IBOGIRLLIVING

Hey Friends! Hope everybody had a good Easter weekend with loved ones last week? I pray that the message of Easter truly resonates with all of us and that we never take for granted the sacrifice that was made on our behalf by our Lord and Savior. With that said, let's dive into another vulnerable Thursday post as I celebrate one year and 6 months in my renewed relationship with my bridegroom, Jesus!

Not knowing what else to do, I angrily challenged God and demanded to know why He had abandoned me this way? I remember crying for what seemed like hours on end just pouring out my disappointment and frustrations. Then after wailing and sobbing and being a brat with God, I did what I can only now describe as Surrender to Him, asking Him to do whatever He wanted to do with my life because clearly what I was doing was getting me nowhere. No sooner had I done that, then He began to change my perspective about who He was and has always been, why my life was where it was at and how I had contributed to it in no small way.

You see, up until this day, I was doing what culture today defines as 'living on my own terms, doing my thing my way and living what I thought was my truth'. Slowly but surely, God started leading me to see what He said in His Word through specific men and women of faith. My spiritual eyes began to open and I received understanding of God and His Word in new and exciting ways. Scriptures I had read in the past that made no sense suddenly carried new meaning. Prayer that once seemed like a chore became my lifeline. I joined prayer meetings on YouTube, watched sermons, started buying books to help me on this journey as the Holy Spirit began stripping my mind of strongholds and false mindsets. I learned to fast, spend quiet time with God and paid attention to His voice till I grew more and more familiar with it.

Fast forward a year and a half later and I'm free from addictions, pain and hurt. Redeemed by His sacrifice of love and aware of just how much I mean (and have always meant) to Him. My life is not perfect today but I am so much more at peace and confident in God's love for me. I've always wanted to experience this overwhelming love I heard Christians talk about and now I do. There's so much I could say but this space could never contain it all but I would like to leave you with just a few thoughts - The Bible is a living love story to us from God. It teaches, admonishes, helps and prepares us on how best to live this temporary life on earth. God's love is deep and promiscuous towards us that He did not think twice about sending His only Son who knew no sin to become that for us so we would not live separated from Him and His provision or protection. Satan is a liar and a deceiver and he will stop at nothing to tear you away from the loving arms of the Father.

So, I have chosen to celebrate every anniversary the same way I would want to celebrate a relationship with a significant other. My praise is different, my reverence for God means that much more because I know where He found me and compare it to how far He has brought me. I recommit myself and renew my love for Him (as a couple who renew their vows to each-other) and promise that I will never run away from Him but to Him no matter the challenge, that His presence will always supersede my preference and that my plans will never be more important to me than His purpose. I will stay honest, open and transparent with Him because He knows me, He loves me and He has promised that He will never leave or forsake me.

I hope that your relationship with God stays nurtured above all others. It is in Him that we all have our being and it is to Him that we should always be faithful!

💓💓

Ibogirl