Friday 4 October 2013

Week 24-28-The End Of A Thing Is Indeed Better Than It's Beginning...


So after 2 months of being away from the base I just couldn’t believe that 6 months was up already! I had so much to reflect on. Like I felt like a completely different person to the one that arrived in Fiji in March. I’ll be honest with you, when I arrived I was a confused, immature London girl with braids down to my back + a whole lot of issues and baggage.  But over the past 6 months so much has changed. God has indeed rebuilt me (Jeremiah 31:4). My countenance, skin colour, hair, mind and above all my relationship with God has changed. God has truly taken me on a journey and a half and renewed my mind.

He Is My Source

Being a missionary=TRUST GOD and this in itself was a big test for me. Before I became a missionary, I was in full time employment and got paid every Friday. I would freely take out cash, go to restaurants and shop whenever I desired. I was not as disciplined as I thought I was.  The majority of my paycheck would go on me, myself and I. I thought me tithing and serving in church was enough, but people it’s not! Looking back I see that although I had converted and become born again, I hadn’t allowed God to transform my mind and way of thinking.

God has been teaching and is continuing to show me that my security comes from Him and not my bank balance. Looking back I see that I was someone who was very very materialistic. I loved the labels and brand names and would only shop in certain places but God being God knew that I had to be humbled. He has stripped me and has shown me that my identity is in HIM and not in the things of the world. Just the other day I went shopping in a second hand shop and brought a few items which made me even realize even more how far God has brought me.

I Am What God Says I Am

Also I realise that I failed to embrace who God made me, like I would always wear make up and cover my hair by wearing extensions. Now before any of you bite my head off, I’m not saying that there is anything wrong with wearing make up and wearing a weave or extensions, however I found that with myself I was conforming to the patterns of the world by trying to be someone other than the person God created me to be.

Like for example I became addicted to make up, struggling to leave my house without wearing make up or my natural hair out due to fear of what people would think. Psalm 139:14 declares that we are FEARFULLY & WONDERFULLY made yet I paid more attention to what the world thought of me, trying to keep up appearances and failed to listen to what my creator was saying concerning me. I used to struggle a lot with the colour of my skin, and questioned God about why I was so dark and then when the sun made me even darker I became insecure and no longer felt ‘beautiful’. God kept saying ‘Josie you’ are the apple of My eye’ but I wouldn’t believe it. In Isaiah 29:16 it says how can the clay say to the potter why did you make me like this? I was so convicted and realized I doubted Him. Our identity is in who He says we are and not what we think about ourselves.


Take Nothing For Granted

Something else I have noticed about myself is that I am so particular about people around me wasting food. Like it grieves my spirit. I have experienced times where there was only plain rice and tea or even just noodles for days on end because money was tight. Spending 6 months living in lack has taught me to appreciate and be thankful for EVERYTHING. Like there are families around the world starving and struggling to put bread on the table and yet I used to take it all for granted. I believe that the way we treat things is an indication of how much we value it. In my case, I didn’t value the things God gave me and took the daily blessings like food and water for granted…ouch!

Hearing God’s Voice


I’m a talker, I love to talk, however when it comes to our relationship with God it has to be two way and I needed to allow God to speak through me shutting up and listening. I have learnt that if I do not take the time to listen and hear God’s voice, I will struggle in my walk with God full stop. Over the past couple of months I have been through sooo much and have to make important decisions and choices concerning my future. I have needed direction and confirmations from God and it’s only through hearing His voice that I was able to press on. How can we know the best thing to do if we don’t go to God and seek His counsel? For example a couple weeks before graduation I experienced yet ANOTHER stressful situation.  This time the issue was to do with my visa. So basically there were miscommunications with my visa and I was told my visa would be valid for a year only the immigration told me that the information I was given was incorrect and that I would have to leave Fiji by the 25th September.

My initial response was “what the heck?!” and then “but God I thought you told me I’m not meant to go back to London now?!”.  A couple of months ago I got a confirmation from God that I’m to stay in Fiji for 6 months so when this happened I was left confused and needed clarity from God. It was only through seeking Him and knowing His voice that I was able to know what to do. In the end, God spoke to me again and confirmed that I was to stay in Fiji through a song I was listening to one morning. My visa issue got sorted and God came through for me yet again. He literally made a way out of NO WAY!

He’ll Never Give Me More Than I Can Bear

I have learnt to trust God and have faith on ANOTHER LEVEL! Like looking back, God taken me through so many valleys and mountains, sometimes I sit and wonder how on earth was I able to overcome all those things-Only God. I have been sick and contracted skin diseases and experienced more changes in the past 6 months than in my whole entire life. I’ve had confrontations and conflicts with people, issues with language and communication and also been a victim of prejudice and racism. YET in spite of it all, God has never left me, His grace has carried me through. I feel like Ruth living in a foreign land with no one but God to fight my corner.

Let The New Season Begin


On the 13th September I graduated from the Discipleship Training School and I couldn’t wait to leave the base. I met someone in church a couple of weeks ago and shared with her that I wanted to get involved in counseling. She mentioned that her and her friend were talking about how they are looking for a counselor. That blew my mind away…God had opened yet another door for me. So now I’ll be spending the next 6 months volunteering and counseling the police officers and it’s all because of Him. The lines have indeed fallen for me in pleasant places (Psalm 16:6). We can make our plans but it’s the Lord that directs our steps (Proverbs 16:9).  I have now moved to the city and am excited to see how God wants to use me.


Thanks for taking the time to read what I have been up to.

P.s my email address is josieagyeman@gmail.com, feel free to drop me an email.

Miss Josie Jo
Xxx

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