You Didn’t Make Me Rich
I really fought hard with this blog - whether to share it or not but it’s important to be fully transparent with our lives so God can be glorified. Sometime during COVID-19 pandemic I pivoted to a new business. At first I did not have any experience in that particular field so I decided to partner with someone who I thought was more experienced in that area. As God will have it, when I started the startup process, it became evident that my management and administration experience is what the licensing board needed to grant us the license.
So, I did ALL the work. Funded over 98% of the entire startup expenses and all. I spent over 4 weeks developing a 600-page policy for the business because I didn’t have extra funds to engage consultants. Mind you, I was also going through the worst time in my personal life - a terrible divorce and a total wipe out of my consulting clients because of the pandemic. When I engaged the business partner I wasn’t prayerful. It was right before the pandemic started and I was in my high and mighty moments so what has God got to do with my life? I just looked at what this business partner represented on paper with her experience and also the genuineness of a friendship. God will flip my life upside down and cause me to totally surrender to Him at the apex of the pandemic. I became so prayerful, seeking and just all about God.
The year and half it took to set things up, this partner gave me hell. It was worse than my own burdens I was carrying. So much so that the text messages, audio notes and her 'godish' behavior was unbecoming. She was on a mission to hit me where it hurts most - knowing I was already going through one hell of a time. I’ll get reports of everything she’s saying and I’ll just tell God not to forget it all, especially when she mocked my new found relationship with God. It came down to it that I had to let her go off the partnership as she requested. Then she got angry when I finally sent her the separation agreement. She had invested ONLY $4K into the business and out of my last savings, God told me to write her a check of the amount she put into the business. Friends, I was confused and God directed me to this scripture in Genesis 14:22-23 NIV;
22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’
Please read the entire chapter for the background story but God told me clearly, I’m about to do something in your life and I don’t want anyone taking credit for it. You see, because of her experience in that field, it would have been easy for anyone to attribute the sustenance of my business to her - but God said NO. Friends, if I share the entire story, this piece will become an entire book but let me assure you that while I am not rich yet - will be one day soon with God’s help, God never abandoned me and did not allow someone to take credit for the work He did with me. He helped me, all by Himself just as he told Abram. I'm told she still sells a story that she created a business and left it for me and when I hear those I just laugh. I know God is laughing at that too. I've learned a lot through this experience and now I practice what Winston Churchill said, "I no longer listen to what people say, I just watch what they do. Behavior never lies".
I pray for you this week, that the Lord bless you in all your ways - just by Himself so no one can boast over you except Him. May the voices that spoke against you be silenced forever just by what they see the Lord doing in your life. Let this be so and so it is in Jesus’ name. AMEN!
XOXO,
Lady Abena.
#WholenessLiveHere✅
A Unified Force
We’ve heard a lot said about the importance of UNITY but one of the scriptures that stands out for me is in Genesis 11:5-6 NIV;
"5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.”
The story is about the tower of Babel - when ordinary humans decided to come together to build a tower that will touch the heavens so that they will ink their names in history. Truthfully, they were well on their way to accomplishing that dream, so much so that God himself came down to see their progress and did not underestimate their ability to do it. Why? Because they were unified.
Can you imagine the amount of things we can accomplish if we can just come together? One voice, one heart and one drive to push towards great things that will leave monumental legacies for generations to come. What a beautiful world that can be. Is it achievable? Possibly! If it happened before then it can happen again. Maybe we start in small amounts and groups - fight for causes that are near and dear to God’s heart that will bless humanity. The importance of life I have come to see is living for others, not just for yourself or for your family.
I pray this week that our hearts will be unified towards good things. Let this be so and so it is in Jesus’ name. AMEN.
XOXO,
Lady Abena.
#WholenessLiveHere✅
All He Made Was Good
So, how is your year coming along thus far? Mine is already unpredictable but I’m steady and learning to stay grounded in my mind, body and soul. As in, it doesn’t matter what is happening around me - I want to stay calm and collected. Remember last year when I shared that I don’t do “resolutions” any more? I still didn’t do one this year. I am not against it but I realized that other forms of planning and strategies work better for me and keeps me disciplined and focused throughout the year. I shared a few ‘life nuggets’ as well so revert to my early blogs in 2024 and 2025, and catch up on some good guides for life.
This year I want to do something a little different - I will be sharing some of my insights on some scriptures with you. At the end of it, you’ll realize why it blessed me and it will bless you too. This will be my sixth (6) year reading the entire Bible. YUP! I started in 2021 and here’s what I do: I pick an annual reading plan on the Bible App via YouVersion and each day, I study about five (5) chapters of the bible before I finally go to bed. This yearly practice has blessed me, transformed me, changed me and I am growing daily in my knowledge of God and also how to handle myself and engage in life.
Let’s start with Genesis 1.
“...And God saw that it was good…”
You’ll notice the above sentence at the end of almost each verse in that chapter after God created something. I started to think - God did not look at ANYTHING He created and was not pleased with it. Which means when He created you and I, we were whole. To Him, we were good. He was so proud of what He had done with us. We are masterpieces and He cherishes us greatly. My question is, why do we belittle ourselves thereby undermining His creation?
I say this with all the humility in me that I have come to a place in life where I refuse to let anyone put me down. I know my strengths and weaknesses, I know my value and worth, I know what I have and do not have and I know what God thinks of me. So, the voice or attitude of another mortal, who is only breathing because the same Lord is rich unto both of us (Romans 10:12), will no longer cause me ‘wahala’ in this lifetime. Oh yes - it is a very liberating experience for me lately. The bible says to fear only God who can kill the body and the soul (Matthew 10:28). That said, if God is for you, looks at you - His creation that He fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) and He says you are good in His eyes, then my dear friend, you are GOOD. Just as everything He created. Be good to yourself, cherish you and value the great qualities and things God has placed in you. Grow in the areas you need to but never despise yourself.
I pray for you this week, that you will see the excellence and perfection of God in your life. That He knows you, sees you and has not discounted you. This year, do not discount yourself. You matter, you are precious to God, He created you for a purpose that only you can fulfill on earth. He says you are good - no matter your circumstances.
XOXO,
Lady Abena.
#WholenessLiveHere✅