Relocations are always seem to be a turbulent time for me because I always have to ask The Lord repeatedly if He was in that destination or not. This is because if I veer off the road and land in Sodom or the like, I'll loose all my allocations and inheritance.
So on this particular occasion, as the clouds brightened that day, I was on my way to go pick up appointment letter for a work in a location I wasn't yet sure it was God who was sending me or whether it was circumstances or the fact that I never imagined returning to that city for anything short-term much more lifelong practice of Medicine. 🫠
I braced up as I went, I entered one of those aka n'enu buses which had been my regular as I was low on cash and needed to conserve the little on me. Aka n'enu wouldn't give you the best of a travel experience as the vehicles are often ricketty, with road worthiness being on a zero and they drop and pick people at every nook and cranny and as such they end up doubling your journey time.
Part of why I was skeptical about resuming this work was also the fact that after NYSC, I had an agreement with God to pause on any jobs, and seek His face for a whole month and then attend the CMDA IfEHL Basic Course which I believed should be a prerequisite before any Christian doctor hits the job market. As such, I frowned at the fact that taking up this job could deny me this IfEHL training I'd registered and prayed about, and it also meant I will be less equipped to live out the maximum Christian doctors life. I was pained, had a cold feet but still dragged myself along as I did all that was required of me in those documentation phase.
Leaving the home of one of our elders that morning, I could only pray on the words she'd dropped in my heart: the heart of kings are in His hands and I should trust God to make a way for me to attend the meeting if truly He wanted me in the training. I also told them I contemplated turning down the offer but they encouraged me that God wasn't an author of confusion, if He allowed the job come at that time, then it also meant He knew all along how things will play out. I equally recalled that my one month post NYSC seeking-God-retreat had elapsed by the time this offer came, plus it was Residency training which I insisted was the only job I was gonna consider post-NYSC. My only worry remained my training course as well as the fact that I wasn't sure Abakaliki was the right land to dwell in at that phase of my life.
As we journeyed with our frequent stops, I prayed all along in tongues, I also think it was on this particular trip that I had to change bus midway into the trip as our driver carried overload with a motorcycle at the back of the bus and he had settlement issues with the police. I moved on after paying the driver for the distance already covered as I needed to arrive my destination early.
Upon arrival and collection of my appointment letter, I wanted to chicken out: go home, travel to Abuja for the training the next week and resume two weeks after collection of the appointment letter but Mercy said no.
As I was about leaving the hospital gate, I was prompted in my spirit to call the chief resident of my department and report to duty. I obeyed, not knowing what my fate would be. However as Jesus may have it, I summoned courage to explain to him the reason why I cannot work that week or next, he listened and took me to the HOD who also listened and made me sign a paper that I must keep to my word to resume on 5th of April that year whilst she signed and informed the hospital management that I had reported to the department. To me, I was too perplexed to rejoice on how God was working things out and teaching me that my fickle mind and plans isn't always the best. O dear!
With this, I had some relief that this could be God really bringing me to this place but I still had some doubts in my heart whether it was Him or not.
Over the next couple of days after 5th April, he kept confirming it in various ways that He planted me there at that time. Even looking back with hindsight, I recall the 3 separate circumstances that led me to apply to this particular hospital and everything makes sense including the particular time I heard I could go ahead with the application after prayers concerning it.
Do you ever consider moving to a new location as a heavy decision which requires seeking God's face? For me, it doesn't have to be about earning a fortune or being in the place with less hazards and minimal workload. Provided it's God who's giving the release to Go, I move in faith.
How do you decide where your House Job/internship placement will be? Do you think influencing your NYSC location is part of His Will for your life? How about where to reside as a young person after NYSC? How about where to raise your family and kids?
May we learn again that as He led Abram through an instruction to Go to an unknown land, he still leads people today. For Joseph it was slave trade, For Daniel and Friends, it was captivity while for Joseph, Mary and Jesus, it was the need to flee danger.
May God guide you as you make life decisions. Amen.
What Determines Your Location? Ponder on this.
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