Perspective

It’s December!!!

 This is usually one of my busiest months as there are so many singing engagements for the choir, and this year, Christmas falls on a Monday which means an extended weekend of singing for both the Christmas and New year weekends, plus lately I have the added pressure of producing the yearly calendar.  Amidst all of this, I try to remember what all the fuss is about as the true meaning of Christmas is sometimes an afterthought in my mind as I have gotten older… hmmm.

Yes, December is a month that beckons us to take stock of the year so far.  Naturally the first things that come to mind would be the things we are yet to accomplish, the boxes we are yet to tick, the books we didn’t even touch – talk less of finish, the people we didn’t visit, and the list goes on…

I remember in Junior high school, there was a huge mountain some miles away from our campus.  On most days when it would rain, you could see the rain cloud moving over the mountain and coming towards the school.  It was truly a beautiful sight.  Once when my Art teacher wanted to explain ‘perspective’ to us, he took us out of the classroom to a view of the mountain.  We all agreed that the mountain was huge and we were tiny in comparison.  Then he asked us to hold up a finger right in front of the view and close one eye.  It didn’t matter anymore how huge and massive that mountain was, because our little fingers became the biggest things in the world to us in that view.

I have thought about that mountain a lot as I prepared for this month’s article. For me, this was indeed a year like no other.  I started the year with a new job and great expectations. Finally, my career was going to kick off, after 6yrs of waiting and trying to begin.  It was a big testimony.  I had calculated how quickly I would pay off my debts and how much I would have saved by the end of the year.  My husband was excited, my family were in celebration mode because this indeed was an answer to prayer.  And then I started.

I can’t fully describe my experience in that office, but after my 3-month probation period, the boss-man decided I couldn’t cut it.  In reality, he couldn’t offer the training he promised to provide.  He had already hired my replacement before I left.  He wasn’t a very nice boss.  First quarter and suddenly I was back to job-hunting.  I spent April asking God why I had to go through that. I still haven’t got an answer.  So I focused on what I had in my hand.  I continued singing and planning events and spending time with my husband and son. My mountain of good things and many blessing was building.  I have testimonies of God’s timely provision, God’s protection, friends having babies and getting new jobs and getting promotions.  I attended many thanksgiving parties and celebrated with many on WhatsApp. But when night would come and most early mornings, the first thing on my mind – the little finger right in front of my face – would be my dormant career.  I completed some free online courses to keep my mind active and even applied for other kinds of jobs, but I couldn’t focus on the present because the first quarter was still a mystery to me.

Many really cool things have happened around me this year.  I sincerely have a lot to celebrate; but I got to December and alas! I couldn’t even pay any debt. I have less in my account this December than I did last year and I my career is still seemingly asleep.  However, after listening to my Pastor’s sermon two weeks ago, I felt some level of regret.  I had missed a trick because of my perspective.  I could have taken my three months and built on it, or pushed for something more.  I could have focused on the mountain of testimonies to remind me of God’s ability instead of my little finger of disabilities.  I actually had to apologise to God for being so negative for most of this year.

 I can’t go back and have a do-over, but this year is not over yet!!! I re-arranged my CV and started sending applications again.  Agents have been bugging my phone for the last few days and although no interview has been offered yet, I have hope.  It’s a really good feeling to have, more so because I am certain that God is still in control, and when He is done pruning … all I can say is WATCH THIS SPACE!!!!

As you take stock of 2017, check your perspective. Jesus once asked the Pharisees “…. How do you read it?”  Don’t just look though the year, take the time to really see.  You may need to do some repenting like I did.  And if this was not your year of Open doors, or success and prosperity, or Let my people go, etc, God’s word hasn’t lost its power. 2018 is a brand-new year, but God’s word concerning you is not new.  It was written before you were formed, and the One who said it, is Faithful and True.  Merry Christmas to everyone and a very exciting New Year. Have fun this season and don’t forget the mountain!

In His Service
Uche


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