JOURNEYING ON BURNING COAL

I woke up to meet a rosy morning. I’m just that kinda person you know; optimistic.
Hope welled up in my spirit and I sprinted to get my stuff ready for the long journey ahead.
You can call me Kwame and I was frustrated with the blurry future the current course I was reading had; Maybe optometry wasn’t my thing but anyways, as unsettling as the future seemed, it couldn’t hurt to venture out of my comfort zone once again or could it?
So I decided to try greener pastures elsewhere, a place near home but farther away from friends.
Hmmmmm... I sighed with a huge grin dragging my weighty luggage to the station.
All my hustle was coming in handy now; during the long vacation I had worked at least five jobs to gather enough money for this chapter in my life and I was feeling pretty proud of myself.
Boarding the car was no hustle koraaa... everything was moving smooth so far and I couldn’t be more grateful to God for such undeserved favour, I prayed fervently within me.
I plugged my earpiece into my ears and drifted off into the world of sweet gospel music amidst a jolly conversation with another hustler I had met in the car. We seemed to have so much in common and became friends right away. John, as he introduced himself was also on his way to Ho and how delighted I was to meet him.
After a few hours we arrived at Accra. My back ached like I had been clubbed a thousand and one times. John helped me remove my luggage from the car and we headed for Ho station but just then I noticed the silence. Something was wrong; I didn’t notice before because of the loud noises but the music had stopped playing. “Oh my God...!!” I exclaimed patting my side pocket nervously.
“What is wrong?” John asked me. “My phone...it’s gone!!” I cried out searching my back pack to verify but I couldn’t find even the slightest hint about the phone. How could this happen to me? Today started so perfectly but now it’s ruined, I thought. If only knew my plethora of bad luck was just starting to unfold...
I was shaken to my roots but I couldn’t let this misfortune discourage me. After all I still had enough money to get me to Ho. John suggested we go get something to eat since we were both starving. With my phone stolen I had little choice but to replenish my glucose level before I ran hypoglycaemic.
After dragging our luggage a few meters ahead, we discovered a ‘chop bar’ partly hidden between the Ho station and a series of abandoned kiosks. I can’t recall why I didn’t take a hint from the location of the ‘chop bar’ anyways but I was famished; at least that I remember.
Contrary to its look, they had a pretty affable customer service, maybe too affable. John couldn’t keep his eyes off the bouncing chests of the waitresses who offered ‘extra services’ at ‘affordable prices’. I on the other hand recited Job 31:1* till my teeth began to clinch although I managed to finish my meal fast enough to save John who was inches away from taking up the ladies on their offer.
We walked of the chop bar with full stomachs and my slowly depleting funds. “Thanks for meal Kwame...” john said rubbing his full tummy. It was at that moment that I remembered my stolen phone so I decided to get a new one from a phone seller nearby.
After bargaining for what seemed like eternity, we settled on a price which seemed reasonable to both of us for the time being. Then again, I slipped my hand into my pocket only to discover that my money was gone. Maybe I was searching the wrong pocket, I thought switching to the other pocket. At that moment, I could feel my head pounding with intense grief. For a brief second I blamed John for my bad luck but it didn’t help the sorrow that boiled in my psyche.
How was this possible? Why today of all days? Is God trying to prevent me from getting to UHAS? All these questions ran through my head as the phone seller stared queerly at my wry grimace; I was battling with my deepest desire to go hysterical at this very moment. Just at the verge of insanity, I squeezed out the little patience left in me and checked my backpack for the little money I had mistakenly kept in the side pocket.
Fortunately, after paying the money I was finally able to get a phone. My mother might be worried by now, I thought turning on the phone. I waited for several minutes in between many failed trials to make a call. I went back to where I found the phone seller hopefully, to make a complaint and change the phone but he was nowhere to be found.
“Oh God why?!!!” I shouted in disarray. “I started this day with so much expectations, the hope of a new beginning but why is everything going wrong for me?...” but amidst the sorrow, the Lord comforted my spirit and I remembered Proverbs 19:21* and Lamentations 3:22-24*. Those verses admonished me to hold on steadfast in times of trials because God’s love never fails.
Lamentations 3:25-26
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him. It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
That evening, I arrived at Ho and immediately started to search for accommodation after leaving my luggage with a friend. To the glory of the Lord, I met a kind landlord who gave me a room with a bed and a television among other things. I also received money from unexpected sources that left me in awe.
I arrived in Ho with almost nothing in my pocket but the day ended with my pocket filled to the brim and a comfortable accommodation. This is my testimony to inspire the broken hearted; in all situations, Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever, Psalm 118:1.
Indeed, this is the doing of the Lord and it is marvellous in my sight!




Glossary
Job 31:1
“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl”
Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans of a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
Lamentations 3:22-24
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him”.