Sun and Rain

Imagine staining your wedding gown as you walk the red carpet to say, “I do”, what would you do?

Growing up in a typical African setting, there are sports that boys love. Most of these sports by default, encourage players to be without shirts. My family didn’t encourage me to play half naked, so, I’d always play with my shirt on my body. The shirt would get too dirty that regaining its real color was a hard thing to do. My family wasn’t rich. Infact, my dad was just a teacher, and my mom a housewife. This means no new clothes often.

Living with these clothes that can’t be any cleaner, irrespective of how much strength one puts, made me to be mocked many times by my peers. Life turned out to be a mess for me. I hated my clothes, but it was better to be on them, than to be naked. Actually, some of my teachers made me feel awkward even.

If all flowers looked alike, they’d be cool, wouldn’t they? Or perhaps, if all birds were doves, an ostrich wouldn’t mind it’s inability to fly. It’s very difficult for one who’s not like others to just feel that they’re different and stop at that. It’s actually easier for them to feel drawn back by their inability to do certain things like others.

These inability Staines our lives a lot. For few people, miracles happen, but for many, they only live with hope for better, until they accept the challenge in their state. What more can the ones who see no miracles do?

If God wanted all waters to be ocean, how hard would that be to Him? If God can hold the sun to be a light for one’s sake, would not He make it possible for anything to be?

A lot differences have made life a nightmare for many people. Colors have made life hard, as though one ever chose a race to be born in. Gender differences have turned the homes into a fighting arena. Educational differences have caused offices to be a showroom for academic papers. Health status have traumatized many of our people.

The biggest question still remains; does God still have a purpose for those who are different from us? Is there beauty in a flower that’s different from others?

A young lady shared her story that might just be what is needed to answer a bit of that question. Here’s what she said in her story.

As a Christian, I grew knowing that we are all fearfully and wonderfully made, despite our color, height, and body size. I was taught God created us in a way that He knew we could achieve our purposes in this life.

In the early years of my youth I found myself in the tough tussles of life. For some reasons I could only confine them with God. Up to now, this led to loss of weight, and at some point I was recommended a bed rest.

When I came out for the first time by then, the love of my life whom I’d not met for a while, looked at me and said, “You have a body of a teen; you’re no longer the lady I felt for”. It entered me deep, but all I could do, that I did — to smile. The pressure to gain weight was developed in me. I was fed like a pig but I couldn’t gain any visible difference.

One day as I walked along a street, a cosmetic lady ran after me and offered to sell me some creams and pills which could boost my body size. With a smile I looked at her and answered, “no thanks!” She told me I must be mad. Wow!

As years went by, God restored my strength and I was in my daily life again. Not that I regained everything I knew before, but the strength to cope with the situation, and withstand the stigma that people put on me.

Over and over I have suffered deep cutting words because of my body. I have heard people around me tease me with the same words, “you have a body of a teenager”.

These in most times left me wounded but with time I got used to them. I don’t know if I should have, but yeah, I got used to it. When I visited many hospitals, they’ve always wanted to test if I am HIV positive, which I always allow them to.

In spite of all these challenges, my body size has never stood in between me and my maker. It has never stopped me from fulfilling my purpose. Today, I just want to encourage someone, if you cannot change who you are, simply accept yourself. Love yourself as you are, bearing in mind, Christ does help in the pursuit of your purpose as you are and be sure at long last you will find fulfilment in it.

Well, there it is.

“Christ does help in the pursuit of your purpose”.

My clothes might have been stained, but they still covered the nakedness. They might have looked bad, but they still warmed. They might have been unfit for me to put on, but they were still important.

A lot of times, people who are different have made negative comments on themselves like, “God should have killed me”, or “of what value am I?”. Actually, sometimes there’s a feeling of “I’m only a burden, nothing good in me”. Perhaps you could be among those who feel different, I have a news for you.

You aren’t you by mistake. God created you that His life might also be born in you. His life being born in you activates the reason for your existence which you might have gambled with till to date.

You aren’t a mistake. God wants you to allow His life that is born in you to grow in you. His life growing in you points you to the methodology of fulfilling your purpose here on earth. It is one thing to know your purpose (birth of God’s life in you), but another thing to understand what to do with the life born in you.

You will never be a mistake. God wants you to allow the life born, and grown in you to work in you, and through you. What would be the purpose of God’s life being born in you, and growing in you if it can’t do anything? When this is finished, you can then rest.

Do you still think you’re useless?

Well, those people you think you’re burdening have choices. They can choose not to help you, but they choose otherwise. They seek the Lord for your sake because God Himself positioned them for such at that time.