Giftie and I were discussing all the unknown situations we’ve faced over the past year and how it’s shifted our perspective as we enter 2022. This is Giftie’s final blog post with us, and I’ve been grateful for her contributions and am glad she was able to be part of our Willowdale Chapel community the past few years. 

What unknowns have you faced this year/will you face next year?

Giftie: Life is filled with uncertainty and worries about the future. While many things remain outside our control, our mindset is key to coping with difficult circumstances and confidently facing the unknown. At the start of 2021, I got into the new year feeling confused about my plans and the next phase of my life. I had applied to several schools for a doctoral program, not knowing how to cover the tuition. A part of me felt I was not qualified and would not be accepted into any institution as a doctoral student. In April 2021, I received a call that I had been accepted to begin the doctoral program in the fall of 2021. Of course, I could not contain my excitement! As excited as I was, fear crept in with insomnia - how would tuition be covered and from where?

Mary Beth: These days I feel like everything is unknown: What will work look like? What will my boys’ preschool situation look like? Will we be able to visit family later this year? What will ministry and community look like? Honestly, I feel a bit of “walking in the dark” fatigue. It’s not all pandemic-related, but it’s all certainly heightened because of that. 

What is your general approach to heading into the unknown? 

Giftie: While we may not wish to acknowledge it, uncertainty is a natural and unavoidable part of life. Very little about our lives is constant or certain, and while we have some control over many things, we can’t control everything that happens to us. As a human, my first approach to heading into the unknown is allowing fear to overwhelm me, leading to me second-guessing myself. In 2021, I understood that when we invite God into the dark phases of our lives filled with unknowns, he takes complete control which is good for us. As we navigate the new year, it is important that we make decisions about the unknown from a place of faith and not fear.

Mary Beth: As Giftie says, uncertainty is unavoidable. There’s a quote from Corrie ten Boom, a hero of the Holocaust, that I came across in 2021 that helped ease my anxiety in all the unknowns: “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” 

This takes discipline, something I am not naturally prone to, and it is something that I am hoping to practice more in 2022. The more I know God, the more reasons I have to trust him. As I read Lisa’s blog post last week, it was a great reminder to live expectantly as I trust the Lord to provide and sustain me and my family, even through many unknowns. Then as we take time to reflect on his goodness to us, we can see how our fear gains us nothing. My first step in this direction is to join a new women’s Bible study at Willowdale Chapel. I’m looking forward to trusting that He will reveal more of himself to me and that I will face new unknowns with a little less fear each time. 

ABOUT OUR BLOGGERS

Giftie Umo was born in Nigeria and began her career as a teacher after earning her Bachelor's degree in applied chemistry. This experience and growing up a pastor’s kid stirred her passion to make an impact on the lives of girls in her community. In 2018, she was selected to attend the Urban Promise International School of Entrepreneurial Leadership in the U.S. and received her M.A degree in organizational leadership from Eastern University. Giftie created and launched Girls Leading Africa, a nonprofit in Odukpani, Nigeria, to provide girls and teenage mothers, especially those who have experienced abuse, access to quality education and vocational and interpersonal skills. She is on the advisory boards of two organizations in Africa whose visions align with her passion and is a member of the Rotary Club of Wilmington. When Covid-19 hit and she was unable to return to Nigeria, she decided to pursue further training relevant to her program in the U.S. She currently leads her ministry in Nigeria while at the same time works on her PhD in Philadelphia and looks forward to returning home in the upcoming years.

Mary Beth Gombita spent a decade in Washington, D.C. before relocating to Pennsylvania in 2018. She married her husband, Stephen in 2015, and they have two young boys. Originally from Georgia, though she’s lost her accent, she is a lover of sweet tea, a proud Georgia Bulldog and an avid music fan. She and Stephen lead a young adults small group and have enjoyed various service opportunities at Willowdale Chapel. Mary Beth runs her own communications consulting business from home focused on messaging and media outreach.