Anchored on the Faithfulness of God: Testimonies of God's Faithfulness Through Grief and Recovery

By Olanrewaju Michelle Omiyale

When Olanrewaju found herself suddenly widowed in her forties, her world crumbled, and she faced an uphill battle trying to reconcile her new reality with her faith. In this poignant and deeply personal book, she invites you into her journey of loss and grief, sharing her remarkable testimonies of God's unwavering faithfulness.

Anchored on the Faithfulness of God is a compelling narrative that underscores the power of trusting God in challenging times. Olanrewaju's story is a testament to the enduring promise that God remains true to His word, and nothing surprises Him.

This book is a beacon of hope, a reminder that even in our darkest hours, we can find solace and renewal in the boundless love of our Creator. As you read, you will discover that when the Bible assures us that 'ALL things work together for good,' it means precisely that—ALL. God does not have favourites.

Olanrewaju's journey from mourning to joy is an inspiring testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the unyielding faithfulness of God.

 

Olanrewaju Michelle Omiyale is a multifaceted individual, encompassing roles as a devoted mother, daughter, sister, cherished friend, dedicated mentor, and a fervent seeker of God's presence.

Her passion for impacting lives is evident through her commitment to mentoring young individuals and extending support to orphanages and various charitable organisations dedicated to empowering women in vulnerable situations, particularly single parents and widows.

With an unwavering determination to pursue her goals and bring her visions to life, Olanrewaju is a well-rounded enthusiast. She loves reading, cinema, listening to gospel music, and exercising.

Olanrewaju's proudest achievement is her role as a mother to two remarkable young adults - Tobi and Daniel.

She is the author of five children's books. Anchored on the Faithfulness of God is her first adult book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Olanrewaju Michelle Omiyale
• Release date: Sep 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223058649

Book preview

Anchored

on the

Faithfulness

of

God

Testimonies of God’s Faithfulness Through Grief and Recovery

Olanrewaju Michelle Omiyale

Copyright (c) 2023 Olanrewaju Michelle Omiyale

The right of Olanrewaju Michelle Omiyale to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the copyright laws.

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or saved in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the New International Version (NIV).

To my Daddy God,

The Lover of my soul, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirt.

Thank you for these testimonies of faithfulness to share.

To my amazing royals, Tobi and Daniel,

Who have walked with me through the storm and experienced God’s faithfulness.

Contents

Prologue

God is Faithful

Awake From Slumber

Take The Stage, Lord!

Purposeful Pain

Unfulfilled Goals

Thank God For Routine

Grace For Every Season

Lonely Moments

Robbing The Bank

Just Touch

Mentorship

Solo Trip – Adventure

Where Were You Headed When The Storm Hit?

Career Testimony

A New Chapter

Connections

Step Out Of Your Pain

Conclusion

Acknowledgements

About The Author

Prologue

You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself (Exodus 19:4).

O

n my way to work one morning in 2020, during the most challenging period of my life, I stood at the station, waiting for my train, but tears were rolling down my cheeks. The day before had been a really tough one. Some days were better than other days for me. On some days, I felt like I could scale every mountain before me, but on other days, like the day before, I wanted to hide away. Hide away, numb the pain in my heart, cry to sleep and watch a movie to stop me from feeling the despair of my grief.

I sometimes break my train commute to work by watching some of my favourite shows on Netflix. I was about to do the same thing that day when I felt the Holy Spirit speak to my heart, "Don't do that". In that instant, I understood that the Holy Spirit was making it clear that even if I distracted myself, it would only be temporary. At the end of the film, I would still be in the same position and situation before the distraction.

Stay with me. I heard Him say, so even though I did not feel like it, I let go of the urge to distract myself and instead turned to worship. I worshipped by deliberately reflecting on my day and praising God for the areas in which He had shown up for me.

I was going through a season of challenge, but that was not why I was crying. The tears were rolling down my cheeks because I was in awe of what the Almighty God had done in my life and the lives of my children, Tobi and Daniel.

The more I praised, thanked and worshipped Him, the more of His hand I saw in my day. I realised that God had been with me through the tough day I had been having, and His hand was all over it. I realised that I had been focusing on the storm rather than God, who was in that storm with me, just like Peter in Mark 4:35-41. Peter focused on the storm rather than on Jesus. When Peter had his gaze on Jesus, he was walking on water, but the moment his focus shifted to the waves and water around him, he started to sink.

This clarity further emphasised John 10:10 to me: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. The devil coming to steal, kill and destroy is not a one-package deal. Dear reader, if the devil fails in killing or destroying you, and you survive the storm or challenge, please ensure he does not steal your joy, peace, faith or praise in the process.

That morning on the train, I decided that I was coming through my season of challenge with my faith, joy and praise intact. The devil was not going to win this battle. As such, my season of challenge has been one of growth, growing more in love with my Maker, my Saviour, my Redeemer, and my Strong Tower. His love has made me more than a conqueror, making me appreciate that because I am alive today, there is still a purpose to my life.

As the tears rolled down my cheeks that day, I reflected on the past seven months, a time when it felt like I was going to die, a time when it felt like I could not go through one more day without my best friend, my husband, my covering, my prophet, my prayer cover, Oluwole. I remembered how God had shown up and carried me on eagle’s wings. I thought about how my season of challenge had become my season of intimacy with my heavenly Daddy.

How sweet it is to know and love the Master. How sweet it is to feel alive in the hands of my Maker. He takes the pieces of my life that I give to Him and turns them into a masterpiece for His glory, for we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago (Ephesians 2:10 NLT).

I cried as I stood in awe of His unending faithfulness towards me. Tears rolled down not just because of what I lost and the pain but because I was in awe of a God who took that deepest pain and hurt and held me tight as He walked me through living a life of purpose, just for His glory. Tommy Walker’s song, Only A God Like You, says it well:

Only a God like you

Could be worthy of my praise

And all my hope and faith

To only a King of all kings

Do I bow my knee and sing

Give my everything.

We need to worship God despite what we are going through. He deserves it all. Like Bishop David Oyedepo often says, If you have lost anything, the Almighty God is the reason you haven't lost everything. Psalm 150:6 says let everything that has breath praise the Lord. As long as I have breath, I owe Him thanks and praise. As long as you have breath, you owe Him thanks and praise. Regardless of the challenges, we must never forget 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in ALL circumstances; this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

I remembered days in the past month when I would wake up with the reality of losing my husband overwhelming me. In those moments, the last thing I want to do is get out of bed. I would think to myself, If I sleep, I can't feel the hurt. If I sleep, I can pretend it is all a dream I would soon wake up from. I would then remember that life is a fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12) and resolve that I could not give in to how I felt.

There were days when I allowed myself to stay in bed and cry, but I would then get up and encourage myself by focusing on the things around me that were working because God was upholding me.

The Lord spoke His words of comfort to my heart, reminding me that my breath is a promise of purpose, of tomorrow. What I was going through did not catch Him by surprise. He was not sitting in heaven thinking, "Oops, how did that happen?" The Bible says God works ALL things together for our good (Romans 8:28). Not just the good things, but He works out everything together for our good.

Even though I was going through what felt like fire, I need not be burned (Daniel 3:8-25) but needed to go through to the other side with my praise, faith, joy, and peace intact.

I realised that God could only use the pieces I gave to Him. He could not work it out for my good if I did not hand it over to Him, so as I cried, I gave Him my hurt, pain, tears, broken heart, disappointments, unanswered questions and confusion. I gave them all to Him.

Today, I stand in awe of what He has done with His unending grace in me and my children’s lives (2 Corinthians 12:9). I cry at the amazement of the manner of love He has showered on us. His grace has lifted me, and His