WORDS

Sometime late last year a friend called to ask if Nailah could have a movie date with her kids. I asked her dad and he was ok with it and we knew Nailah would be thrilled because she loves to go out and have fun with her friends.

The date was set for Sunday, 2:00 pm and Nailah was ecstatic about it. All through the week, we spoke about nothing more than the movie date.

Finally, Sunday had come and it was almost 1:15 pm so I decided to quickly dress her up before my friend would come being that she practically lives behind us and I didn't want to keep them waiting (I am not the most timely person sad to say but, I'm working on it). My friend is sort of like a white lady. She is principled, polished and always on time, perhaps because she was a former banker or is simply part of her upbringing and discipline. I don't know, but I always admire her for that.

Anyway, 1:30 pm passed and my friend had not arrived, 1:45 pm, 2:00 pm, 2:15 pm and so the clock was ticking and Nailah was getting a bit agitated because she was yet to see her friend. We all felt sorry for her because growing up, I never liked getting dressed or waiting for Aunties and Uncles that would make promises and not show up. We had all experienced such disappointments one time or the other growing up and so all the adults in the house could feel Nailah's pain and agitation. At some point, my husband suggested I call and find out if the date was still on or if my friend had forgotten and left without Nailah. Both assumptions seemed rather off to me being that I know my friend's character so well. I knew she didn't forget because she asked me herself and she was not one to forget stuff like that or not keep an engagement, but for the love of me, I could not understand what had happened as this was not in her character. I didn't want to call and be like those 'pushy mommies' being that she was just doing a good deed.

It was almost 2:30 pm and I picked the phone reluctantly to place the call and boom, the door burst open and my friend's son stepped in, he quickly apologized on their behalf for coming late and explained why his mom could not come in herself as she had younger kids in the car. Nailah was so happy and practically flew out of the house with him that she barely turned around to say 'goodbye'. I followed swiftly to see them off to the car. My friend quickly apologized for coming late and explained that the movie time had been moved or so and she forgot to call to inform me so we don't get ready by 2:00 pm.

I waved them goodbye and went into the house to breathe a sigh of relief, glad that everything had ended well because our next plan was to compensate Nailah by taking her out for ice-cream or just something close by to get her mind off the movie and not allow her dressing to be a waste nor let her feel too sad about her over anticipated outing that became abortive.

As I got into the house to go about my business, I heard the Holy Spirit ask me a question " Serah, why were you so sure your friend would come to the extent you seemed super reluctant to call her when you didn't see her at your agreed time'? My answer was simple, I know my friend and I know her character, but beyond that, was the fact that I did not ask her to make such an appointment or commitment to Nailah. She did that on her own accord with no pressure attached because I was minding my business when she called to ask if Nailah could go out with them, not that I called asking her or putting her under pressure to do it.

The Holy Spirit then told me that 'Do you realize Serah that there is no promise in the bible that God has ever made under duress? There is not one in over 3000 promises recorded in the bible that man had put pressure on God or forced His hand to make. Every promise you find, He made them willingly and on His own accord and because of that, I would expect that you would believe Him when you read it and not keep worrying or bothering about how He would make it come to pass or if He would keep His words. The same way you believed your friend would show up because you know her character and believed she was not forced to make a commitment is the same way I would like you and every other child of mine to believe that I am committed and bound to My words to keep them because I said I would. The writer of Hebrews puts it this way 'God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind (Hebrews, 6:17 NLT).

I felt a bit ashamed of myself for the many times I had doubted whether God would come through on His words or promises, but I had also learned a valuable lesson that day.

Dear Friends, I pray that as you read this, you would also learn to trust that when God makes statements like 'like ‘You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you','I am your shepherd you shall not want', 'tell me the desires of your heart that I may fulfill', the plans I have for you are of good and not of evil to bring you to a good and expected end' or simply that 'all things are working together for your good', He means them and will do them. Why? Because He made that promise Himself and He is a God of character that cannot lie.