We decided to pursue Femi’s desire to study in the United States of America while I was pregnant. So, we applied to some schools. I think we applied to two universities in the States and we waited for their response. The two Universities we applied to denied him admission. We were unhappy about these responses but chose not to give up. We went ahead and applied to a school in Canada. The school replied and admission was denied. At this point, Femi felt we should hold off on the studying abroad project. He felt “too much resources” was being channeled into the project and our current income wasn’t sufficient. I supported this decision on the condition that we apply to one more school before we put the desire on hold. So, we applied to a University in Texas. The University replied and this time, he was offered an admission.

The Job Offer

Before we embarked on this journey, Femi got a job that was going to pay him six figures? Yes he did! It was an answer to our prayer as our income then was low. He went for the interview and was told that the company would let him have the job only if he signs a contract that he was going to be with the company for at least two years or so.

He did not take the job. Why? You ask. What the contract means is that if he gets another job with a higher pay within that two years, he would not take it. It means that if one of the Universities he applied to, to study abroad should offer him admission, he would deny it.

Lesson From Trading The Job Offer

So, we decided to let go of the job offer. We couldn’t trade our future for the instant pleasure of a six-figure salary. Did we need the pay the company offered? Yes, we did. Would our financial status be better if we took the job? Yes, it would have been? Would we be able to afford more material things? Yes. But we looked beyond the instant change we would experience. This scripture in Hebrews 12:2 comes to mind;

“looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

We decided to wait and trusted God to bring another job offer with no conditions attached to it, afterall, the blessing of God not only makes rich, it does not come with sorrow, hahahaha.

So, while we waited, the school we applied to in Texas sent us an email, that Femi had been admitted to study. I ask myself, what if we had taken the job and signed the contract and the admission letter came in not long after that? We would have short changed ourselves. In retrospect, I thank God that we didn’t allow the situation we were in back then “very low income” make us miss the bigger blessing God had for us.

Motherhood: The New Phase Of Life

As though the good news(of his admission for his Master Degree) wasn’t enough, I went into labor!! Our little munchkin was ready to come out of mama’s womb. We went to the hospital early in the morning, and the doctor checked me. At the end of that day, our baby came out. Yaaaay! After a few days at the hospital, I went back home and I was faced with a new phase of my life called MOTHERHOOD.

I had heard so much about motherhood, seen a lot of examples around me, I was even prepped for it. But there are some things you don’t get to know, understand until you literally become a mother. Was I told that breastfeeding after delivery was painful, yes but I didn’t know the intensity of the pain. I thought it was just a slight pain until I experienced it. Was I told that the first few days of a. baby’s life on earth, the might be awake at night? Yes, I was told. And I was mentally prepared for that.

Read My Pregnancy Journey

Many of the things I was thought in preparation for motherhood helped me when I became one, but there were some things that I learnt on the job. My life changed literally. We went from being a family of two to becoming a family of three. We became responsible for a child, a living being not a toy. There were times I was tired but I couldn’t take a “break” from being a “Parent”. The whole motherhood thing was new to me. I asked God to help me and He did. Gradually, I began to get a hang of handling a new born with the help of my mum.

Good Things Comes With Responsibilities

There are moments in our lives where we desire some (good) things. More source of income, a wife, a husband, a better job, a child etc. There are times we forget that with these things that we desire come RESPONSIBILITIES. Yes responsibilities. In our own case, we desired a child, and having had the child, we were saddled with the responsibilities of nurturing, training, guiding and leading the child. In other words, we were saddled with the responsibility called Parenting.

When you feel that these things, the things God has blessed you with is becoming overwhelming (in a negative way), turn to God. Ask Him to help you handle appropriately the blessing. God is interested in every area of your life. He will help you, He will send help to you just like He did sent my mum. My journey to motherhood started, thanks to my mum who was there to help me.