My Testimony: He Has Filled My Mouth With Laughter!

The end of the year is usually a reflective time for all of us. We would use different adjectives to try to qualify what the year has been, and as I scheme my mind to find an adjective to qualify mine, words fail me. 2019 started on a very rough note. I graduated with my masters in August of the previous year, and had received an offer to work for an organization I was so excited about. But my excitement was cut short by some of the challenges international students face in the U.S. The protocol here is that you apply for your work authorization document 90 days before graduation or 60 days after, and the normal processing time to receive the document after you turn in your application is usually no more than 90 days. I applied for mine well in advance of graduation, sometime in June. However, for whatever reason, I did not receive my work authorization card until sometime in February, 238 days/8 months later. Those 238 days were some of the hardest times of my life. I mean I had a job waiting for me and I couldn't definitively tell my employer what date I'll be able to start work because of how unpredictable the processing times for work authorization or any immigration benefit, in general, can be. 

My employer had really been patient with me and I made sure to keep them informed as I got updates about the process. However, on this fateful day when I emailed them, with all excitement, to let them know I had received my card and would finally be able to start work, I got a response later that the position had already been filled due to my delay in resuming work. My heart sank. Nevertheless, I understood. I put myself in the shoes of the employer and figured I probably could have done the same. Work needed to be done and they couldn't wait on me forever. So, I got back on the job search all over again and nothing was really forthcoming. Mind you, I had only 8 months of eligibility to work at the time I received my card, so my work authorization was going to be expiring in October this year. As you can imagine, I almost lost it. I was literally creeping into depression mode as the clock was ticking. The job hunting process can be tough. Now, combine that toughness with time restrictions. I had applied to hundreds of jobs and gotten maybe 3 or 4 interviews and none of them worked out. I think it was around July I figured I needed an alternative plan because this job thing just wasn't working out, and I had only 3 months left to be able to work. I decided going back to school would be the best option for me. I could gain new knowledge and skills to make me more marketable in the future, so I pursued this option.

Well, going back to school has its own challenges, finances. I am so grateful to God for the wherewithal he has given my parents to be able to sponsor my education and that of my siblings. However, as I was going back to school for the third time, I didn't want them spending money on me again. So, I took it to God in prayer. I was trusting God for my tuition to be fully paid for. I didn't know how it was going to happen but I knew it was possible with Him. I applied for another masters and got admitted with some scholarship. Although, the scholarship wasn't much, I was grateful and praised God for it. As I continued to trust God, I also played my part. I applied to a bunch of campus jobs and eventually received a job offer to work as a Graduate Assistant, and the most exciting part of this offer was that it came with a partial tuition waiver. So, a significant portion of my tuition was going to be paid for. Combined with the scholarship I had received upon admission, it was just a small amount left to be paid out of pocket. 

Now that I was back in school and seen God work out my tuition. I started to believe Him for something else, a summer internship in my new field. A couple months ago, a guest preacher came to my church and she asked us to write down what we would like to happen for us to say that 2019 was a great year, and one of the things I wrote down was having my internship for next summer settled. Just last week, I finally received an offer from a top company for my summer internship, having interviewed with several companies and gotten several rejections. So, why am I saying all these? I want you to know that God is still in the business of doing miracles. He is a way maker! He is the God of a turn around! There is nothing you want Him to do that he hasn't done before. I repeat-there is nothing you want Him to do that he hasn't done before. 

Today, I want to challenge you to believe him for great things. Whatever the situation or problem is, know that there is a promise. Search the word to get His promise concerning your situation. Through the rough patches of 2019, one of the things that kept me going was God's promises. I wrote down about 5 scriptures concerning my situation, mainly about the favor of God, and I meditated on them consistently. I made sure to confess those scriptures daily (although I did miss some days lol). But as Christians, we must be persistent in the word. You don't look at the word once and expect it to produce. Faith is an ongoing process that requires consistently meditating on the word and speaking it. You do it even when you don't feel like it. You do it even when it seems like things are getting worse despite your meditations, because we live by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). You do it because you know God's word has the final say despite your reality. Yes, you acknowledge that the struggle may be real, but God's word is realer. Although, I wasn't sure how to capture my 2019 in one word, these scriptures do it:

"It was like a dream come true when you freed us from our bondage and brought us back to Zion! We laughed and laughed and overflowed with gladness. We were left shouting for joy and singing your praise. All the nations saw it and joined in, saying, “The Lord has done great miracles for them!” Yes, he did mighty miracles and we are overjoyed!" (Psalm 126:1-3 TPT).

"He will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy" (Job 8:21 NLT).

Below are some scriptures I used to meditate on for your reference. Till next time, lovelies!