Everyone knows that when we want something so bad, the waiting part is the hardest. We wait for a lot of things in this life; a breakthrough in career, a specific amount in our bank accounts, that house and lot we’ve been eyeing out, the right person we’re going to marry and even our dreams to be a reality.
This was the one dream that I was willing to wait for. I was going to do it step by step. I was going to prepare myself. Little did I know that God was already working backstage. And this is the very reason why this journey was so much special.
How the Dream Started
My journey in dreaming and waiting started in 2013. Year after year, I committed this specific prayer to God and listed it down to my faith goals. The desire was too strong that there were days when I found myself crying on bended knees asking God that if He had no plans of granting my prayer, He might as well remove the desire and give me a new one – one that’s aligned with His. He saw how my heart broke and rejoiced in the news of friends being given the opportunity to live my dream. He knew about how scared and happy I was to have received the news, three years later – just the thought of stepping foot on the country and at the same time, having the possibility of a denied visa was both overwhelming and heartbreaking.
My Plan
I left the first company I worked for in 2014 with uncertainties in the new path I was going to take. I’ve always told everyone that leaving one of the best companies in the world and changing industries from IT retail to financials were for the bigger goals in my life. I had it all planned out; I was going to enter the financial industry and add some skills in my resume to qualify me for work in Singapore, thinking it would be so much easier if I enter UK from there. After, I was going to try out applying for the UK visa or doing whatever way I could, to fly to London. I had no specific end date, I just knew I’ll be in London sooner or later. I wasn’t the hurrying type, but I got so frustrated that I almost gave up. Well, that was MY plan.
The Shift
Just more than a year in the new company and in the first project I was assigned to, the team was suddenly dissolved. We found ourselves floating – exploring opportunities outside the company. I attended three interviews and promised three more to other companies. My last option was to go back to my hometown and rest for awhile and maybe keep my options open or try to chase other things I am passionate about.
I had sleepless nights and continued to pray to the Lord. And though I was a little depressed and scared about the future, I had this feeling of excitement – as if something big was coming, I didn’t know what or when, but there was an assurance that everything will work out fine.
God’s Plan
There are a lot of people who never fully trusted God nor His capacity to do wonders, it’s as if we always need to push and do our best to achieve something. But this one, I tell you, is something I never had to work hard for. Looking back, everything had fallen exactly into place. Project got dissolved. I was given a slot to the newly-acquired project of the company even though my manager had told me there wasn’t any slot left, that actually led me to prepare myself to pursue my other passions. The unfortunate event of almost losing a job, with the project getting dissolved turned out to be a beautiful blessing in disguise because it redirected me to new doors that skyrocketed me straight to my dream.
When I was asked if I wanted to join the team to fly to United Kingdom for training, I got so excited, like a kid finally getting what she wished for birthdays, Christmas, and all the good days. Then fear set in – this was too good to be true. This was too easy. What if my visa application got denied? What if I got into an accident and couldn’t fly to UK? What and ifs. It clouded my mind for so many days but God always reminded me that He’s got this and that I shouldn’t limit His infinity to my finite mind, that nothing is too hard for Him!
“God, You’ve opened the doors when I was willing to wait. You’re handing out my dream when I was willing to work hard for it. You initiated this opportunity when I was willing to look for it. This isn’t me now, this is You. And I will trust in You. I will trust in Your promise that You will withhold nothing amazing from your children. May all the glory and honor be Yours, and Yours alone. And even if this doesn’t turn out good, I will still trust in Your Will because it’s always good and perfect,” this was the last entry I wrote before my visa got approved.
The Answered Prayer
While I was looking out the window just before our touchdown, my tears swelled as I saw the London Eye and the Shards. I couldn’t believe that I was finally seeing it in the flesh. My insides turned in a good way. My heart skipped beats and I couldn’t help but shed a few tears while taking photos from the window seat. I heard myself whispered a hundred times, “thank you Lord”.
As I exited from the plane, the cool air struck my face and I stopped at the door and gave London my warmest smile. London air all over me! London air! Yes, I was that happy that even the thought of me gasping the London air made me so excited and teary.
I remembered a friend of mine told me a story about a friend of hers that went to London through a scholarship that was granted to her because of the connections she worked for by attending different UK seminars. Why didn’t I go and find opportunities myself?
Truth is, I could’ve done that if I wanted to. I was actually looking through opportunities and saving for some. But this wasn’t just a goal, this was a prayer and I wanted God to personally show me that He could answer prayers for me as big as this one. This wasn’t just a dream, this was a fusion of worldly and spiritual goals. I was giving it up to God and letting Him do what He does and thinks best.
Even when I’m back in Manila, I still couldn’t process everything that has happened for the last few months. It was as if everything in my life built up to prepare me to receive this and I couldn’t be anymore grateful.
Just before I went home from United Kingdom, my best friend and I were talking about dreams being answered through prayers. She spoke about the term, “from glory to glory”, what it means and what we should be doing to understand what the phrase means. We should always have an open palm, always ready to accept blessings and have it replaced or removed. We shouldn’t clench our fists when God gives us something, because when He decides to remove it, we will hurt and we will grow bitter towards God. We should trust that our God knows what’s best for us and He wouldn’t give us anything less than what we have now.
“Glory to glory” – I feel like I can dream bigger now, like I have this hope and faith that if God could give my biggest dream in a snap, what else can He not give?
God wrapped this year with a ribbon. He was true to His Words, “Call to me and I will answer you, and show you great and unsearchable things you do not know”, Jeremiah 33:3 and indeed, He showed me great and mighty things which I wouldn’t know if I didn’t offer this one to Him.
To God be all the glory!
To the author of this story, thank you for sharing this dream turned into reality story! Indeed, nothing is impossible with the Lord! More stories of her at her blog site – Half of My Heart .
