More from Ehi Ogwiji

I have heard that an individual’s twenties are the years for experimenting and trying many new paths. As I look back on the past few years, I agree. I have gone through multiple rounds of self-reinvention as I evolve into the woman God wants me to be. As with many inventions, there were moments of failure, mistakes, and rejections. On the path to purpose, one might have to travel alone—like Abraham asking his servants to wait as he takes his son, a literal piece of his heart, to the altar in obedience. Sometimes obedience takes making tough decisions. It takes hearing your heart crack and letting tears flow like a broken faucet, but still doing it anyway. It is worth it in the end. Obedience is indicative of our trust in the Lord. So even when we are unsure and feel alone on the path, we move forward—encouraging ourselves in the Lord like David.

In a recent conversation with a friend, I mentioned that I have had my own “days in the belly of a whale” experience. Like Jonah, I struggled with the call to total obedience. It is so easy to condemn Jonah’s action until we think about how often we say no to God. Reflecting on my journey and the path God has taken me, especially in the past year, makes my heart swell with gratitude. I think of all the people God stationed on this lonely path. I am thankful for the “Naomis” who mentored me, just as Naomi mentored Ruth, and for the “Mordecais” who have enlisted as guardians for me, just as Mordecai did for Esther. I have experienced what it means that the Lord sets the lonely in families. There is nothing more comforting than strangers opening up their hearts and homes to an individual because of a shared faith. Last Christmas as I unwrapped gifts from this God-given family, I thought about how angels might not necessarily be winged beings but rather people who allow the love of Christ to radiate from them to others, even when they have little in common.

The love of the Lord has radiated from my surroundings to me as well. Last spring, I watched the tulips blossom on campus and other colorful flowers blooming around the city. I would stop by them to take in the view and inhale the refreshing floral scents some of them emitted. I went to the coast and watched the tides go back and forth on shorelines. I picked up shells and watched giddy kids play in the sand. As I watched seasons come and go, I reflected on the wonder of beautiful flowers, towering trees, gorgeous fall colors, the whispers of bodies of water, and the abundant sunlight of summer. The blessing and beauty of seeing God’s art displayed in nature all around me is fascinating. On many occasions, these things have reminded me of God’s attentiveness to details. I am reminded that God is not missing any detail in my story. Whether I understand the plot or not, it will be nothing short of beautiful when God is done. God makes everything beautiful in its time.

I am learning that while encouraging oneself in the Lord might be necessary at some points, God installs other sources of encouragement and comfort in the family of faith and through nature and other ordinary things around us. I hope you can spot these sources on days when you need them the most.