like God isn't who he says he is. Just remember:

(1) God is a PROVIDER
(2) God is FAITHFUL

And He is exactly who he says he is...