Now I See Why
By Kateb Nuri-Alim Shunnar
Looking back, it all makes sense now. My grandmother, Celestine, and my mother, Marva, weren’t just asking us to go to church for the sake of tradition. No, they were planting seeds ones that would grow long after I’d forgotten the hymns or fidgeted through the sermons. As a kid, I thought it was just another chore: get dressed, sit still, and try not to fall asleep during the message. But now, as an adult, I see the brilliance in their persistence.
I remember my grandmother’s words like it was yesterday. She’d say, “If you ain’t got nothing to thank the Creator for, then thank Him for blessing me so I can be there for you.” At the time, I didn’t fully grasp what she meant. I thought it was just one of those grown-up sayings meant to keep kids in line. But now, I understand. Her gratitude was a lifeline for her, for us, for everyone she held close.
Fast forward to today, and I see how invaluable that foundation was. The world we’re in now? It’s different. People seem to think they can do it all on their own, that they’re the masters of their fate. We’ve traded the Creator’s hand for our own illusion of control, building castles out of sand and calling them fortresses.
But here’s the thing: without something deeper without that connection to the Creator everything feels hollow. We’ve got families sitting under the same roof but living in entirely different worlds. Homes feel more like stopovers than sanctuaries. And the children? Well, they’re growing up without the anchor that faith provides, drifting in a sea of self-made identities that change with the tide.
My mother used to remind us, “Waiting on the Creator is never wasted time.” As a teenager, I thought waiting was just code for “doing nothing.” But life has a way of humbling you. I’ve been in situations where my boat was sinking faster than I could bail it out water pouring in, my arms aching, and no land in sight.
In those moments, you realize something: you can’t do it alone. The Creator doesn’t always calm the storm immediately, but He steadies you in the midst of it. He gives you the strength to keep going, even when the odds are stacked against you.
It’s funny how life works, isn’t it? The things we resist as kids prayers, discipline, faith end up being the very tools we need to survive as adults. My grandmother and mother weren’t just guiding us; they were arming us. And let me tell you, those arms have carried me through storms I thought I’d never survive.
But here’s the part that stings a little: so many of us are out here trying to row our boats with no oars. We’ve disconnected from the very source of our strength. We’re trying to navigate life’s waves with no compass, no anchor, and no sense of direction.
It doesn’t have to be that way, though. The Creator is still there, waiting for us to turn around and realize we’re not alone. Waiting isn’t about passivity; it’s about trust. It’s about saying, “I can’t do this on my own, and I don’t have to.”
So, if you’re feeling like your boat’s about to sink or maybe you’re just tired of paddling in circles take a moment. Pause. Sit still. And remember who’s really steering the ship.
And hey, while you’re at it, laugh a little. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the Creator has a sense of humor. I mean, He has to. How else could He watch us try to fix our lives on our own and not chuckle?
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