You are stronger than you think!

 "You might not feel or look it but you are stronger than you think..."...the Holy Spirit whispered in my ear while in bed. It dawned on me this second morning of the new year 2023, that my "coach" was not talking about new year goals rather He was so empathetic and keen on dealing with my gloominess after I realised I unknowingly deleted the scrap of information for my next writing...it hurts so bad! Lovingly, He also reminded me the words of inspiration my husband shared before breakfast, " His mercies are new every morning so why can't your gratitude be new every morning?" 

 "Ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy (gladness, delight) may be full and complete” (John 16:24 AMPC).

So I thankfully appreciated His counsel and...oozing from my mouth were words of prayer that burned like fire in my bones  "Lord, do it again...give me the grace to start the writing all over again! And Yes, I'm glad He did it again😍! Much more, He gave me a new song titled 'Do it again!"...still working on the lyrics🙌

That's an amazingly wonderful gift early in the year and I feel invigorated ready to run🏃with great gusto... like my fifteen year old, cute and bright "God- daughter " Mojoyin (MJ)🏃🏃🏃

Pressing forward in any cause is likened to digging a well, you need to keep digging even when you hit a rock, don't give up! It doesn't always make sense to continue especially if it's a good cause... always remember that the Holy Spirit, the Comforter is ever willing to help if you ask Him...as you persevere, you will hit the waters when you least expect!

Dr Myles Munroe says " Perseverance actually means " to bear up under pressure". Also, I like this quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, which actually applies to all people " A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water."   

I remember when I was at crossroads in my life. I started a new job in a bank and within the first three months of resumption, I became pregnant. Ah!! I never planned for this...😟I was all at sea. The bank’s policy categorically stated that an unconfirmed staff must not be pregnant until after confirmation and in case this happens the staff must report to the management and such appointment is automatically terminated. The staff could re-apply after delivery but immediate employment was not guaranteed. 

I was bewildered by the fear of joblessness after waiting for some years to secure this one, also I was fully aware that an additional income flow to support my husband wasn't a bad idea.

Gently, I shared the news with my husband and he was unusually calm. He was all concerned about my welfare and the baby and didn't mind me letting go of the job, after all we coped without the job... "Hmm...it sounded good in my head but my heart couldn't do this without a fight!" I told him...he sternly warned me not to do anything stupid. I understood his concerns and promised to deal with it wisely... I will find out possible options even if I have to give it up eventually...! Sincerely, I still don't understand where the guts came from!

 I confided in a mentor, a senior colleague in the office, who frankly told me that I had only two options; Abort the pregnancy or lose the job... moreover, do you need a baby now after two boys?" He voiced with his body language. I blew a fuse at his opinion...abort my baby? Never!! I heard myself vehemently speaking up saying  "Never! I will not abort my baby, I will have my baby and keep the job". 

He cynically responded "Hmm... good luck to you ..let’s see how you will achieve that". He kicked me in the teeth!. 

I was petrified after this conversation and could only think of confiding in a doctor who I observed was mature and warm while conducting my medicals at the point of entry into the bank. I confided in him my fears about the opinion of abortion offered by my mentor and to my greatest amazement, the doctor who was just an acquittance looked into my eyes and with his animated face said  "Madam...I advise you, trust God no matter what! What you're passing through is for a purpose you may not understand now...be strong, keep your baby and watch what God will do concerning your job... " I bursted into tears! That was the voice I needed to gain strength and confront the storm with courage.

In a few weeks the pregnancy episode started...I sensed an unusual strength from within. Though my appetite decreased I was sustained by water and snacks...but despite the morning sickness, I acted strong at the busy funds transfer desk of the branch. Wonderfully, my graceful petite stature hid the pregnancy in a way nobody ever suspected. I recovered my vitality after three months. At the sixth month, the senior management staff in my branch whom I confided in decided to take advantage of my situation. My mentor suddenly turned into a tormentor! He wanted me to dance to his tune...obey orders that were obviously unethical or threaten to report my pregnancy to the management. The secret battle between us became so intense within the branch that I was pushed to the wall to think "I would rather lose my job than give in to his mediocre work style laced with intimidation. 

The last straw that broke the Camel's back was his usual undeserved cynical comments targeted at me after a customer gladly commended my excellent attitude at work. I got home that evening and like a wounded lioness roared and prayed, asking the Lord for help. I was overwhelmed with the spirit of boldness I had never felt before. Left with no other option, I arrived at the office the next morning earlier than usual and composed a mail. Yes, I reported myself to an executive director of the bank at our headquarters in Lagos and pleaded for mercy. I stated my case in such a manner that only the wisdom of God could have done. Guess what! My case was referred to the Managing Director of the bank..lo and behold after two weeks, the judgement given was fair! I was given an approval to proceed on a maternity leave when due, but without payment for the first six months after resumption. To cut the long story short, I was delivered of a bouncing baby boy...3.8kg 😍  and I still retained my job (as I earlier believed). I resumed at the training school of the bank after the three months maternity leave. Big thanks to my mother in law, Mrs Tinuade Awolesi (now of blessed memory) who was a strong pillar of support to me and my husband through this delicate period. 

To my greatest joy, upon resumption from the training school, my tormentor was silenced for I was transferred to another branch. Sadly for him, he was left out of the promotion boom going round the bank at that time. On the other hand, it was a rain of favor for me, in fact my colleagues at the new branch were so benevolent that without my asking they willingly came up with a financial contribution plan to support me during the ‘no salary’ season. I couldn't imagine that measure of favor. Customers who knew me called to reward me with cash and other gifts at the new branch... above all, I got my confirmation letter nine months after delivery. I'm forever grateful to God for giving me the grace to even stand strong to fight to keep my baby...a great gift indeed and the job! 

I must confess to you, I still can't explain why or how I got the guts to fight...all I can say is that " I got God's strength and backing". The words of the doctor resounds, I realised that after the red sea parted for me...it brought new ray of hope for women in my shoes at the bank. Shortly after my resumption, I saw a mail initiated from the Human Resources department at the headquarters directed at all unconfirmed staff across the country and continent, an upgraded policy on "no pregnancy", however, palliative measures were set up for women in that category. Wow...it's fulfilling to know that the welfare of women in that category got the attention of management at last.

I gladly resigned from the bank, after serving for seven years...I came, I fought and I conquered! Later I heard that my tormentor was finally sacked some years after I resigned. What a reward!

"And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans.” Romans 8: 28

In as much as I do not overrate the pragmatic approach I undertook in confronting the situation, I'm also not oblivious of the impact of the trauma I had to bear. But thanks be to God for His grace. I can't imagine how many women, married or unmarried who went through similar situation and gave in to abortion all for the sake of securing their jobs! 

Do not allow the pressures of life becloud your sense of good judgement. Continually sharpen your senses, both physical and spiritual with God's Word, prayer and quality fellowship with God and mature believers ... nourish your life with God's gifts, inspiring songs and writings.

May we never lose a wonder! Don't get stuck in the paradigm of "having it all". Marcus Buckingham in his book: Find your Strongest Life, offers a priceless counsel" "Having it all" doesn't mean having everything, all at once, all the time. " Having it all" means taking yourself seriously. It means knowing yourself well enough to find your purpose in life. It means knowing what needs to change when you sense that you've lost that purpose, it means having the faith to believe that change is possible and having the courage to make those changes. It means drawing strength from the relationships in your life, and, if there's no strength to be drawn, knowing when to cut those relationships out of your life ...

The conventional image of a successful woman today is that she's a virtuoso juggler, somehow moving fast enough to keep all the many aspects of her busy life in the air at the same time. 

A strong life is the opposite of juggling!...the secret to living a strong life lies in knowing how to draw a few things in toward you. It asks you to be discriminating, selective, intentional...learn how to catch, hold and feel the energizing moments in each aspect of your life..."

Need I say more?  

Learn to catch your strong moments in 2023!

🏃🚵🚴🏂🏇🏃🚶🏄🚣🏊🏇

Yours sincerely,

Segilola