The last few days have been sort of different for me, it’s been a fight, to keep my physical strength in the midst of impending attempts by malaria and a few lesser demons. It’s not the first time I’m fighting off what I call be beast, usually I switch to reaffirming my health with scripture, and keep my activity level up so I my body doesn’t get overpowered. Seems a strange strategy, but it works for me. At least by God’s grace in 19 years, I have overcome. I have been combining that with business trainings in Port Harcourt.
I woke up this morning feeling a lot better, all the symptoms were gone, but it was replaced by a burden to step out and pray. I had been reading the books of Samuel, and been getting nudges to step up my relationship and conversation with God higher on the inspiration of David. I decided to step out of the room, and take a gentle walk with God. The prayer was simple – “God, what would you have me do?”. I appreciated and thanked him, prayed in other tongues while I lacked understanding and just generally made myself available. I sat down after pacing around for a while, stared into the wall ahead of me, patiently waiting, and silently thinking.
An Elderly man approached me, in native blue attire. He came to me to thank me profusely for being a blessing and impacting his life. He said he had similar dreams, to impact a generation, and he was so blessed over the last few days of the training. He shared with me that he had been a Pastor for about 29yrs, and was nearing retirement to a time when he’ll serve God on his own without the option of a platform – I listened quietly, and muttered “Thank God”, whenever the space allowed it. He asked my counsel about a few other things, which I tried to help him with.
I got up to leave him, and realized that my left leg, had slightly left it’s socket, or the muscle that connected it, was out of place. The pain was sharp and walking normally an immediate challenge. I made it back to my room, and went up and down a few times down the stairs – fighting it, like always. I finally got back to my bed, on the counsel that I might need to lie low for a while, and as soon as I got on my bed, I heard a still small voice – “You said you wanted me to speak to you?, that your waist, that’s ME speaking to you”. I listened further and heard –“You need to study Jacob, and it’s urgent. I took out his waist, to give him a sign, this is a sign as well. Go study Jacob, and as soon as you get off your bed and commit to doing that, the pain will go”. Of course… I got up, and began a study of Jacob, a study long overdue actually.
Now down to the story of “This kind love”. The lessons from Jacob are mine to savor, I’m sure time will further give me the opportunity to share the details of what’s happening to me, and the role of Jacob in that journey, but there is something that struck me, and I believe someone could benefit greatly from.
The first time Jacob saw Rachel, he was energized to move a boulder off a well that it normally took many shepherds to move. All the shepherd normally wait for each other to arrive so they could move it, Jacob saw Rachel and singlehandedly move it. Again, Laban gave Jacob an opportunity to determine his wage, and what did Jacob ask for? He asked for an opportunity to work for 7 years to get Rachel’s hand in marriage. The Bible records that it didn’t take much time in his eyes, because he loved Rachel. His love shortened the time and elongated his patience – This Kind Love! I got a few interesting instructions with this, that I am definitely sharing with my wife.
1. Love can turn Kent Clarke into Superman!
2. Love can make the time you are enduring to achieve an objective seem like a few days when it’s actually a few years.
This means wives have a powerful tool in their hands, that they can use to motivate and inspire their husbands to achieve their maximum potentials – Love! Rather than channel a man’s love into the expense column in an attempt to please and make his wife happy, that love can be redirected into productive labor, and into superhuman achievements.
Ask yourself, dear woman, what’s your husband’s love for you making him achieve? Woman, lady, madam, does your husband love you? What is your love inspiring him to do? To squander his resources on shoes and bags or to brin in more value for the family? Is he getting positive future things done on the platform of his love for you or wasting resources? Is he more patient because of you? Is he able to have an escrow and grow it for the love of you, or have you wounded his love? Woman, what are you energizing and inspiring your husband to do for love? A wise woman builds her home, use his love to your family’s advantage.
