On the Verge of Weary

Hello!

If this is your first time here, you’re welcome! And for those of you continuously return to read my posts, thank you! Welcome back!

Enjoy!

********

Before I left Nigeria, my husband and I both took some time to pray about where God would have us settle when we arrived in America; we both knew that there was geography in destiny- we had to be at the right place at the right time. After taking time out to pray individually, we both heard ‘Houston’ and we came to a consensus. I personally wanted to return to Maryland, I felt like starting a ministry there would be “easier” since I had friends that would probably be willing to help out, etc. Plus, I had fallen in love with the state, so many memories were birthed there. But alas, God was leading us to a city where I once said I couldn’t live!

 A city where I was born and lived until my family relocated to N.Y… A city that was just good enough for summer vacations; my siblings and I would visit our cousins almost every other summer…it was cool for a short-term stay but we fought our dad relentlessly (my mom being the ringleader) when he pleaded with us time and time again to move back to Houston. “It’s too hot there”; “Its too slow paced”; “The Houston accent sounds funny”; “We don’t like the type of music they listen to”; We have more varieties of food here.” ….The list was endless, eventually, he gave up the pleading and we stayed in NY.

However, I had gotten to a point where I knew better. So I accepted the destination without much struggling. If God brought me to Nigeria and turned my life around; I could only imagine what he was set to go for, with and through us in Houston! Plus one of my closest friends and cousin lived in Houston so I wouldn’t be lonely. We arrived back to N.Y. after our ministration in MD and we had to make a decision. One day my mom beckoned me to her room and asked what our plans were. She encouraged me to leave NY as soon as possible so that we can settle down. My cousin was getting married in about a week and a half from that time in Houston. My husband and I decided that it was the best opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. So we booked our one-way flights to Houston.

We were running low on cash and the question of where we’d live came up over and over again from different people. We had no idea but we trusted that God will make a way since he told us to go to Houston. The plan was for me to get a job asap and put our daughter in daycare while my husband got accumulated to his new environment for a few weeks. My cousin that was set to get married offered for us to stay with her but I told her that it wasn’t a good idea; she was about to be a newlywed and we didn’t want to invade their privacy. My mom offered to call her older cousin and asked if we could stay with her and her husband; I was hesitant, but before I could turn down the offer, my mom already called and asked if we could stay for a month.

In the back of my mind I thought “one month is too long” . I had already started applying to jobs in Houston and I was trying to connect with people who could help me get my desired position in the Public Health field. I was certain that I would find something without any issues. Fast forward to about two weeks after my cousin’s wedding; my husband and I were beginning to get weary. We had no car, there were no job leads and our money was running low. Having to depend on others to get from point A to B was so inconvenient; living in Houston without a car is a tragedy – you can’t get too far. The public transportation is very limited; the taxis were unreasonably expensive and it was just too hot to walk. So we were bored and on the brink of being hopeless. Shortly after this, I got a job offer but declined because the pay was too low.

My aunt was an awesome host she tried her best to make us feel comfortable. However, I struggled with being a married woman and a mother and having to live with another family; it bruised my pride. And I felt like my daughter deserved better. I think it affected my husband more but he did a good job attempting to hide it. He would be very quiet and lost in thought at times, I know it hurt him as a man to not to be able to “provide” for his family. I tried to cheer him up but I also needed some cheering up; thankfully our pastors and families were always a source of encouragement and support and we made the best of the situation. In that season, we later discovered that God was trying to teach us something. We had to go through it so that others didn’t. It was a part of our testimony; It was a part of our ministry.