Welcome to my open journal.
I’m Titilayo Kayode-Alabi, your host on this beautiful journey.
My husband and I have enjoyed a life of grace and God’s mercy for the past seven years. Although, this does not mean we have not had our share of ups and downs, including our waiting journey. If you are here, I presume you have a copy of my book, L.I.V.E. If you haven’t had the chance to read it yet, kindly grab a copy here.
It was a personal struggle for me to write it, especially in choosing the most appropriate title and content. During its conception, I remember searching online for a suitable book title for women waiting for children, and the word “wait” commonly appeared in previous books. But I had reasons to question it.
According to the Collins Dictionary, the act of waiting is associated with inactivity until the occurrence or appearance of something or someone. Generally, waiting is not an easy phenomenon. Human beings are impatient and tend towards early gratification. I also found that women in this category go through several emotions that make the journey difficult, some of which are triggered by cultural and religious expectations.
For example, I tended to pull away from people and situations that reminded me of my waiting journey. Most of the time, there was no real harm intended. I later found that I had not learned to be graceful and grateful on my journey. When I started to question this attitude, I found that I did not like to be associated with the dissatisfaction of “waiting” for a child.
“Am I truly waiting?” I asked. Do we wait for something we already have? I don’t think so. If someone were to tell me they were waiting for something I knew they possessed, I would be more than happy to point it out to them. Imagine frantically searching for a pen stuck in your hair or hidden in one of your bag compartments. You may become anxious if its use is urgent and even borrow a pen. It is always such a relief when someone points its location out.
I believe it is the same with “waiting for children. God said we already have them. How do I know this? Because He said so. We have every good thing needed for life and godliness in Christ Jesus. Salvation offers health and wholeness, and nothing new is being made because God has entered His rest.
As Andrew Womack often says, “It’s already yours.” I firmly believe that we already have children. What we need is a change of attitude, from someone “waiting” to someone who has received the gifts of God and is living a graceful life. I encourage you to embrace the idea that you already possess what you seek. It is not something beyond your reach or something you are anxiously seeking or waiting for; it’s something you already have.
Someone once told me, “Do you know it is your fault if you are lacking anything?” Initially, I found this statement offensive. Then, she painted this scenario where, “in Heaven, God was asking for an account of the children He gave me to nurture, and I am surprised at Him because ‘He never gave me a child.’ But He points to the first, second, and third child; then, their children, grandchildren, and the entire generation that should come from me, because He had given them to me from the beginning of the world.” God forbid!
I understand if this is difficult to accept now and I mean no offense. But I am inviting you to change your mindset today. Let’s start seeing things the God kind of way.
Are you truly waiting? I believe that omitting the word, “wait” in my book title was intentional. God wants us to L.I.V.E gracefully while embracing all we have in Him. This is my invitation to you.
Warmly,
Titilayo.
References
OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (September 25 Version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com
Collins’ Teams of Language Experts. “Wait.” Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary., HarperCollins Publishers, www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/wait. Accessed 6 Oct. 2023.