In His Time

My church has learned from our Ghanaian culture that “everyone is everyone’s keeper.” This makes it look and feel like we are all from one family. Of course, we are from the “family of God,” and, as such, are closely knitted together.

We love to make every occasion special for anyone celebrating a birthday, marriage, or baby dedication. We want them to feel seen, loved, and happy. We also come together when someone experiences a bereavement. In typical Ghanaian fashion, we go to the person celebrating or mourning to perform all the traditional norms and top it off with joyous music, dancing, and eating until daybreak. This is a time to laugh, chat, and, yes, even weep if we need. How often laughter and tears combine in our lives! I wish you could witness one of these occasions so you would understand what a wonderful time we have when we come together. Last year, both a wedding and a birthday were announced in church.

A double celebration! I felt happy but also a little disturbed. Why? The reason was that the most important part of these celebrations is to give something special, a gift, or money to the celebrant at the end of the event. I did not know what to take, nor did I have any money to give. I started to worry a bit because all gifts are recorded so that the recipient can call you later to show appreciation. If you give nothing, the records will show that you came empty-handed. While no one will criticize or question you, the feeling of having fallen short will follow you all the time. So my lack of resources weighed heavy on my mind.

I kept my worries from my husband, Adjei, knowing that our heavenly Father, who cares for all the details of our lives, would deal with it.

The moment came. We had to leave for the celebration, and I still had nothing to give. As we were dressing for the wedding, Adjei handed me an envelope that a brother had given to him in church. I opened it and inside found enough money to give to both the wedding and birthday. Though I was not surprised, I was dumbfounded.

God had done it again! He took my anxious situation and “made everything beautiful in His time.” Who is this God, so perfect and kind? This Savior who knows all our thoughts, all our cares? Do you know today? He wants to make all things beautiful for you. Draw close. You will find Him.

Mabel Kwei