Happy Birthday To Me! 🎈🎉

I know, I know, it has indeed been a while since my last blog. The aim is to write when I feel led to, not to force it. It just so happens that I am not led as often as I'd like. Life, right? 

As you can see from the title, it's my birthdaaayyyyy! 🎈🎉🎊

I am not usually very excited for my own birthday, but I thoroughly enjoy celebrating the birthdays of those closest to me; helping to make their day special ✨. For some reason, this year feels a bit different. It possibly has something to do with the age (I'm old). I'm still not sure I'd use the word excited, but I am definitely hopeful and grateful. 

This particular age always has some forms of societal pressure attributed to it. You're expected to have it all figured out; be established in your career, be married, have children, have a house, know what you want for dinner, allat. If you have met all these standards, congratulations!! We're rooting for you!! However, expectations don't always meet reality and that's okay. 

My devotions, in recent times, have uncannily been surrounding the topic of my age. As cliché as it sounds, the Lord really does work in mysterious ways! I've been reading the book of Genesis where the story of Joseph is being recollected. Joseph had been through a lot, to say the least. He was thrown into a cistern by his older brothers, sold into slavery, imprisoned and forgotten. Despite these hardships, the Lord guided him and found favour with him. I just KNOW that Joseph was a better human being than many of us are. He was not bitter. He was not petty towards those who had wronged him. He remained kind, helpful and compassionate to anyone in need - even while in prison. This is how he became the renowned "interpreter of dreams". Even amidst this period of fame, Joseph remained humble. When the king, Pharoah, asked Joseph to interpret his dreams, he blatantly replied, "I cannot do it, but God will.." (Gen. 41:16). What a man like Joseph. Pharoah, seeing that God had favour on Joseph and made him wise, placed him "in charge of the whole land of Egypt" (Gen. 41:39). As I continued to read this chapter, I was severely attacked by verse 46; "Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharoah king of Egypt".

There it is! 😭

There goes my reality! What actually struck me, aside from his age, was all he went through and overcame to get to where he now was. The Joseph from earlier chapters was a bit naive and proud, though always righteous. This mature version of Joseph is strong, resilient, compassionate, caring, honest, and (most importanlty) humble! It was as though he was being trained, through hardships, for the role he's now acquired.

Similar to Joseph, we all go through periods of training, trials and tests before we are given exactly what God has in store for us. Most of us need those difficult times in order to truly appreciate the blessings we receive. Otherwise, we give the glory to ourselves and not to the one who deserves it; God.

So as I reflect on my thirty years of existence, I am humbled. I could not have made it to this milestone on my own. All credit due to the ones who kept me through it all; God, my family, my friends, even a few strangers. I haven't ticked all of the previously mentioned boxes of accomplishments, but I am grateful beyond measure for what I have accomplished thus far. Many may not understand or agree with my journey but it is mine to take, so that's completely okay! 😊

Thank you Lord for another year of life! I look forward to a year of success, clarity, fulfillment and your unlimited favour! 

Rochelle. ✨