Written by one of the Xcluzve Ladies!
Hello Sisters,
How have you been? I trust you have been having an amazing year? Well, I have been doing awesome as I am daily working towards being intentional in checking off my goals for the year. As much as I live by the word “intentionality”, trust me, it takes quite a lot of discipline. To be honest, some days I drop the ball, and other days, I get on the grind when I’m done lazing around and fantasizing about how I could just snap my finger and get all my work done *covers face*.
I’m guessing you might be wondering what the title might mean considering its vagueness but trust me to shed more light. Get comfortable and journey with me as I tell my story.
I live in the Windy City a.k.a Chicago, IL and as much as I LOVE this city, I still have a bitter-sweet relationship with the cold seasons. I feel like I can never get used to the cold as every Winter comes with its uniqueness. As expected, this year was not an exception as it was generous with its snowfalls, more like an avalanche in my opinion. We had snowstorms consecutively and right in the middle of this, I had to move to a new apartment. If you consider the process of moving stressful, imagine doing it in the winter *big sigh*. While it was not a walk in the park, I must say the Lord did come through for me as what would be the start of many Chicago snowstorms in 2021 started an hour or two after I had moved in my last set of items- God bless the destiny helpers he sent my way to make this process as seamless as possible.
With the Spring season coming in after a couple of months, we began getting a peek into warmer temperatures alongside the signature Spring rain. Due to the warm temperature, my apartment heat was turned off by the building management. Suddenly, in the usual Chicago fashion, we began having lower temperatures again. I had expected the building management to by default do the needful by cranking up the heat, but no one did. Initially, I couldn’t be bothered as I was usually only home during the evenings and I just assumed my housemates would handle it. This went on for days and I didn’t speak up. Imagine living in a cold house without heat. My sweaters could only do so much. Then one evening, it dawned on me to ask the building management about the heating situation. Apparently, for some reasons best known to them, they confidently thought the heat was working all along. Eventually, someone was sent to my building to get the heat up and running.
I have narrated this experience just to encourage you to ASK. The act of asking, in some situations, can be difficult, however, it’s pertinent. I didn’t need to go several nights sleeping all bundled up if I had just taken out time to reach for help. As much as we live in a world that celebrates feminine strength and independence (there is nothing wrong with being strong and independent), sisters, it’s okay to be vulnerable—with trusted people—and ask for help as needed.
God desires that we be vulnerable with him. As much as he is our Lord, he is also our Father. Our existence is encapsulated in him.
“For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’”
Acts 17:28 (New Living Translation)
The scripture admonishes us to ask. You might say “I have been asking but no response” and I’ll respond by encouraging you to keep asking until your joy is full.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
Matthew 7:7 (New International Version)
“Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”
John 16:24 (English Standard Version)
Remember the scriptural parable of the unjust judge and the widow who sought justice? Her persistence eventually paid off. She eventually got her request granted because she never relented in asking.
1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.
4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Luke 18:1-6 (New International Version)
Additionally, assumptions can be costly. Rather than presume, just clarify by speaking up and asking questions. It saves you a lot of mental and emotional stress.
The art of asking is one that we will continue to hone till we see the Lord. It is my prayer that the Lord gives us the boldness to ask and the wisdom to know how to ask.
As always, you are beautiful, loved, cherished, and one of a kind. Permit no one to treat you less!
Stay Divinely Xcluzve,
Olatanye Aluko
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