Thanksgiving Chronicles Day 4: He Meets My Needs

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matt 6:26)

I love birds and have found it difficult to delete photos of these two. I won't put myself down as a bird watcher. Far from it. I no get time! (As we'd say in Pidgin English). Birds just remind me of Matt 6:25-34, one of my favourite passages of scriptures growing up. That’s not to say I had no worry. In fact quite the opposite. I was a worrier and at a point had to print these passage and place by my wall.

I photographed one of those birds in Clacton-on-Sea, UK and the other in Tel Aviv, Israel. Why do you need to know where? Because that reminds me that God’s provision is not a factor of geographical location. If he looks after birds all over the world, he’d look after me wherever I find myself.

I didn’t grow up with surplus but our parents worked hard and our needs were met as much as they could. In search for financial independence, dad transitioned from 9-5 to full time business while mum worked 9-5. It was a good idea at first and business did well but something happened at some point and things went downhill. I was on very lean pocket money at School and through most of my Uni days and will have to go home every other week for a replenishment of 200-300NGN. There was no room for manoeuvre and I knew how to manage myself without borrowing from anyone. In fact I doubt if anyone knew besides my very close friends.

I was doing well minding my own business until we had a Sisters weekend event in fellowship and I would be leading one of the special numbers. A dress/colour code was chosen that I didn’t have so I had to get it made. I managed to buy the material but did not have the money to sew it. I gave it to the tailor anyway hoping that I’d be able to raise the money from my next pocket money. After all the collection date was the same day I would be going home for my next replenishment. The problem with that was, on the day I got to Daddy’s shop and there was no money. He opened his drawer for me to see and truly there was no money! My heart was racing. It’s Thursday and the event was that weekend. What would I do? Knowing what Nigerian tailors can be like, I decided to check on the tailor anyway to see if she had finished making my cloth. If it’s ready, we'd take it from there.

When I got to the tailor, she went 'ahhhh welcome my sister, your cloth has been ready for some time. Sit down and let me go and pack them for you.'

Ehn! Even though I needed the cloth, that wasn't the response I hoped for.

I sat down like I actually wanted to collect the cloth and can’t even remember what was going on in my mind that minute.

It took her a little while and then she emerged with the bag. She moved close to me looked me in the eyes, sighed and said, ‘I need to tell you what happened in there.  While I was packing your cloth, the Holy Spirit impressed it on me to give them to you without taking any payment. If I am honest I struggled with that thought but it won’t stop. Have it and enjoy it. You’re really blessed’

I couldn’t hold back the tears and I remember how worried my dad looked when I walked back into his pharmacy before I told my story. Yes, God went that far for me. I learnt there and there to always take my needs to Him first before taking it to anyone else.

Fast forward to 2009, our 1^st year in the UK and the toughest financially for us as a family. I had arrived 3 months before my husband and secured a job. Hubby had arrived later but wasn’t in a job yet. Resources were tight, very tight but thank God for surrounding us with family.

On this particular month, salary got paid on the 30^th and once all bills were paid, we were left with £25 on the 1^st day of the month. We had 2 children and a pay as you go electricity meter that had only £10 credit left on it. We did the account and looked at each other with that ‘What next?’ look. I remember Akin asking me to give him the paper we did our account on, let’s take it to God first.

I could have picked up my phone straight away and talked to someone but it’s just how we had been raised. We prayed about stuff first, then moved on to do something knowing God will order those next steps.

So we knelt by the bed side in our loft apartment, I can remember that spot vividly even now. We put that paper before God and asked for divine provision.

The next day or couple of days later, we received a call from Covenant Women (our church’s women’s ministry) asking for our home address. I expected it to be a courtesy visit to a new member but guess what: they turned up with a 10-15kg bag of Rice, a carton of plum tomatoes, 5L vegetable oil and that’s just the few I can remember now. Crazy right! We were stocked up.

When they left, me and Akin danced and danced and danced. God indeed was a prayer answering God.

My siblings and I were chatting recently and saying how rubbish we are at asking for favours. We ended up with the same conclusion, it isn’t pride but a combination of upbringing and dependency on God that had been taught us as we grew.

Indeed the young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.