Do you know how to truly be still and let God work? Have you ever asked God a question and He responded no? When He said no, did you decide to still move forward with your plans or did you decide to be still and listen to what God had spoken to you?
On January 10, 2019 I received a text message from my sorority sister that read “Happy New Year Soror!! Torri S.!! Small world! God’s people always connect”. I responded “Happy New Year Soror! Who is Torri S. lol?”. She responded “She said that she grew up with you in Teaneck. She lives in NC and owns a magazine. A Christian magazine”. Immediately I responded “OMG yessssss Torri lived across the street from me! I thought that’s who you were talking about but was like nooo way. We knew each other since we were 5/6”. In my mind when she said Torri S. I thought to myself that it couldn’t have been who I thought it was because how would she know her. I just met my sorority sister 5 months ago at a sorority meeting so what would the connection be? My sorority sister informed me that they connected randomly on Instagram and now she is writing a column for her online magazine. I was amazed at how they were connected through Instagram, because it seemed so far fetched for someone I had just met from NY to be connected with a childhood friend who lives in NC that I haven’t seen since I was 16 years old. My childhood friend recognized a picture of me from my book signing on my sorority sister’s Instagram page which prompted my sorority sister to tell me about the connection.
After the text message I was excited to reconnect with my childhood friend. Even though we were friends on our personal pages on Instagram I haven’t seen her post in over a year. I decided to reach to out to her on her business page from my praytheimpossible Instagram page. I sent her a message that night in hopes that she would respond the next day. The following morning I prayed to God asked if it was His will for us to connect and work together in the near future and thanked Him advance. A couple of days passed and she still hadn’t responded to my message. I wanted to reach out to her via my personal page as I noticed she rebranded her personal page and started posting again after being on a hiatus. I had been practicing on hearing from God and asking God about a decision before I move forward with what I think. I asked God if I should reach out to her and He said no. When I heard Him say no I was shocked and confused so I decided to ask God again to be sure that I heard Him correctly. For the second time His answer was still no and I said “Ok God you said no, then I will be still and let you do you”.
My plans were to reach out to her in regards to my book because I thought that it would be an amazing opportunity since my book is about God and faith and her magazine is about the modern day Christian. Two weeks later, while at work I was showing my co-worker/friend something on Instagram, I was led to my praytheimpossible page. I checked my messages and my childhood friend responded to my message from 14 days ago. On January 24, 2019 she responded “Heeeeeyyyy Brandi how are you? I told her that we have to feature your book in the next issue of the magazine”. That was the moment that I realized God wanted me to be still and let Him work. God did not need me to get in the way of His plans. God started His plans for this opportunity when my sorority sister and I met 5 months prior and she purchased my book and posted a picture of me on her page. God heard my prayers that I prayed 2 weeks before, but he was testing me to see if I would be still before He opened up the lines of communication for my childhood friend to respond to me.
Remember that God doesn’t need your help. He has already orchestrated and aligned the right people and situations to make His plans come to pass. Ask God what you should do and trust His answer when He responds to you. Sometimes God will tell you no so that you can learn to be still. God is testing your obedience, trust and faith in Him. No matter how many days or weeks may pass by, be still and let God work.