Grace Oche: PUSH Conference: My Experience, From Planning To Seeing God At Work

God has been doing something amazing in my life of recent, placing me in the path of people I need to meet/be with.

I won’t go into what happened when I went to NYSC camp Ekiti to publicize my NYSC book but then God actually wanted me to meet one person…

It was same with meeting Grace.

Like I said here, I just felt like gifting her my book on purpose,  and again I just felt like sending her my book on NYSC. Reading her words now, I had no idea what God was doing by leading me to do those things which I thought was normal at the time.

I literally had goosebumps when I got to the end of her article and was saying “Thank You Jesus” over and over again.

I am so excited and pumped to be sharing this today, what better way to inspire you to walk in purpose than to read and see what God has done with someone else, LIVE?

Please let Grace’s words sink into you, and if you are someone God has laid visions in your heart, be inspired to run with them.

If there’s anyway I can be of help, please don’t hesitate to reach me. We are all in this walk for and in God together.

From here on out is the amazing Grace…

 

---

ABOUT: PUSH Conference is a platform where young people across cultures, backgrounds, religion, etc, can connect, get inspired to live for God and still be the best they can be in their generation. As the eagle draws its energy from the sun, PUSH is like a mountain where young people climb to plug in to God, abandon every distraction and fix their attention on God by equipping them to be excellent in leadership, career, business, academics and their spiritual lives <their walk with God>. The general message is: “you can be an excellent leader, career person, entrepreneur, student, and still live for God. Living for God is the “in thing” and if you are young and you love God, you are not alone, we are a generation of young people loving God everywhere!”

THE CALL: I got the vision for PUSH (I didn’t know it will be called that), when I was in Law school, shortly after I stepped up my prayer life and relationship with God. I had made up my mind to pursue God tirelessly, fiercely and fearlessly. I remember hours I would spend in our wardrobe (so I wouldn’t disturb my roommates), with my earphones plugged in my ear, listening to worship songs and speaking in tongues. I noticed that ideas started dropping in my mind, I could hear God whispering to my heart. I would close my eyes and just see things…..and PUSH was one of them. As I sought God deeper, my purpose became clearer. This is to reiterate what my Pastor; Nathaniel Bassey usually says “if you don’t know God, you cannot know yourself”

THE STRUGGLE: from the moment I got the vision, I became restless. The more I didn’t act, the more uneasy I felt, it was like fire in my bones, waiting to burst out and I was suppressing it. Anytime I got uncomfortable, I would burst out in tears “God why are you disturbing me? Where are my helpers, team mates, resources? I’m just about to start my NYSC, I’ll be working, where is the time?” and I’ll end it with “please I’d rather start later.”
At a point, I was not so sure about the whole thing, my situation, circumstance was contradictory when compared with the vision (of course when God gives you a vision, your circumstance never look like it. At times I call Him a comedian). Here was I, shy, withdrawn, reserved, barely able to express myself, not even sure I knew anything and I would cry out “God what do you want with me? Why are you setting me up like this? I’m barely anyone’s choice.”
Whenever I feel this way, I would stumble upon a word from Him, or a message in a book, blog post or by a preacher, even a song. He just kept telling me I would be fine, as long as I followed Him.

• Bible <NLT Version>
•  “My grace is all you need, my power works best in your weakness” <2 Cor 12:9>
  “Remember dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eye or powerful or wealthy, when God called you! Instead God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise……as a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God” <1 Cor>
•  “……..he who calls you is faithful” <1 thes 5:24>
• “God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him”<Phil 2:13>
•  “…….. (Grace) guard what God has entrusted to you…..”
•  Phil 4:13;4:19;4:6, 2 thes 1:11, Jer 1:5; 29: 11 (and many more!)
• Steven Furtick, Pastor of Elevation Church
•  Great moves of God are usually preceded by simple acts of obedience
•  Stop waiting for what you want, start working what you have got. Your greatest limitation is God’s greatest opportunity.
•  Be governed by your calling, not your circumstance.

 

• Christine Caine, Founder of A21 and Propel Women
•  Often the very thing that you think have disqualified you are the ones that qualify you to do what God wants you to do

• Frances Okoro, Lawyer, Writer, Blogger: hephzibahfrances.com
• Take a step, helpers would meet you on the way.

 

TAKING A STEP, HELPERS AND PROVISION

I decided to start a mentorship program in Secondary Schools in my community as my CDS. As that was the only day I had in a week to devote to this project. I received a book on “Making a Difference with Your NYSC Year” from the one and only Frances Okoro, she asked me to review it and I must confess it was what propelled me to take a step, approach the schools and start something. As I took steps, helpers came my way. God gave me the strength and grace to share the vision with those He brought my way.

I went from feeling all alone to being harassed with attention, supervision and connections. I’m a starter but not so much of a finisher and that is why I wanted to keep it down, so that I could back out at any moment, but by sharing I was implicating myself the more and when things provoked me out of my comfort zone, I couldn’t call it quits because of those I had to answer to.
Someone traveled down from Benue state just to join the team, and I didn’t even call for Him. God prompted him.
What about provision? God provided in ways I did not expect. My pastor says “where there is a vision, there’s always provision.” Where there’s a God vision, your helpers will be drawn to it like a moth to the flame. They will carry it, be devoted and dedicated to see it work.

THE CONFERENCE PROPER
PUSH Conference 2016 happened last weekend, on the 24th and 25th of June, 2016 at Satellite Town. We were so excited for all that God did. It made the words of Pastor Chingtok Ishiaku to ring in my ears “it is wrong for you not to expect the manifestation of God’s power when He says go and you obey…….His instruction is backed with the power for you to carry out the instruction….”
Although we faced challenges, like the rain for instance as a result most of our Speakers/Facilitators were stuck in traffic, including our dearest Frances Okoro, but God still had His way. Believe me when I say every single thing worked out!
We ran sessions on Vision and Purpose, Guarding our Gateway to the Soul, Leadership and Volunteering, Mentorship and its Importance to the Future of Nigerian Youths, Entrepreneurship, Pushing the world through God and so on. We sang and worshiped together, we signed up the kids under mentors, and both days were great.
We made an altar call in one of the sessions and I was so glad, touched to see teenagers streaming out, not bothered about who and who was watching them, to surrender their lives to God. At that moment when I saw the kids deciding to live for God, I just said in my heart “this is the point of it all, this is what we are called to do, this is what will keep me going, why I won’t hesitate to host another and another and yet another PUSH Conference!”
We are not even close to what God laid in my heart, the future I see, but if the beginning can be this great, then I trust God for an amazing journey and for platforms to engage young people for Him.

I have learnt that God might be a comedian but He is also very serious, His call is not without a purpose. And when He calls you, trust me, you will do it, He has called you and that qualifies you. If you refuse, you will end up going in circles and until you decide, you will be restless.
When He calls you, your circumstances don’t look like it, He might call you to preach, and you stutter, just like Moses, also He called Mary a virgin to give birth to a son, called a blind man to see, asked a dead man to come out of the grave. The moment you act in obedience, His grace covers you, His large feet and long strides carries your baby feet and tiny steps. Picture that and you will be fine!

 

BIO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grace Oche is a young lady who is passionate about all things God.

She is a lawyer, writer and blogger passionate about raising young people living for God everywhere!

Visit her blog at www.boundlessgreiz.com

 

 

Join our Blog Family
[mc4wp_form]