"When I consider your heavens,🌌
the work of your fingers,
🌙the moon and the stars,✯
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
👫human beings that you care for them?
You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.
You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet:"
Psalm 8:3-6
Psalm 8:3-6
My Identity
Who am I? What is my purpose? Why was I created? These are some of the questions you might have asked yourself in times past or still asking today. All the questions relate to what is referred to as identity. I have asked these questions and got answers from the bible like Psalm 139:13, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." I love the New Living Translation that says "we are God's masterpiece".It's quite easy to believe the above with our head but what of heart belief? Believing deep in our psyche that we are masterpieces created by God. From the beginning of this year, one lesson that God keeps bringing to my attention is who I am. He is opening my eyes to see myself as He sees me. In January, I wrote in my prayer journal the following as my confession.
" I, Titilola is God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance as my way of life. I am called by the name of God and have been created for God's glory. God formed me and made me (Isaiah 43:7). The Lord God chose me in Him before the foundation of the world to be Holy and blameless in His presence in love (Ephesians 1:4). I have been raised up with Christ and seated with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6).
Because I am called by the name of God, I am filled with the spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge and in all kinds of craftsmanship to make artistic designs in Jesus name (Exodus 31:3)"
The later part of the confession was made because that is my heart desire. I thought the question of my identity had been settled, but God in the past one month brought it to my attention once again. The week preceding my birthday was one in which no day passed without God drawing my attention to it through different devotionals, songs and word of revelations. So I am going on a journey, the journey of identity. One may wonder why it's important, it's because that is the bedrock on which we operate in this world as children of God. Jesus knew who he was and on that, He did walk the earth with power and authority doing good works. The apostles did likewise after the Pentecost. They understood their purpose and went about in the name of Jesus doing good works and making disciples. Knowing who they are, gave them unprecedented boldness to stand before crowds, rulers and kings.
Life Story
Last year, I had cause to make a quick trip to Nigeria to renew my visa. It sounds simple and straightforward but it was not. The circumstances in my family then made it dicey and could result in a denial of visa or re-entrance into the United States. Our family immigration attorney advised me to make the trip before a particular deadline was reached. I was fearful and was scared that I will may never be able to come back and rejoin my family.
This fear made me open up to a pastor friend who prayed with me and encouraged me. I prayerfully prepared for the trip and in one of those prayer sessions was lead to Psalm 20:1-6. I began to thank God for granting me my heart desires. The trip down to Nigeria was okay and reuniting with one of my siblings and mother after 8 years was wonderful. My appointment at the US consulate was the following day and I began to use psalm 24 to make declarations as I entered the consulate. There was a little hiccup with the passport photograph I took along and had to leave the consulate to get another set. I returned to the consulate with the new set and was allowed in.
When it was my turn to be interviewed by the consular officer, I submitted the necessary documents that I had with me, she asked a few questions to establish why I needed a visa, I responded with what I considered an appropriate answer. As she was checking my documentation, she became confused all of a sudden, and was asking me questions that did not pertain to my circumstances. I became confused also but after a minute or two began to pray in my mind, coming against every confusion and asking God to take over. Within a minute she looked at her system and said "your visa request has been approved". My heart was filled with joy and thanksgiving as I left the consulate with instructions on where to pick up my passport.
Two days after, I went to the DHL collection center to pick up my passport and on opening it, I saw the affixed visa. After a while, something prompted me to take a second look and my discovery brought confusion and fear. The visa issued was under a wrong category and I became perplexed as to what to do. I was given a visiting visa which will necessitate a return trip to renew the visa again before 6months was over. The visa I requested for was based on my spouse visa which would allow me stay in US as long as he was there. My initial joy turned to sadness and I spent the rest of the day thinking about what action to take. I was restless and unable to sleep, but my heart began to ask God for wisdom and direction. In the deep of the night around 3am, things became clear that I should return to the consulate.
As I woke up to the alarm at 6am, my mother called me aside and said " you have to return to the consulate today". This confirmed the direction I got in the night. I sent an email to the consulate explaining the discrepancy and then set out. On reaching the consulate, I approached the security men and explained my purpose and was granted entrance. The frontline officers in the consulate were sympathetic and explained what I had to do because the email I sent was not enough. I should have attached my initial appointment letter, a copy of the visa on my passport and supporting document for the visa category I applied for. The officers also gave me a different and faster email address to use. They told me to wait for a response from the consulate but should come back after 2 hours with or without the acknowledgement letter from the consulate.
There was a business center close to the consulate and they helped me out with what I needed to do. They were quite fearful for me because of what they know has happened in similar circumstances and had tales to tell. They also told me that being Friday, the consulate closes much earlier at 1pm. The time then was after 10am. I refused to allow the stories to discourage me and once again began making declaration of God's favor upon the situation. After 2 hours, I went back into the consulate without the expected acknowledgement email from the consulate. One of the frontline officers I spoke with earlier, collected my documents and went inside the main building. After waiting for about 20mins, she came back and told me to go to the main building and that I will be called. Once I reached the interview room, my name was called and I approached the officer who told me consular visa services has closed and to come back for a new visa on Monday.
This was not a welcome news at all, my flight back to the US leaves on Monday morning, I went ahead and informed the officer about my return flight on Monday. She looked at me, looked at my documents and said "go and seat down". So I began to wait and wait, no one else apart from a security officer was in the interview room with me. After about an hour, a man came to the window handed me my passport and asked me to sign on a paper that I had received it. I walked out of the consulate floating on air because God did what people thought was not possible. The favor of God opened doors for me and made my case different. The business center operator who refused to close shop but was waiting to see the outcome of my situation was amazed at what God has done. That I was issued another visa despite the fact the consulate visa services had closed for the weekend was a big thing to her. That I was not asked to reapply afresh for the visa and pay another fee was a testimony to the goodness of God.
God opened the gates of US and I stepped in, return flight went well and was reunited with my family. To him be all the glory.
