GSW's Teens
The Very Present Help
In 2014, I had to write Corporate Financial Management an accounting subject as a requirement for a professional certification, a course I am not acquainted with. As a lawyer, to advance in some industries and fields, you need to acquire a certificate that would prove that you have the knowledge, skills and experience to perform specific tasks in a particular field. So I thought to myself, I am a lawyer ‘jare’, I will just cram all the formulas and give it back to them and if that is not enough, I will confuse them with big grammar!
There is a joke about the time a lawyer and an accountant were called in for a test. The accountant went in first and was asked, “What is 2+2?” He thought for a while and finally answered, “Four”. Then the lawyer was called in, and was asked the same question. The lawyer answered even quicker than the accountant, “It depends on what you want it to be”. The trick is to confuse them. But jokes apart, I studied hard for the examination. I had passed the other courses except that course. I wrote the June diet and when the result was published, I failed. I had put in my best, studied hard because getting a professional certification in Nigeria is expensive and I had to sponsor myself which took a lot of money. You know the pain you feel when the soccer team you support misses the five penalty shoot-outs that would have made them the winner during the final match? The pain I felt was deeper. Or the pain when you already fantasized about how you will rock that ‘peng’ style you picked for Christmas but the tailor decided to deliver a ‘grandma style’ dress for you on that same Christmas day? The pain I felt was more profound. I cried heavily because I could not imagine failing that course. Then, I heard a voice. Till date, I cannot explain whether it was an audible voice or I heard it in my spirit but I heard, “We are in this together”.
I knew it was the Holy Spirit because we became acquainted some months before then and He had prompted me several times prior to that day. I mean, there were times He would prompt me to go read my Bible, instructed me not to watch a popular movie series He even took me through a shorter route to my house one day. I knew He could be trusted so I was consoled immediately.
I decided to rewrite the paper in December 2014 but there was a challenge, I could not afford it. I had to pay to retake the paper, pay for tutorials (which I did not register for the first time I attempted the course) and settle other expenses. I needed Eighty-five Thousand Naira (#85,000) but my salary then was Thirty Thousand Naira (#30,000). I decided I would fast and pray for some days and approach my boss for aid. I made that decision on a Tuesday to start fasting on Wednesday till Friday but the Holy Spirit told me not to wait till Friday. He instructed me to go ask my boss immediately. This should remind you of the scripture verse, ‘Not by power, nor by might but by my Spirit says the Lord’. I have not fasted, I have not prayed and the Holy Spirit is telling me to go meet my boss to ask him to give (dash) me an amount that would take me three month to earn? Well, I obeyed the Holy Spirit. I met my boss, told him I needed that sum. Would you believe if I told you my boss gave me the money immediately? Our God is a Miracle-working God. I was amazed.
I remembered what the Holy Spirit told me some weeks before then that, “we are in this together”. He is always with us in all capacity as a Father, friend, guide, teacher etc. In whatever situation we are going through and all we have to do is rest in Him, wait for His instructions and obey. You might ask why the Holy Spirit would allow me fail. We fail at times because we are not prepared, or sometimes, we cannot even explain the reason(s) because we gave our best. But I do not regret failing that particular examination because the experience taught me that my best may not be enough at all times because of human frailties but I can rest assured that I have the Helper with me always Who has the capacity to help me beyond my capabilities. The experience also taught me to always promptly obey His instructions even when they do not make sense to me. The Helper provided all I needed for the examination and helped me pass in flying colors. He enjoys helping us. Hallelujah!
– Layo Spendor
PS: Tomorrow is Day 2 of the Conference; join us