#joywritingjoy

Just look at them. Proud, eyes shining, heart beating faster. Holding up cheap little phones with crappy cameras standing beside the people with expensive-looking DSLRs and smartphones and tablets, no, not a bit ashamed, trying to get a glimpse, steal a shot, or document a piece of this moment. 

Seeing his daughter walk down that aisle wearing that graduation cap and toga while the graduation march was playing- was one, if not the best, thing his eyes could ever witness. Every night that he had to stay a little bit longer at work, every sweaty shirt he’d gone through, every night that he went to sleep hungry to feed his learning children, every piece of old clothing he wore and didn’t wash yet because he made sure to tell his wife to wash each and every uniform of his 4 daughters and son before she even touched his, every day that he was still too tired to go wake up but had to, every pain in his muscles from the long days of work, every cut he gotten white holding these tools to fix what he can, at this moment, forgotten. At this very moment.

He is reminded again how worth it it all is. How he’d do it for his next 3 daughters and son, he’d do it all, just to fund all of them at the same time, just to watch each of them shake the right hand of their administrators with their right hand and receive their diplomas with their left.

Because that’s the only thing he could ever give them. That’s the only thing he can pass down to them, it was the only thing he had to give them when he had passed away. Not a bank account with a lot of money, not a piece of paper that lists down all the lots they have, not a box that contained expensive diamonds. This, their Education. Their ability and wisdom to build a living for themselves. Their knowledge so they could not go through what he did, so that they didn’t go to sleep wondering if they had enough money to let each of their little girls have lunch the next day or have electricity to study in the night. It was the only thing he could afford to hand down to them as an heirloom.

You can see the pride in their eyes. His wife silent touching his arms, giving it a squeeze, telling him that she felt the same way. The way their shining eyes, grateful hearts, laced with their proud, loud, voices will say, "I’m proud of you." It wasn’t much, but it was something. They couldn’t afford to give them all they wanted, but they could afford this. They could give them this.

"Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still" {v.13-14} 

The Lord has comforted us with the message that all we need to do it be still in trouble because He will fight for us and I know that it sometimes takes every bit of strength to be still, but your God has already won the battle and He has great plans for you already so, be still.

Stand firm in your faith. The Lord who delivered Moses is the same God right now who will deliver you!

"Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on" (v. 15)

This is very interesting. It is not wrong to cry out to the Lord and pray or depend on Him for help, in fact we should, the thing is, nothing will be accomplished if we do not accompany it with actions as well. We should take action and do what we can then God will do the rest. Like the Israelites, we should "move on" with the Lord. 

"The Israelites went through the sea on dry ground , with a wall of water on their right and on their left." (v.22)

God will get you through anything. Just take note that there will be a wall of water on your right and left that may scare you or make you lose your faith in fear of it, it will not be easy, but remind yourself that God has always provided dry land for you to get through. 

God is never changing so if God provided dry land for the Israelites, He will provide dry land for you and me as well! 

Hello there.  I’ve read how you’re are doing and I do understand, I do feel you. But I’ve gotta tell you something.

It’s okay. It’s okay. Because it is. In a year, you will be closer to God. In a year, you will feel heartbreak and depression hit on you so hard, but in the year after that, you have grown and you are stronger. You are continuing to grow. 

The boy you just wrote about in a very giddy manner, the boy you just admitted your feelings too and started dating, in few years time, he’ll be gone. He was a major part of your life that made a great impact in it. Your relationship with him will give you a roller coaster of emotions. You did well in a lot of things with him, but you also did a lot of things terribly. You’re going to give him your everything. You’re going to spend evenings talking to him until one of you falls asleep. You’re going to try and give him your world. He’s going to ask you to be very clingy and you follow. You’re going to be a possessive girlfriend but you’re still going to have that inner battle of making him happy and having your rights. You two are going to fight a lot and argue a lot. You’re going to be madly attached. You’re going to do things one say you’ll learn to regret. He’s going to break your heart and make another girl the one who makes his heart beat, but you won’t hate him. You never will. Just don’t blame him for anything ok? He had his faults but you had your share too. That’s very important for you to understand. You’re going to sink into depression and suicidal thoughts because everything about your life: your family, your boyfriend, your friends, your health, will be deteriorating and will be broken, but you’re going to rise above it. You will realise that God took away everything so you could see He was all you need. And He was and He is. 

That boy will be going to go back into your life and you’re going to let him in again, but then you’ll realise that you have been doing something wrong. You are going to realise that you’re worth should have not come from him those months ago. You’re going to realise that hey, him sleeping on you while texting or calling was actually very sweet of him. You’re going be sad that you don’t have your wrappings or “purple stuff” anymore and feel very very bad. You’re going to realise that God hasn’t been the centre of your relationship. You’re going to find out what love really means and what love really is. You’re going to find out that that wasn’t how you wanted your relationship to be. You’re going to want to set things right and be so sorry you made the boy you loved sin with you, you’re going to want the best for him, you’re going to love his soul more than you’re relationship with this boy. You’re going to want to see him in heaven rather than see him with you. So you’ll try and you’ll what you can to make things right. To make sure that you loved him right.

So you’ll try to explain and explain and make him understand and make him wait but it didn’t work, so you break his heart and leave without explanation. So he calls you and asks why why why why why and you don’t pick up. You won’t. 

Because you knew that if you did you’ll fall again and before you proved to him you could love him right, you had to prove it to God first. So you did and you lost him, but you finally loved him right. You did. You do.

So you learn to cope without him for months and months, you learn to let go of him day by day, but you understand that you’ll always love him. You understand that you loved him for naught. Even when you found out that there was another, you still did love him. Even when your broken and jealous heartstrings bled the blues, you still loved him. You still do. 

You won’t have him anymore but you will be happy because God is with you now. You will seek your refuge in him. You will find your worth. You won’t feel the need to be called pretty by people because you will realise that your maker is beautiful, therefore you are beautiful. You’ll wake up one day and stop starving yourself because you will remind yourself of you are really serving. You will never be perfect but you will believe. You will know who you are made to serve and you need not to change for anyone but Him. You will believe you are who God has called you. Beautiful. Sacred. Beloved. And you will be happy because your joy is found the person who made it.  You will see him everyday, you will get hurt from time to time, but you’ll know better that time and go on your knees and pray for him. You’ll think about him, you’ll write about him, you’ll pray about him, but you’ll also pray to the Lord that He guards your heart. He won’t be your master anymore, the Lord is. You’ll want another chance to do things the way you’d handle now, but it hasn’t come. I don’t know if it will, but you will leave that to our Lord. You will trust His plans for both of you, together or not. You will want the best for him even if it’s not you. God blessed you will enough love to do that. You will continue loving and your ability to love everyone will be a blessing to you. You will need to remind yourself to not let anyone steal your tenderness. You will see that loving people the way Jesus did is so beautiful and you will cry at the very thought of how your Father in heaven loves you so much.

You fragile being, you are strong. You will be put through the motions and steps and furnaces so you come out a strong woman. You will still be insecure from time to time, but never will you let it overcome you again. Your family will go through a lot and be hurt and hurt and hurt but by God’s mighty and powerful grace, He still held it together. The Lord will tear so that He may mend. Many will struck you guys but hang in there, little by little, things will workout.  You will witness reconciliation with the person who has given you the most painful and excruciating experience a woman can go through when you we’re a child. You will rejoice, little one. You’ll one day see.  I wish I was able to tell you sooner, but better late than never. 

You’ll be shocked you wear day dresses and such, and you know what? It isn’t so bad after all. You will read so much more than you are now. God will bless you with your daddy’s old film camera that made you jump for joy. You will learn to knit and to do many different things. You are going to meet a lot of great people and create new friendships. You will love the tech booth and the backstage. You’re going to make a choice one day to choose between the pain of always being the victim or the pain of growth. You will grow one day and congrats for that. You will have to be humble when you get into fights with your friends and don’t worry, you’ll learn how to express yourself and say sorry.

You will learn that if you want to be different, you just have to be yourself. You will learn so much in such a short time, but it is because the mountain of trials that are about to come at with be rewarded with a cup filled of blessings and wisdom. You won’t want to kill yourself anymore. You will open your eyes and believe. You will testify to your teachers one day and inspire them in your own little way. You will heal and the trials and hardships won’t stop. You will still have inner battles. You will be weak but when you are with our God, you are strong. The world will still come at you and you will sill be tested and tried and polished and garnished, but you’ll know you’re fighting to hear your master say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”