The Anniversary of Bishop Gregory and the Ordination of Deacon Jeff The one who called you will carry you through. As we celebrated these two great occasions, the song ‘Keep Your Eyes’ on the Lord kept coming to mind. The Bishop and Bro. Jeff passed through storms. The Bishop’s illness was very serious: many months in the hospital, surgery after surgery. We prayed. We hoped. As he celebrated his 30th anniversary, what I saw in front of me was nothing short of a miracle. The One who called him has carried him through. Deacon Jeff at some point in his seminarian formation suddenly developed an illness. He lost his voice. He couldn’t speak again for 4 years. He’ll go to school but could only listen. One day, he asked God: how am I supposed to be a priest if I can no longer speak. One day, he discovered on Facebook that there’s a doctor who can help him. A surgery was eventually performed. He got his voice back, not the original voice but the one God wants for him: a soft voice that sounds very unique. In his testimony, he said “God gave me back my voice not just to speak but to proclaim His love and faithfulness and to serve God’s people humbly. When God takes away what you think you need, sometimes, He simply wants to remind you that He is all you need. The two celebrations are a testimony is God’s faithfulness. The song continues: When the world says it is over, heaven says not this time… keep your eyes on the Lord. Some things will try to make you forget what you were promised. Some battles are designed to make you doubt what God already said. Some people will laugh at your faith, because they only see the waiting not what heaven is preparing. Do not allow fear to write your ending. Fear was never given permission to finish your story. Your tears are not proof you’ve been defeated. Sometimes, tears are how the soul is breathing. When your strength is gone, rest in His faithfulness. You do not have to be strong everyday to still be held by God. When you can no longer see the way, follow His voice, because directions does not always arrive as visibility. Do not look at how long the road is, look at the one who already knows the ending. Keep your eyes on the Lord. May you have a blessed weekend. I look forward to celebrating with you on the weekend. Your brother, Fr. Obi