Sometimes we worry our pretty heads pointlessly too much. Yeah, that’s true. I cannot count the number of times I’ve been told this. Now I’m compelled to also give you the encouragement that worry less, that is, if you will worry about anything at all. The reason is this: I have learnt that God always makes provision way ahead of any legitimate task one has to undertake or is confronted with - always. Let me tell you just one of the experiences I’ve had that settled this for me. I have firm confidence that it will provoke you to clear any doubts, anxieties or apprehensions you are harbouring, especially when you need to take giant steps or make daring decisions. 

After gaining admission to study, one thing I knew I wanted to do was to frequently attend programmes that would thrust me into success, even though that would come at an extra price tag. So, when I received an email that there was going to be a Research Proposal Writing Workshop, just a few months after enrolling, I knew I wanted to participate.

Then came the reality. I needed resources for the venture. I was worried. I had alternatives of lodgings to choose from which I had to self-finance; the workshop was free but it did not cover accommodation and travel. Besides, although there was, sure, going to be meals at the event, I still needed to be able to afford meals outside the programme. How could I allow my tummy to rumble and cause me sleepless nights when all I needed to do was to meet its demands? Ha! That should not be an enormous task, should it? But it meant letting my pocket loosen up a bit, not so? And, certainly, I needed to get transportation from the airport to the hotel and for easy mobility around town. I couldn’t also travel without buying anything for loved ones, so that had to be factored into my expenditure as well.

I put pen to paper and started doing some estimates. Oh boy! It wasn’t going to be child’s play. I was going to put strain on the family resources at all costs. But I was encouraged to pursue it because it was going to be a useful endeavour, nevertheless. So, preparations begun. I had to begin with the less financially-burdensome ones on the list. That made sense, right?

After closing from church one Sunday, my attention was drawn to our friend whose wife had taken up appointment in the country I was to travel to. Truth be told, although I knew she had relocated with the family, I had never sought to find out where they had moved to. My other half suggested that I talked to this friend to find out the exact city his wife had moved to and whether it was possible to offer any kind of advice in relation to the travel. Lo and behold! she had moved to the exact city I was to travel to. Our friend ungrudgingly gave his wife’s number to me and encouraged me to call her. He gave me a firm assurance that I did not need to worry about accommodation and uncertainties that came with travelling to a place for the first time. I recall him telling me that the least they could do was to happily host me for the period I would be in that country. It was so encouraging.

We got home and I got in touch with his wife. She was so joyful I was going to be there and requested for the name of the flight, date and time of arrival. She told me I should not bother booking for hotel accommodation, as they have enough space in their home to host me. That was how I would frequently travel to that country for the period of my study, without bothering about where to lay my head, what to eat and how to get around town.

I was amazed by the hospitality I ALWAYS received from this family whenever I was in that country. I would arrive at the airport with a vehicle and a driver on standby to take me home. At home, I would be treated to good food and drinks; I had a very cosy bedroom to myself; I did not have to bother, not even for a day, about how to get around town because someone was always available to get me anywhere I wanted to go. It was a great feeling. I’m confident what I experienced can be likened to travelling abroad on an official state assignment. I’m so sure the treatment they gave me was no different from what a foreign mission will give a diplomat. And this is no exaggeration.

These are times I will forever treasure. I have given my gracious hosts anonymity because I know they are low-profile people and would not want any kind of “publicity”. But I must confess they served a great purpose in my life during that period. God used them to provide what I needed to accomplish my aim for that period. And I do not take it for granted at all. This is because I could have been stranded, frustrated and homesick any time I travelled there. I know what it is for one to travel to a country and practically struggle through to survive. But this family took all that hassle away. It felt like home in another man’s land.

This experience has given me the confidence that, as long as we are charting a good cause, God grants us the wherewithal to make us realise our bigger dreams. When I put in the application to study, I’m positive that family had no idea of moving to that country, neither did I know I would travel to that country and have someone I knew living there and, most notably, ready to host me. But when it was time for me to go there, God had placed them there to serve a good purpose in my life. There is always provision, as long as you stretch your faith a little. Forget about the cost; forget about the length of time. Take the first steps. Do away with all anxieties. What matters is your faith in God to supply or take care of the situation as well as the confidence you have to labour on.

As I write this, it is important for me to come clean about the fact that I experience doubts and fears and get anxious sometimes. The knowledge that my good desire was certainly going to put a lot of strain on the family resources got me really worried at the time. It set me thinking about how I was going to fund the financial obligations that came with embarking on the trip without compromising that of the family.  On top of that, such travels were going to be regular in the course of my study. But how events turned out has given me the firm assurance that God’s got my back. Hence, although doubts and fears befall me, they can only be fleeting. I don’t have to give them a resting place in my life. I knock them to their knees. Before long, they are gasping and looking for an opportunity for a sneak-out. The next minute, they are gone.

Don’t give permanent place for doubts, fears, and worries in your life. Such, if allowed to dwell for long, will only get your life polluted. Worries, anxieties, fears and doubts are potently toxic.  They come into our lives and undeservedly demand our attention, even though they are without worthy substance. Typical of them, they add no value to our lives; they rather suck away our joy and confidence.

Yes, that not-so-pleasant challenge you are faced with should get you out of your comfort zone and make you push harder and leap forward in life. Make sure you do not live with anxiety for long. Turn that anxiety into faith and pray. This is beautifully summarised in a verse in the good book which says: “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God”, Philippians 4:6. What better way can I conclude this? How about I tell you something someone recently told me? Here goes: Do not be frightened by the giant tree that needs to be cut down, for all you know, it is just a hollow tree. Yeah, that’s spot-on.

Until next time, be good to yourself. Do away with worries and let life smile at you.

Theodora teaches at the Department of Communication Studies, UPSA.

Find Theodora’s scholarly works at:

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=+theodora+dame+adjin-tettey&btnG=&oq=t

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Theodora_Dame_Adjin-Tettey