“We can’t imagine your pain.” “We are here for you sis.” “We are all praying for you.” Such words characterised the outpouring of love and prayers directed at actress, and mother of Nipsey Hussle’s son, Lauren London. One of the first things I watched after hearing of the rapper’s passing was the playful interview he did with London for GQ magazine, just four days before the beloved L.A native was gunned down. As Hussle answered questions about London with speed and accuracy displaying his acute knowledge of her; as she smiled at nearly everything he said; as he said the words : “we’ll be back for how well she knows me,” I tried to fathom the pain she must be going through. I could not. All I could think of was how incredibly crazy life is; one day you’re enjoying life with someone, the next day you’re trying to make sense of their demise. As I listened to her speak at his funeral service, I was amazed by her strength. When she said the words, “I’ve never felt this type of pain before but I know that God is alive,” I knew where she was drawing strength from. I saw the words of Psalm 46:5, “God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God will help her,” being manifested in her life, and it reminded me of why I need God in mine.
My dad once tried to enunciate his reasons for trying to instill the fear of God in my siblings and I. He explained that the battles of life are many, and we need some kind of solid foundation so that even when the strongest winds assail us, we would remain standing. He wants us to know God, because we would need Him. Many of us are aware of the fact that we need God. However, this fact resonates with us more strongly when we are already in the midst of the fire. When we are faced with the challenges of life, we remember that we cannot see ourselves through so we run to God. Thank God that His faithfulness does not depend on ours; He is faithful regardless. Having said that, it would pay us to do better. It would be in our favour to have a relationship with God, rather than seeking Him only when there’s a problem.

Everyone can attest to the fact that there are days when life is not kind to us. There are seasons when life just decides to test you without a warning. No one is immune to it, we are all going through something, or will eventually have to deal with something. This is not to scare you, it’s just the reality of life. If you have God fighting with and for you, you’ll pull through. As Steve Harvey said in a short youtube clip that I recommend you watch, entitled “There is a Higher Power”, if you’re trying to go through life without God, you’re making things much harder than they need to be. We all require a rhythm when our lives are out of tune; that’s God…the required rhythm.

You should listen to these songs: Another in the Fire-Hillsong UNITED( the acoustic version on Youtube is everything!)
What Can I Do-Tye Tribbett
My World Needs You-Kirk Franklin ft Tamela Mann, Tasha Cobbs & Sarah Reeves
Remember-Lauren Daigle

Prayer Request: Today we’re praying for the souls of Nipsey Hussle and Kolade Johnson (who was killed by a police officer’s stray bullet in Lagos, Nigeria). May they find rest in God’s presence, and may God comfort their families.