This Was Meant to Be

Source: Google

From that moment on, the good news began to spread rapidly. The news was met with a number of reactions from various people.  I was welcomed with open arms by his fellow colleagues at church. It felt good, although a part of me felt a little shy... I never subscribed to being the center of attention. Apparently the attention came with my new “title”; along with other responsibilities.  

The good thing was that after the news broke, I was finally able to speak with my mentor. We met up at a church celebration and she told me to meet her in her car. She was overjoyed and asked me how I knew that he was my husband. I shared the number of instances that led to my discovery. She also stated that she had a revelation about us being a couple on the first day she met me. It was surreal; I was amazed at how everything played out. Who would have thought that this was one of the reasons why God sent me to Nigeria?  As I’d come to find out, it was a major piece of the puzzle.

As expected, a few church members were not feeling the idea of a flashy dressing-makeup wearing-stranger from America being in a relationship with their dearly beloved pastor. Boy did I hear some things: “How can she come from nowhere and get engaged to him? She hasn’t been in church for long enough!”; “How can she marry him? I saw wearing a backless dress one day (which was absolutely false). I’m pretty sure that much more was said; because some of the looks that I got spoke volumes.

I let it get to me a bit; I started to feel self-conscious and started reconsidering my wardrobe among other things. I wanted to look, talk and act like “a pastor’s wife”. However, I was able to snap out of it before it got too far. My sweetheart encouraged me, he told me that I was perfect just the way I was. He told me that my flashy dressing/make-up wearing ways reminded him of his mom and sister; he had absolutely no issues with it.

At this time, I also remembered a word that God gave me when I first arrived in Ife. After surveying the environment, I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb. I always got attention, everyone knew that I wasn’t from there…they knew that I wasn’t from Nigeria. I didn’t even have to utter a word; forget it when I actually spoke….all heads turned and all eyes were on me. I didn’t like it one bit and I contemplated ways in which I could fit in. But God spoke these words to my heart one day “You are light, light cannot be hidden.” So I made up my mind to be unapologetic about being myself.

Shortly after, I was officially introduced to the stewards (volunteers) of the church. Boy was I embarrassed/shy/nervous! I wasn’t even hinted to the announcement prior to it being done. I was just told to wait behind the service to see one of the pastors. Before, I knew it I was on the spotlight. My mentor informed them that I was engaged to one of the pastors and asked me when they wedding was on the spot. Wedding date??? I smiled to hide my shock and quickly said June. June!!! That was 5 months away, what was I thinking???

Shortly afterwards, I met some members of his family. His parents stopped over in a town close by on their way to a wedding. We met up with them there and eventually went to the wedding also. His sister was also in Ife for some time; she came for a school program. I got to know her a bit, she was amazing. I loved his family from the first day that I met them. They were all sweet; they welcomed me with open arms. I felt loved and accepted.

Things were looking good…everything was falling into place…this was meant to be…  

To be continued...

          

You are blessed!

- Bunmi

Wait before you go:

1. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, life won't make any sense, it will be cold and empty. You deserve more! Take a few minutes and click on the 'Come to Jesus' tab at the top of the page and be saved!

2. Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!

3. You can subscribe to this blog and receive email updates once a new post is published by entering your email address in the 'Follow by email' section located on the right of this post.

4. You can share this post or previous posts by clicking on the respective social media icon on the right.

5. Follow me on twitter @BunmiAdebiyi_

6. Like my page on facebook: Bunmi Adebiyi

7. Follow me on Instagram: destinationdestiny_mlmt

2*0*1*7

Source: Google

2017 is here!

Many people enter into the New Year with a number of emotions or feelings. These emotions range from good to bad…from excitement to regret. Some people have good emotions because 2016 was filled with many accomplishments, good times, etc. And other people enter the new with bad emotions because 2016 may have been filled with unaccomplished goals, disappointments, heart breaks, etc.; while some people may have a mixture of both emotions.

I choose the good…to me a new year provides a fresh clean slate. Yeah I made a number of annoying mistakes in 2016. There were a number of “coulda-shoulda-woulda(s)”. There were a number of times that I surprised myself with my behaviors, thoughts and words. 2016 was tough on me…God pruned me and showed me myself…my flaws glared at me and I couldn’t stand to look at myself. Situations and circumstances bombarded me and hurled various questions at me “Who are you?” “Where is your faith?” “Do you believe what you say?”

“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”

{1 Peter 1:7 KJV}

“And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the LORD’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”               {Hebrews 12:5-6}

The good news is that I made it! I came out stronger, better and wiser. By God’s grace, there is still room for growth…but the bottom of the line is that I made progress. On that note, it is a new year! Don’t start it off by beating yourself up. God has given you a blank check; take it and fill it up with your desires. God is ready to lead you into greener pastures. There is more! More than your dreams! More than you can pray for! More than your imaginations! More than your past and present successes! More than you’ve heard of or seen!

It is time for us believers to take our place. In this year 2017, God is calling us higher; he is calling us deeper; he is calling us to his secret place. He has treasures stored up for us and he is ready to unleash them. This year he wants to give us things on the bill of his grace and favor…free gifts. He wants to show us what appears like mysteries to others. He wants to reveal his glory through us. He was to place us on pedestals and show us off to the world. There is a KING in you and it is time to unleash him! No more laying low, no more hiding behind the scenes, no more taking cover backstage…you were created to ARISE and SHINE; it is time to take center stage, God has placed something in you that is unique. You are the solution to the problems of nations. You are the answer to the prayer of multitudes. Christ in you is the hope of GLORY!

So, shake the bad of the past off and embrace the future! God is about to blow your mind in 2017!!! You just have to relax and trust him. Believe and receive all that he has said to you. See yourself in the light of the Words that God has spoken concerning you and run with it!!! Yes there is work to be done, but let God lead you and your efforts will never be in vain. It is going to cost you to walk according to God’s Will; it will cost you time, dedication and consistency. You have to master the art of being still and sitting at his feet. At this place, you will find your rest, answers to all your questions and guidance along the path that he has paved for you.

Have a blessed, joyous, rewarding, wonderful, celebration-filled, prosperous 2017! See you at the TOP!


You are BLESSED!


- Bunmi


Wait before you go:



1. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, life won't make any sense, it will be cold and empty. You deserve more! Take a few minutes and click on the 'Come to Jesus' tab at the top of the page and be saved!


2. Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!


3. You can subscribe to this blog and receive email updates once a new post is published by entering your email address in the 'Follow by email' section located on the right of this post.

4. You can share this post or previous posts by clicking on the respective social media icon on the right.

5. Follow me on twitter @BunmiAdebiyi_


6. Like my page on facebook: Bunmi Adebiyi


7. Follow me on Instagram: destinationdestiny_mlmt

Drawing the Curtains

Hello everyone!

Long time no see!

I know! I know! I disappeared without a warning; my apologies for my absence.

I have gone through a number of life changes in the last couple of months and I couldn't keep up.

As 2016 is coming to an end, I want to thank and appreciate you all for your love and support. Thanks for taking the time to read this blog, leave comments, etc.

I also want to thank those that allowed me to share their testimonies on this blog. Thank you for being a blessing to others.

In a few hours from now, we will be ushering in a new year. At the end of each year, I always take time to reflect. I've been doing this for the last few weeks. And I must say that 2016 has been a very interesting year for. There were highs and lows...good times and not so good times. My faith has never been tested like this before. 

But the good news is that I am in love with God like never before. He has proven his love and faithfulness in outstanding ways this year. I am truly amazed by this God that I have the privilege of calling Abba Father!

My focus now is to prepare myself for greater things in 2017. There's so much to do...and God is counting and you and me!

I can be very hard on myself sometimes. I've made some mistakes this year, didn't accomplish some of my goals for this year, etc. At times, when I think about these things I could be discourage but I choose to make a conscious effort to make them motivate me.

The most important thing is to follow God's plan for your life. You will miss it at times, but the Holy Spirit is always there to redirect you. So in 2017, I choose to completely lean on the Holy Spirit....my helper. I throw my hands up and surround it all to God. I choose faith in him and turn my back to fear.

2017 is going to be glorious! And God is calling us all to come up higher. There are lives to touch, glory to be revealed and work to be done.

Are you ready!!!

I wish you a blessed 2017!!!

You're blessed!


- Bunmi


Wait before you go:



1. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, life won't make any sense, it will be cold and empty. You deserve more! Take a few minutes and click on the 'Come to Jesus' tab at the top of the page and be saved!


2. Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!


3. You can subscribe to this blog and receive email updates once a new post is published by entering your email address in the 'Follow by email' section located on the right of this post.

4. You can share this post or previous posts by clicking on the respective social media icon on the right.

5. Follow me on twitter @BunmiAdebiyi_


6. Like my page on facebook: Bunmi Adebiyi

7. Follow me on Instagram: destinationdestiny_mlmt

When You Know, You Know!

Hello all!

Welcome to the blog today!!!

Thank you so much for the response on the last post! Please keep the comments coming, they are encouraging!!!

I was all smiles while writing this post. I hope that you will be all smiles as you read it as well! Above all, I pray that you will be blessed!

If you haven't done so already, click the 'Destiny steps' tab at the top to see previous posts in which I share my personal testimony thus far. For those viewing this on a mobile phone, you'd need to scroll down to the bottom of this page and click "View web version" in order to see and click on the ‘Destiny steps’ tab.

I’ve always heard the statement “When you know, you know”. This statement is often made in reference to the person you’ll marry. I actually was skeptical about this statement, until it happened to me.

***

Source: Google

Things started to move very fast…things moved at an alarming but good speed. I call it God’s speed!

So, I finally decided to surrender and go with the flow. I wasn't going to fight God's Will any longer. From experience, I have come to discover that he always knows best and his plans are perfect.

I finally found the courage to tell me my close friends and family about this new discovery. One of these close friends knew him from a distance; she was a church member and she had nothing but great things to say about him. My other friends and family were surprisingly encouraging also. They were all excited. My dad shouted “I told you!” My siblings were routing for someone they did not know. Hmm… I guess they also couldn't wait for me to move on from the last failed relationship.

I started to get excited about the idea of being in relationship with him after such an amazing response from my love ones. So, I decided to trust God and open up my heart a bit. As soon as I made that decision, things started to move along well with surprises along the way.

We started to develop a friendship. We would talk on the phone, send each other text messages and hang out. He would surprise me with ice cream and food out of the blue...one of the keys to my heart (hehe). Whenever I was at church, he would offer to give me a ride home. After arriving at my house we could sit in the car and talk for hours.

I liked him; he was easy going and his joy was contagious. I really enjoyed his company. He was very caring and simple. He was spiritual; he had a personal relationship with God that was undeniable...this was a big deal for me. He also made me feel very comfortable around him; I was able to let down my guards without fear.

We had a lot of things in common. We both had careers in the health field, we both attended the same type of church while growing up, we both had three siblings and the list goes on.

One day I woke up and I knew that it was going to be a good day. I had no idea why, but I was excited. The Holy Spirit even told me to get my hair done. So I called up my stylist and set up an appointment. He called me earlier to say that he wanted to pick me up after work; so I made sure that I looked good (wink).

The work day went well; and passed by fast. For some reason, I couldn't wait to see him. The excitement that I felt was undeniable. When he picked me up, he told me that he liked my hair (yay! He noticed!). He then tells me that he wanted us to go and have lunch. Of course I was happy...being a lover of good food!

We arrived at the location; it was one of the nicest hotels in Ile Ife. I was impressed, he had good taste. I knew that it was a good place because, when my mom came to visit, it was the hotel we stayed at.

He proceeded to open the car door for me and then the door to the hotel’s restaurant. I was elated. Hmm...a gentleman (another plus!). After being seated we both discussed how our days went. We then ordered our meals and drinks; the chit chat continued. Our meals arrived shortly after and everything was delicious.

As we were rounding up our meals, he said that he had something to tell me. The words that proceeded out of his mouth shocked me. He told that he'd fallen in love with me over the short time that we've know each other. He told me that he saw a future with me and wanted me to be his wife.

I was caught off guard. I knew that it would happen, but I didn't expect it so soon. I felt overwhelmed and elated at the same time. I was officially on cloud 9. I sat speechless with a wide smile on my face.

He paid for our meals and we proceeded to leave. We had to attend a church service that evening. During our drive to my place, he told me that he knew that I'd probably need some time to give him an answer. But he was certain that I was God's best for him.

Before I could think twice, I said 'YES'. I surprised him and myself. It was too late to take it back; what had been said had been said. I was a little embarrassed. Wasn't I supposed to make him wait? It shouldn't have been so easy (hehe)! Plus I never got a chance to discuss everything with mentor. Also growing up in the Western culture, a proposal isn't real without an engagement ring. I wondered what I got myself into. But I sucked it up and decided to enjoy the moment… when you know...you know!

I went from single to being in a relationship in a manner of minutes; with someone that I had only been friends with for a little over a week. This wasn't normal. How could I agree to be his wife so fast? I barely knew him!

No matter how much I questioned my decision, I knew it was the right one. I couldn't fight the peace that I had. I couldn't fight how sure I was.

This was beyond me...I threw up my hands and allowed Jesus to take the wheel. This was something that I couldn't have thought of on my own; it was beyond my wildest daydreams. It was finally happening! And it was happening God’s way!

To be continued...


You're blessed!


- Bunmi


Wait before you go:



1. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, life won't make any sense, it will be cold and empty. You deserve more! Take a few minutes and click on the 'Come to Jesus' tab at the top of the page and be saved!


2. Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!


3. You can subscribe to this blog and receive email updates once a new post is published by entering your email address in the 'Follow by email' section located on the right of this post.

4. You can share this post or previous posts by clicking on the respective social media icon on the right.

5. Follow me on twitter @BunmiAdebiyi_


6. Like my page on facebook: Bunmi Adebiyi

7. Follow me on Instagram: destinationdestiny_mlmt

My Little Secret

Source: Google

Hello everyone!

Can you believe it is October already??? Wow! Happy OCTOBER to you! My prayer is that God will crown 2016 with GOODNESS for YOU!!!

I took a very long break from sharing my testimony. My apologies, let's continue from where we left off.

If you haven't done so already, click the 'Destiny steps' tab at the top to see previous posts in which I share my personal testimony thus far. For those viewing this on a mobile phone, you'd need to scroll down to the bottom of this page and click "View web version" in order to see and click on the ‘Destiny steps’ tab.

So I finally had confirmation about this man being my husband. I was absolutely sure this time around, without a shadow of a doubt. I tried to invite doubt, but my invitation was rejected. I could not shake the certainty that I felt. This was an unfamiliar feeling to me. I had mixed feelings. You'd think that I'd be ecstatic, but I wasn't. Above many other things, I was afraid.

I was afraid of the unknown. I was afraid about being wrong again. I was afraid about having to tell family and friends. I was afraid of having to start all over. I was afraid of making mistakes and getting heart broken. I was afraid that he wouldn't accept me and my past. I was afraid that I wouldn't be a good pastor's wife. I was afraid of never having a "life" because of the demands of ministry.

His friendliness continued, but there was no suspicious behavior. Apparently, that was his person...he was always happy and smiling. Soon enough, it seemed like he was running away from me. Like I'd see him one second and then he'd speed off the next second. Hmmm...Maybe I was wrong after all.

I was so uncertain about everything. God revealed that he was my husband in October and it was now November. I just broke up with my ex a few weeks ago. Didn't I need time to heal? It went against everything I believed about relationships and breakups. Okay, granted I knew a long time ago that I was in the wrong relationship. And for some reason, I couldn't even be sad or depressed about the breakup. I tried to cry but the tears never came. In the past, I would have been a wreck for weeks. I just had this unshakable peace; I knew that I had made the right decision.

I tried desperately to reach out to my new mentor during this period of uncertainty. But for some reason, our schedules kept clashing. So, I found myself alone in my confusion. I was too afraid to confide in anyone else; I didn't want to be judged.

****

I had finally neared the end of foundation school and it was time for me to take the last two courses with the Pastor in charge. So I set up a date and time with 'Him'. When I got to our meeting place, which was church he seemed to be very busy. He had me waiting for a long time.

Surprisingly while waiting for him, my mentor passed by and as I was greeting her he walked back into the church auditorium. She was on her way out so our greeting was short. However there was a look on her face that lingered on after that day. There was something in her smile.

When it was finally time for our class, he seemed to be very excited. He was smiling for ear to ear. I came straight from work and was a bit hungry, so I wanted to get it over with. During the class, two other pastors passed by and were smiling extra hard. I just knew it! They all knew! He had told them, I was slightly embarrassed, the secret was out!...or so I thought. I later came to find out that they had no idea.

It was a few minutes before our church’s weekly prayer meeting when the class ended. I wanted to dash home but he encouraged me to stay. It was my first time attending the prayer meeting. It actually wasn't too bad. Afterwards, he dropped me off at home. To be sincere, I don't remember the drive home. All that was on my mind was food and sleep!

To be continued...

You're blessed!


- Bunmi


Wait before you go:



1. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, life won't make any sense, it will be cold and empty. You deserve more! Take a few minutes and click on the 'Come to Jesus' tab at the top of the page and be saved!


2. Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!


3. You can subscribe to this blog and receive email updates once a new post is published by entering your email address in the 'Follow by email' section located on the right of this post.

4. You can share this post or previous posts by clicking on the respective social media icon on the right.

5. Follow me on twitter @BunmiAdebiyi_


6. Like my page on facebook: Bunmi Adebiyi


7. Follow me on Instagram: destinationdestiny_mlmt

Protect your Heart

Source: Google

Your heart is the center of your being.
It is your powerhouse.
It should be handled with care.
The strength of it is determined by what you expose it to.

My son, pay attention to my words and be willing to learn; Open your ears to my sayings. Do not let them escape from your sight; Keep them in the center of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, And healing and health to all their flesh. Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.
Proverbs 4:20-23 AMP

The above scripture tells us to keep God's Word at the center of our hearts. It farther says these Words are life, healing and health to one's flesh.

What you allow into your heart will affect your entire being. What you give attention to on a consistent basis enters your heart. If you give your attention to negative situations, circumstances, things or people, negativity will enter your heart. And negativity will hurt you and zap life out of you.

It is only the Word of God that gives life. It is highly important to watch one's thoughts. Be careful of the thoughts that you allow to enter your heart.

Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].
Philippians 4:8 AMP

Here is a checklist:

• Is it true?
• Is it honorable?
• Is it worthy of respect?
• Is it right?
• Is it confirmed by God's word?
• Is it pure?
• Is it wholesome?
• Is it lovely?
• Is it peaceful?
• Is it admirable?
• Is it of good repute?
• Is it excellent?
• Is it worthy of praise?

If the thought is outside of this context, than it is FALSE. Reject It! Your reality is what God says to you; either through his Word or through revelation. If you see something contrary to what the Word says around you, laugh it off! It is temporary, it is subject to change.

It is your responsibility to watch over your heart. You have the power to control what can and cannot enter into your heart. You have power over your feelings and emotions. There is saying that goes, “You are what you eat", so what are you eating? Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts (Jeremiah 15:16 KJV).What are you giving your attention to? What are you feeding on? The Word (the truth) or Lies?

The truth sets free (John 8:32), while lies imprison. Lies evoke fear (false evidence appearing real). Fear leads to torment (1 John 4:18) and clouds one's judgment.

Protect your heart from lies, live free of fear. Protect your heart with the greatest security system- the Word. Do all it takes to keep the Word in your heart. The Word gives peace, it gives liberty, and it gives rest.

Confession: In the name of Jesus, I give attention to the Word of God; I feed on the Word of God daily. I protect my heart by keeping the Word at its center. I refuse to allow negative thoughts, feelings, situations and people to get into my heart. I choose to focus on the Word of God. Amen

Prayer starter: Heavenly father, I come to you today and I pray for a strong desire for your Word. I pray for the wisdom and strength to protect my heart from anything that is not of you. In Jesus' name, Amen!

You're blessed!


- Bunmi


Wait before you go:



1. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, life won't make any sense, it will be cold and empty. You deserve more! Take a few minutes and click on the 'Come to Jesus' tab at the top of the page and be saved!


2. Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!


3. You can subscribe to this blog and receive email updates once a new post is published by entering your email address in the 'Follow by email' section located on the right of this post.

4. You can share this post or previous posts by clicking on the respective social media icon on the right.

5. Follow me on twitter @BunmiAdebiyi_


6. Like my page on facebook: Bunmi Adebiyi

7. Follow me on Instagram: destinationdestiny_mlmt

Please God, Love People

Something happened a few days ago that rubbed me the wrong way.

It reminded me of a similar incident that took place a few months ago. I did all I can to make someone comfortable and happy. I later found out that she went behind my back to complain about my efforts. I was beyond hurt and disappointed. She later apologized but it took me way too long to get over it. It put me in a terrible state; I harbored unforgiveness and bitterness against her for a long while. That is a big NO! NO! It affected my relationship with her and I regretted it. So I knew better not to allow history to repeat itself.

Now onto what happened the recent incident...

A few weeks ago, someone reached out to me and shared some disheartening news with me. She is someone dear to me, someone that I've shared personal information with. Someone I truly care about. Instantly, I was shocked and at a loss for words. I was sad and felt helpless. I desperately wished that I could turn back the hands of time. But at last, it was beyond me.

I tried my best to encourage the person. I asked how they were feeling...of course, she wasn't feeling good. I just wanted to probe where her mind was at and help as much as I could.

I offered to give a listening ear if she ever needed to talk or vent about the situation. And also added a little prayer. I ended by saying I loved her and would be praying for her.

I didn't get a response, so I decided to give her some space. I reached out a few days afterwards...no response...I tried again a few days after that...still no response.

I've been praying for her daily since then and decided to reach out to her via another mean because I was very concerned; and because I found a resource that might be helpful to her.

I was excited to finally get a response via the other means of communication. However, after opening the message and reading it, I was crushed. It felt like a ton of bricks were thrown in my face. I was told that the previous messages were not responded to intentionally. Imagine my shock! At the end of the day, she was not happy with my response to the bad news.

I apologized, but I could tell that my apology wasn't enough.

After contemplating the issue over and over again, I heard these words in my spirit "Please God, and Love people. Only God can see your heart." Well I didn't want to hear it to be honest. I go above and beyond to be there for people. There is no problem that is shared with me that I do not do all that I can to do in my power to help, including going before the Lord in prayer about until it is resolved.

As a pastor, people come to me with their issues. At times, I have to sacrifice time, energy, resources, etc. to be there for people. It is an honor; I don't take it for granted. The late nights spent counseling people, the early mornings and other odd hours spent praying for others, sacrificing family time...it is a privilege. Wanting to feel appreciated and be to be praised is natural. But I know much better than to live for the praises of people. I choose to cater to an audience of ONE, my one and only father in heaven. 

But my husband hit the nail on the head when I confided in him "Do it for God, not for people." I still wasn't satisfied. My heart was still hurting. Then I remembered a blog post that I read yesterday by Funto Ibuoye on the Beautified Blog. She spoke about intimacy with Holy Spirit. She mentioned a scenario in which she was looking to her husband for affirmation but didn't get it. So she decided to look to the Holy Spirit instead. I followed suit and prayed for help to get over the incident. And after a short while, I felt at peace and made a conscious effort to get over it.

.

To be sincere, if I had my way I'd live in my own world, on a private island far away from people. Naturally, I'm a loner...an introvert.  I've been hurt by so many people in the past, and I can get very defensive with my heart subconsciously.

But I've learned that relationships are vital and that I can't allow the past hurts to affect me. Relationships are bridges that can either take you to your destination or derail you.  Relationships are necessary. In relationships, you get what you give.  I've come to love people truly and discovered that everyone is unique; we have to learn how to love each person the way they need to be loved.

My pastor told me these words a few months ago. He said "Some people were created to live for others." I instantly discovered that I was one of those people.  Love puts other's before one's self. So I do all that I can to make sure that I impact lives and bless people. So my advice to you is to aim to be a blessing to people, not please them.

I've discovered that one of the keys to living a successful life is to live above one's feelings. Purpose is greater than pain. I cannot allow my feelings to get in the way of fulfilling my purpose. Feelings are temporary, they are fleeting, and they are conditional. Feelings can cripple, feelings can blind, and feelings can bind.

But I choose to be free. Love sets free. Love always wins. I choose to please God because he's the only one that knows the true me. I work for him, I live for him, and I am alive because of him. I owe him my all.

So, instead of being offended and hurt. I've made up my mind to love her and continue to pray for her. She's hurting, what she's going through is painful; it is something that you wouldn't wish upon your worst enemy. Obviously she confided in me because she desired some sort of comfort. I still feel terrible for not being able to provide this comfort; but I refuse to beat myself up. It is only the Holy Spirit that and give true comfort, he is the ultimate comforter.

Even if she decides to never talk to me again and continues to push me away, I will still love her. I will love her from a distance. My prayers will reach her and that's the most important thing. I want her to be whole and at peace, so I'm willing to get out of my feelings and live above them. There are more important things to focus on.

***

I write this blog post today because I want everyone to know, that it is possible to be in control of one's feelings. I don't need sympathy or a pat on the back. I am a work in progress and I need God's help every second, minute, hour, day, month, year, and so on. So I pride myself on yield to the Holy Spirit and allowing him to mold me and shape me daily. I will fall, I will make mistakes, I will miss it along the way...but still I rise! still I shine! Because Christ is me, glory is inevitable! 

Offenses will always come...but you don't have to take them! So be prepared, people will hurt you, they will disappoint you, lie to you, talk behind your back, cheat you, steal from you, etc. But make up your mind before it occurs to not allow those things to get the best of you. Forgive in advance and protect your heart.

In past, I was ruled by my feelings. It was a terrible way of living. I died daily because of what people said to me, thought about me and did against me. I was overwhelmed with being a people pleaser. I just wanted everyone to like. It was daunting and unsuccessful.

When you get busy with building your relationship with God and with what he has created you to do, people will automatically be attracted to you. You cannot please everyone, but you can love everyone. You can only please God, so focus on doing just that!




You're blessed!


- Bunmi


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