Empty-Handed But Prepared

Originally published on December 12, 2017

I was listening to a sermon about a month ago and this woman spoke about being empty handed. She gave a message that spoke about when a person is empty handed the person learns to depend on God to provide and for God to fight on his/her behalf.

This message touched my heart in so many ways because a lot of us believe we need to come to God with something to give him, but all he wants is for us to give him ourselves. To God, we are more than enough and we are all he wants. So if you're empty handed he can use you. If you don't have anything else to offer, you are enough.

You don't have to have yourself together to come to him. He wants you exactly where you are and he can use you in the areas that you are seemingly weak in. I say all this to tell you how good God has been to me and how he has used my empty hands to propel me forward into his will for my life.

So to go backwards a little... I wrote a post titled " Education is key...maybe?" and I spoke about my struggles as an undergraduate in college and I questioned if education was really the key to success or not. Six months after graduating with my bachelors, I begin applying to multiple jobs and submitting various college applications. After a while, I begin to become doubtful that God had a plan for my life. I was working hard to stay proactive but it seemed as if nothing was working out. Finally, I was offered a position as a Teach Co Actor for Climb Theater in Minnesota.

I was thrilled as the job would allow me to teach, act, and travel. It was a dream job, but as I begin to pray about the offer I begin to feel it would be unwise for me to accept the offer. Financial limitations prevented me from feeling comfortable to move from Georgia to Minnesota so I had to respectfully decline the offer. God, what do you want me to do? I begin to wonder. After much praying and finally coming to God "empty handed", with nothing else to offer, God opened a door for me that I now know is part of a bigger plan for my life.

Drumroll....

​On June 30, 2016, I was accepted back into Armstrong State University for the Masters of Arts in Professional Communications and Leadership program.

Yeap, I am returning to pursue more education, so maybe Education is Key! A lot of you are probably feeling indifferent about this post and a lot of you probably don't believe in God. Well the good news is I am not here to convince you he is real. I am just a person who dares to believe that God loves me. I believe that God has orchestrated this season in my life because when there was nothing else I could do or give, God opened this door and made a way for me. I told God that I am willing to go wherever he wants me to go and do whatever he calls me to do, so here I am.... going back to Armstrong in the fall.

This is definitely not the path I would have chosen for myself, but that's the beauty of being empty handed. I've learned to trust that God is able to do the unexpected. I've learned to trust that he is strong when I'm weak. I know that whatever God is calling me to do while at Armstrong is bigger than just obtaining my master's degree. Let me set the stage for you so you can see how good God is....

After my acceptance letter came and I decided to decline my job offer for Climb God begin to open more doors through Armstrong. I emailed my advisor and asked him about graduate assistantships in which he responded he believed the deadline had already passed but I felt in my heart that I should apply either way. So I did, apply (like a month later). Shortly after I applied, I received an email from Armstrong's Student Life Director and she, to my surprise, notified me that she heard I was interested in a graduate assistantship. I quickly responded that I am. After a few emails, she set up an interview with me for a position she had opened. After a few days, she conducted an interview with me and offered me a graduate assistantship with CUB (Campus Union Board); a programing branch of SGA (Student Government Association) at Armstrong. On July 18, 2016, I accepted the job offer to be the graduate assistant for CUB.

Things begin to unfold for me and I know it is because God is working in my favor. When God has called you to do something he will give you the provision, the strength, the boldness, and the favor to do so. I am writing this post as a way to inspire someone that it may not be what you expected and things may not look like they are working out for your good, but there is always so much going on behind the scenes that our human eyes can't see. A lot of us have to learn that our moment of being empty handed, seemingly out of options and lost are the moments God can move the most because we don't have anything in our hands to get in his way. When we have something in our hands (i.e. pride, fear, doubt, self-righteousness, etc..) we tend to believe that we can either figure our lives out (fight our battles) by ourselves or we believe there is no way God can use us and we become stagnant.

God can use anyone! Let that sink in. I am a girl who has been through hell and high waters in my short life and I have made a lot of mistakes along the way, but God looked at me and decided to use me. He didn't care how the world saw me, he saw me as someone who is willing, not perfect ,but willing. Will this journey to graduate school be easy? Nope. God didn't promise easy he promised victory in spite of trials. So the trials will come, but they won't overcome me.

Whatever plan God has for your life, he want's you to know that you have to let him be in control. If you're willing to let him use you he will take you further than the dreams you have. He will help you be strong in the midst of the chaos and trials that come in life and he will open your heart and eyes to the beauty and light that is left in this world.

So, in ending this long post (lol), I want to encourage someone that it doesn't matter who you are or what you have done in your life God can use YOU! He is such a forgiving and merciful God. You may think you have your life figured out but God's plans are so much greater because when God uses you not only will you be changed, heal and delivered, but everyone he sends you and who is connected to you will be also. Think of how many people you can help by just being obedient to God's call. Dare to dream ,but dare to trust God even more.

Sincerely, T'keyah