When I was little, we had this framed poem titled “footprints in the sand” and its about a young man asking God why at certain points in his life, he couldn’t feel God’s presence with him. Isaiah 43:2 KJV says ” When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” It’s quite easy for Christians to forget God’s promise to us. When Jesus was on earth,he told his disciples that after he ascended to heaven, he was going to send another helper, the Holy spirit that will be with them forever. This promise is seen in John 14:16–17 which says “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” We might think Jesus was saying that the giving of the Spirit would be the consequence of keeping His commandments, that we somehow earn the Spirit by our obedience. That is not what Jesus meant. He was speaking of realities of the Christian life, not consequences of an action. He meant once an individual accepts jesus christ as their Lord and savior, they have a free access to this reality Other versions use the words comforter, counsellor, advocate, friend. It’s the Holy Spirit who gives us the power to follow Jesus. He speaks to us about who Jesus is, what He has taught (John 14:26), convicts us of righteousness (John 16:8), and guides us to the truth (John 16:13). It’s important to know that the Holy Spirit will never guide us to say or do anything that does not align with Scripture. Once we understand and accept this reality, we have to then learn to recognise when he is ministering to us, and obeying his leadings. He will never leave us or let us down. If we let Him, He will help us to follow Jesus for all of our days.
When the temperature begins to rise, And the snow-caped mountains begin to melt, Revealing the green buried beneath, It whispers that a new season is near.
The lengthening of a child’s limbs, The steadying of her gait, The shift from cooing, to babble, to speech, Tells us she is growing, From infancy into childhood.
The deepening of the light, The lengthening of shadows, The moon and stars adorning the sky, Announce that night is drawing near.
As a seedling grows and changes with time, Stretching stems and leaves, bearing fruit, Rooting deep into the soil, Until it becomes an edifice towering above others, So do we grow.
Day and night God created, The sun to rule the day, The moon to rule the night, With stars and heavenly bodies set high, to guide our steps And mark the changing of seasons and time.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens,” declares the Teacher:
A time to be born and a time to die, A time to plant and a time to uproot, A time to kill and a time to heal, A time to tear down and a time to build, A time to weep and a time to laugh, A time to mourn and a time to dance, A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, A time to embrace and a time to refrain, A time to search and a time to give up, A time to keep and a time to throw away, A time to tear and a time to mend, A time to be silent and a time to speak, A time to love and a time to hate, A time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclessiastes 3:1-8 NIV
So, my darling, Your time to dance, rejoice, and sing in victory will come. For now, grow, let your roots sink deep and your stance be firm. In season and out of season, In Joy and pain, Patience and vexation, love and dissatisfaction, Your moment to blossom, to burst forth in beauty, is almost here. Shine on.
I want to go on a date with Jesus, just the two of us.
We could sit in a quiet corner of a restaurant, enjoy a drive while watching the marvellous galaxy, or go to the cinema to watch the creation story unfold. I’d love to take a stroll on the streets He created, discussing the deep and mysterious realities of the Trinity with Him.
I want to rest on His shoulders, feeling the warmth of His embrace, while dropping all my pain, disappointment, and fears at His feet. His love and comfort would envelop me, and His peace, mercy, and grace would heal my broken heart.
I wish to walk with my Lord, hand in hand, as He leads me beside the river of the water of life, along the golden streets of heaven, and through green pastures filled with His marvellous creations. My entire being would be restored in His presence.
I look forward to bowing down in reverence before my Saviour and Lord in heaven, surrounded by all of creation: in heaven, on earth, and everywhere in between, worshipping Him. His power, presence, and might too awesome for words. I will praise and sing with the saints and angels in heaven, proclaiming, “How great, how great is our God!”
Amen! Praise and glory, wisdom, thanks, honour, power, and strength be to our God forever and ever. Amen!
As twilight fades, the world grows still, The sky draped in a blanket, soft and calm. Darkness whispers, drawing you into its gentle and deep embrace. A lullaby for the world to sleep.
Stars like snow flakes scatter the sky, A canvas where the quiet birds fly. The moon, a lantern, casting light, Guides the seeking through the silent night.
Shadows stretch and dance along, In the heart of night, where they belong. The night is a haven, bold and vast, A refuge for those seeking solace from the bright and boisterous morning.
Each moment bathed in mystery’s hue, In the quiet, the world feels safe. Darkness isn’t perilous, but wild and untamed. A quiet space to heal the heart and mind.
So let the night take you in its arms, Embrace its silence, its calming charms. For in the dark, you may find the light, The beauty of peace that fills the night.
Between life and death there is a library,’ she said. ‘And within that library, the shelves go on for ever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be different if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?’ ‘
I first read the midnight Library in 2023. As I turned the pages, I was captived and taken down a trail of possibilities and forgotten dreams. This book, brimming with magic, adventure, and profound life lessons, took me down a path of reflection,looking back on the roads taken and the ones missed.
The book starts with Nora Seed, the protagonist. She’s in a difficult time in her life: she just lost her job teaching music, she’s estranged from Her brother Joe, her best friend Izzy is halfway across the world in Australia and her cat just died. Nora feels useless and hopeless, alone in the world.
Essentially, she’s isolated. Because of this, she attempts to take her life at 12 midnight. As she lays on the ground, waiting for the poison to work, she finds herself in a library managed by her school librarian, Mrs. Elm. This is a limbo library, situated between life and death with millions of books, and each book represents a different version of her life filled with stories of her life had she taken some alternative decisions. With Mrs. Elm’s help, she tries to find the life in which she’s the most content . If she had been bolder, less shy, If she hadn’t dropped from the swimming team, If she had married her boyfriend, If she hadn’t left her band. etc.
In one possible life, she reunites with her boyfriend, Dan, and finds herself married to him, but it is not the way she expected. Neither of them are happy with their lives, even after accomplishing Dan’s dream of owning a pub. She visits a life in which she goes to Australia to be with Izzy. However, Izzy had died in a car crash years earlier. She then tries a potential life in which she becomes an Olympic swimmer. However, she finds it unfulfilling. In another book she finds herself in a world where she is a glaciologist doing research in the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic – a very different life from the one she tried to escape, but not necessarily a better choice.
I was swept away by the sheer possibility that this library represented. Each book is a doorway to a new life, to the dreams and aspirations that so often get buried in the bustle of adulthood.
I found myself transported back to my childhood—the days when everything seemed possible. When I was younger, I had dreams of becoming so many things, going on many adventures and trying out new things. These dreams were untainted by the doubts that adulthood often brings. As I read about Nora’s journey through the Midnight Library, I realized how easily those childhood dreams fade away, not because they weren’t valid, but because life demands choices, sacrifices, and sometimes compromises.
What struck me most about The Midnight Library was its reminder of how short life truly is. Nora is given a chance to explore the “what-ifs” of her life, but this is a luxury many of us don’t get. The book forced me to confront the reality that life is fleeting and too short. We cannot spend our years endlessly going through the rat race tried of life and everyone. Instead, we must cherish the lessons we picked up along the way. We must go to the cupboards were our childhood dreams are hidden,pick them up, dust them and use the lessons leant to achieve these dreams.
Another reason was I identified a bit with Nora. As someone who has struggled with depression for a long time, I know how hopeless life can feel sometimes. But reading this book was like being slapped across the face and hugged at the same time. Telling me I was not alone in my struggle and it was time to stop feeling sorry for my self and achieve my dreams
The novel teaches us a great lesson —that no life is ever perfect, but that every life has meaning. It is a call to embrace our own stories with all its ups and downs. It made me realize that the pursuit of our dreams, no matter how distant they may seem, is worth every step. It’s not about living a flawless life, but about making the most of the one we’ve got.
In a way, reading The Midnight Library was like having a conversation with my younger self. It reminded me that I still have time to chase after those long-forgotten dreams, to explore new possibilities, and to embrace the idea that life is too short to wait for the “perfect moment” to begin living fully.
In conclusion, The Midnight Library is more than just a book; it’s an invitation to look at our lives with fresh eyes and renewed purpose. It’s a gentle reminder that the dreams we had as children still have the power to shape our future—if only we dare to believe in them again. It teaches us the importance of appreciating our lives, no matter how insignificant it looks currently.
In the last year, I’ve lost interest in most of my favourite activities including reading, especially novels. For some, this is a normal occurrence. But for me, this was an aberration. Sadly, it also seeped into writing as I had no inspiration for writing. This led to the absence of articles on this blog. I wrote this article some 15 months ago but didn’t get to edit and put it up until now.
For as long as I can remember, novels served as an escape from the world and my environment. Even when I couldn’t read my academic books, I always had the energy to read novels, not minding if I had to sacrifice my sleep for it.
I first noticed the reduced drive for reading about 6 months ago, I noticed that I couldn’t read any book for long. I used to read between 30 – 60 novels in a year and now I barely read 5 books in a year. Within a few minutes of starting I’m inclined to drop it and move on to other things like watching movies or YouTube shorts. I initially thought the problem was from the novels as they weren’t as interesting and captivating as I wanted. So I resolved to reread some of my favourite novels. But it wasn’t as engaging as I wanted and I got distracted within a short time.
The search for the novel that would break me out of this slumber continued. It wasn’t until I finally took some time off work and had ample time to rest and build up my energy did I finally find novels that were worth my attention and time. And not just one, but 3 novels (2 if I’m being honest as I’m yet to commence the 3rd one).
For the past 2 weeks, I had been feeling down. Discouraged by everything happening around me. It seemed everyone was moving up in life; getting married, getting a new job, going on vacations, etcetera. While it looked like I was stuck at the same place for a long time, with nothing to show as my dividend for all my Struggles. Two days ago, while doing my devotion, I came across a hymn titled “God moves in a mysterious way by Jeremy Riddle”. I was greatly encouraged on reading this.
God Moves In A Mysterious Way by Jeremy Riddle
God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform He plants His footsteps in the sea And rides upon the storm Deep in unsearchable mines Of never-failing skill He treasures up His bright designs And works His sovereign will And ye fearful saints, fresh courage take The clouds you so much dread Are big with mercy and shall break In blessings, yeah, in blessings And in blessings on your head On your head Judge not the Lord by feeble sense But trust Him for His grace Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face His purposes will ripen fast Unfolding every hour The bud may have a bitter taste But sweet will be the flower And ye fearful saints, fresh courage take The clouds you so much dread Are big with mercy and shall break In blessings, yeah, and in blessings, yeah And In blessings on your head And on your head On your head On your head Blind unbelief is sure to err And scan His work in vain For God is His own interpreter And He will make it plain In His own time In His own way In His own time In His own way
Be encouraged today. For God Moves in mysterious ways and he will make all things beautiful in its time. So, cheer up and chin up my friend. Great things await you ahead.
While growing up, I had a timetable I figured my life would follow. A perfect little schedule: finish high school at 17, get into university immediately, graduate at 24 and get married at 26, have my first child at 27. But all that didn’t work. Especially regarding relationships. I’d always been confident in my singleness, I believed whenever it was time, I’d meet the right one. I figured when I got into the final year in university, I’ll be in a steady relationship and eventually get married. Along the way, I got into entanglements that left my heart broken and yearning to experience real love and not the pain I had. The more I got my heart broken, the more I yearned for love, a never ending circle of pain and longing.
Song of Songs 2:7 NIV says “Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires”.
I never really understood what it meant. I thought it was a warning on getting into relationships one wasn’t sure of. But sometime this morning , it suddenly dawned on me that it teaches one of the greatest lessons on love in the bible. Imagine what it’ll be like if we all waited for the right one sent by God to come our way before we fall in love, rather than moving from one person to another with the hopes of stumbling across Mr/Mrs Right along the way. If only I had waited for the love that God ordained, I wouldn’t have found myself in that circle. With nothing to show but scars.
Thinking back, I think the reason I lost faith along the way was because I got scared about ending up as an unmarried thirty something old spinster with nothing to show but regrets. A lot of friends were getting into relationships, engaged, married, and having kids. But here I was, single pringle and hoping that God sends Mr Right along. And what if I was wrong, what if God didn’t have a plan for me.
Love is a wonderful and great feeling, an emotion God himself understands. He wants us to enjoy it in its fullest, and not in half measures. I’m not totally where he wants me to be; safe and confident in my singleness. Knowing that when the right time comes, God will make it work.
I’m gradually making my way back there, learning to believe again and trusting that his plans will give me a future with an expected good end. Learning to live one day at a time. It isn’t so easy. But his grace and mercy will surely lead me on.
Fay's Nightly Musings 