We're Not Ready Yet

Lydia thanks God for what He has done for her. She is honoring her commitment to follow Him for the rest of her life.

Sundays were always busy for Lydia and her brother and sisters. Her parents were very devout and made sure that the entire family was actively involved in their local church. The day was even more special when Sunday dinners were shared with aunts, uncles, and cousins. When they counted their blessings, life seemed good in Cape Verde, especially when they stopped to admire the beauty of the ocean and the verdant mountains of their island.

One day they became acquainted with a man named Moises. They learned that he was an elder from a nearby Seventh-day Adventist church. Lydia’s mother was interested to learn that the church members studied the Bible together every Saturday morning. She decided to visit the church and learn more about the Bible classes Moises had told her about.

The Visit

One Sabbath Lydia’s mother took her five children to visit the Adventist church. She enjoyed the classes immensely and brought her children with her to church every week. She wanted her children to hear stories that would help them build good characters and to learn more about Jesus. Eventually she decided to become baptized, even though her husband was against it.

Lydia wasn’t interested in the sermons at first, but she loved the hymns. It was the sound of the music that she enjoyed, and she truly loved to sing. The words of the songs began to speak to her heart. In time, she and her older sister were baptized. She became involved in various church activities, but it was the choir that she loved most.

Lydia’s voice improved, and it soon became apparent that she was very talented. A group of singers from Cape Verde invited her to sing with them at an event in the public square. Soon they asked her to join their group and sign a contract to travel with them to France. What an opportunity! Plus, they would pay her very well for singing with them. 

She thought long and hard about it. Her family was very poor, so the money would be a great benefit to them. She would be proud to help them in this way. 

What should she do? she wondered. Was this part of God’s plan? Or would it be better to help her family at home? She wasn’t sure, but she wanted to be able to help her family financially. Her father agreed that she should sign the contract and go with the singing group. Her mother, however, didn’t want her to go.

The Dream

Lydia decided she would sign the contract on Thursday. But after she fell asleep on Wednesday night, she had a dream. “We were on the roof of my house—my parents, the rest of my family, and all my neighbors. In the dream the children were playing and the adults were talking. Suddenly we heard a noise and we saw something coming down. At first it looked like snow. My mother said it was the end of the world, but my father said it was a war. I was afraid and hid behind my mother. I told her that if it was the end of the world, she should tell God we weren’t ready yet. 

“A cloud with a bright light was coming closer. Inside the cloud we could see someone dressed in a white robe. I clung to my mother while everyone was shouting, ‘Jesus! Jesus!’ Then the crowd divided, and God said, ‘Lydia, why are you hiding from Me?’ I was trembling and didn’t know what to say. Then God said, ‘I came to tell you to trust Me and follow Me. It’s not the end of the world yet.’ Then He smiled at me and waved.” In the dream Lydia waved back as the cloud rose higher and higher before disappearing. 

She must have shouted in her sleep, because her parents came running into her bedroom and woke her up, asking what had happened. She wasn’t ready to tell them about her dream, so her parents sat on the floor in her bedroom until she went back to sleep. 

The Decision

The next morning they asked her what had happened. She told them that she had made a decision. Even though she already had money and a new passport so she could travel with the singing group, she decided not to sign the contract that day. She never sang with the group again. Instead, she organized a singing group at her own church. They traveled from place to place in the islands of Cape Verde. She learned how to witness to others through her music, and eventually she married the church pianist.

Today Lydia and her family live in Dakar, Senegal. Their lives are centered upon God. She is actively involved in children’s ministry at her church. She and her husband have a little boy, and they are awaiting the arrival of a second baby. 

Lydia thanks God for what He has done for her. She is honoring her commitment to follow Him for the rest of her life.