When God Only Shows You the End or the Beginning......

Start by vetting what you’ve heard comes from God.

I remember waking up late one night and hearing “Senegal” so clearly. I was confused. I had already been discerning traveling earlier that year after a heartbreak — I just felt like the weather and my emotional well-being didn’t go together (Canadian winter people will understand lol). I had been looking at some countries, and Senegal wasn’t even on the list.

So when I heard it, I was like, “God, you know I don’t have money for that… so this must not be from You.” But I kept hearing the name, and signs started showing up, so I had to surrender.

One of the signs I asked God for, to know if it was really Him sending me there, was to send me Senegalese people in Canada (destiny helpers) to tell me about the country, activities, and everything I would need for the trip.

Literally a few days later, on my way to Montreal, my rideshare driver was a Senegalese man. I told him all about my desire to go to Senegal and he gave me all the details on how to get there — helpful information that I actually used when I eventually went.

A few weeks after that, I met another Senegalese friend. Then I met the Senegalese ambassador in Canada (check my Instagram for proof). At this point, it couldn’t be more clear. If that’s not God speaking, then who?

All these people were kind and helpful. It’s important to vet what you hear in order to distinguish between your own desires and God’s voice. When it’s just your desire, you’ll have to figure everything out by yourself. You won’t feel God’s help at all, and you might be tempted into paths that compromise your integrity and your relationship with God.

You don’t want to go somewhere or do something God has not put His hand on — it could actually be dangerous for you. God wants to keep you safe.

God wants you to use your skills and.. your brain

After all the signs, like a good child, I went back to God to ask for instructions, a way, details… and I heard nothing. But in His wisdom, I believe He reminded me that I already knew how to plan a trip — I had travelled alone to Europe before.

Something in my heart said, “You’re complaining about the cost, but do you even know how much it costs to go?” I didn’t.

So I decided to draft a budget. I looked up flight prices, chose potential dates, checked hotels, activities, etc. And at the bottom of my Excel sheet, I saw the total. It wasn’t as expensive as I thought. It was attainable.

From there, I started praying for God to open doors for more streams of income. He did. Opportunities started coming: freelance gigs, grants. I started paying for flights and booking things step by step.  I know for sure , whatever God ordains you to do, He will pay for it. He will provide a way for you to afford it and supply everything you need. You won't need to do something illegal or disgraceful to do it. 

God won’t show you the whole thing because, to a certain degree, He knows that what He’s asking you to do — you already know how to do. You’ve done similar things before, just in different contexts. That’s where your transferable skills come in.

You take one step, and everything else follows.

When obstacles come… remember the end.

Expect challenges along the way. When they come, remember the end.

Two days before I was supposed to travel to Senegal, my purse went missing. Inside it was a very important ID card that I needed to leave and re-enter the territory. I looked for it endlessly and couldn’t find it. I knew I had left it at a Senegalese shop, but when I called, they said they didn’t see it.

Also, before travelling, I had dreams that they wouldn’t board me on the flight — two dreams. Looking back, that was a warning dream from God, showing me that the flight I was supposed to take wasn’t safe and that I needed to go into prayer.

I had prayed, but when my wallet went missing, I started panicking. I called my sister, and she kept encouraging me to keep looking. This happened on a Friday. I searched Saturday and Sunday — nothing. My flight was on Monday.

Eventually, I gave up and called the airline to cancel two hours before my flight so I could benefit from my airline credit.

The minute I cancelled, the shop owners called me back and said they had found my wallet. ( they had it all along but didn't know it was mine lol) 

I felt relieved. Then I heard a voice telling me to book another flight and change the airport. It was God protecting me from the first flight.

Although people tried to discourage me, the wisdom of God convinced me I wasn’t in danger, so I booked another flight on the same day and left two days later, safe and sound. I have to mention this: while I was looking for my wallet, I still packed my bags because God’s voice kept reminding me I would go — even though my wallet hadn’t been found yet. I leaned on God.

During the middle part — the challenge — that is not the time to lament or collapse emotionally. Lean on God. Go back to His Word. He will comfort you, push you through, and guide you, because He knows the end — and the end is glorious.

I ended up going to Senegal, had a great time, and met so many great people. I was protected throughout the trip and received so many blessings after that trip (story for another time).