Dear reader, do you possess the right dose of patience to wait 17 years for your heart-yearning miracle to happen? Or can you endure constant mockery from friends or strangers as you wait for a testimony of God’s faithfulness?
As a matter of fact, can you recall the last time you diligently waited for something good to happen to you? Do you remember how it made you feel when it was delayed?
I, particularly, remember the emotional torment I went through when my B.E.C.E. results were delayed. It’s a feeling I can never forget. But I do remember the joy it brought me when it finally came, and the results were excellent.
A popular Twi saying goes like this, “Onyame fa ne bo a ɔnto ne ntɛm,” literally meaning that when God picks up a stone, he doesn’t throw it quickly. In other words, sometimes it takes a long while before God’s miracle comes. Before you to receive a testimony of God’s faithfulness.
But trust me, God knows how to properly show up in the end in such a way that it justifies the wait.
This is a story of a young woman who endured constant ridicule from friends as she earnestly waited for a testimony of God’s faithfulness for 17 years.
So wherever you’re reading from, grab a seat. You just might be swept off your feet for this one.
Life After Her Father’s Death
Joyce Agyeiwaa is a beautiful, young, and ambitious woman. Today, she lives in the fullness of an answered prayer. But it wasn’t always so. Life once showed her and her family no mercy.
Her father died when she was very young. That single tragedy plunged the entire family into poverty. Greedy relatives seized all of her father’s property, leaving them with nothing but one market store in Kumasi.
With no money to rent a room, Joyce, her mother, and three older sisters were forced to turn that store into their home.
Nobody desires to live in a market store. But when life strikes with a thousand thorns, do you fall forward or backward?
“There is a saying that when life gives you 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile. Growing up, I heard stories about my dad. He struggled to give us a better life. He took my mom abroad after having two children in Ghana. There, they gave birth to my brother and me. But my dad died seven months after I was born. We came back to Ghana and faced real challenges. My dad’s family sold off his properties. Only one store was left, behind one of the markets in Kumasi.”
Survival in the Market Store: Between Survival and Hope
Living in a market store in Kumasi isn’t just about poverty. It’s about survival. It’s about stretching dignity in places where most people wouldn’t think to look. It’s where hustle meets home. And for many, it’s a temporary stop, a waiting room between hardship and hope.
Joyce and her family endured hunger, shame, and discomfort. But even in that hardship, she hoped for change. That hope, however, came under attack, especially from her peers.
Her friends never stopped reminding her of her circumstances. This impacted her confidence and self-esteem.
“Growing up, it was very uncomfortable living in that store, but we had no money to rent. I cried whenever someone mocked me for where I lived. I would always think, ‘If not for what happened to my dad, you wouldn’t be talking to me like this.’ I would cry, then gather myself and move on.”
“I remember one time in class when our teacher asked us where we lived. When it got to my turn, my classmates shouted before I could speak, ‘She lives in the market store! The dining hall!’ That day, I was really sad. Because of these experiences, I developed low self-esteem.”
A Desperate Prayer
At a breaking point, Joyce turned to God. She prayed earnestly, not for riches, but for a new beginning for her family.
“I prayed a certain prayer to God. I said, ‘Though life didn’t give me what I wanted as a child, I will walk through this with faith because I know I have a better end.’ I told God to carry us from that place. And we lived in that store for 17 years.”
When Heaven Responded
God did not remain silent. Her prayer stirred the heavens and God showed up massively in unexpected ways in her life as well as her family.
“The Lord did something great in my siblings’ lives. He made a way for them to further their education. They all got their dream jobs and left that place. I also got the opportunity to continue my education. Right after I finished school, my mom told me, ‘We are not going back there. We have our own apartment now.’”
“Oh, what shall I render unto the Lord? A house with everything in it, everything. God is good.”
A Scripture That Sustained Her
In her wait for a testimony of God’s faithfulness, she found hope and encouragement from the Holy scriptures.
“What inspired me the most was Jeremiah 29:11: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord — thoughts of peace, and not of evil — to give you a future and a hope.’ That scripture kept me going.”
Words of Encouragement to the Waiting
As she recounts her testimony of God’s faithfulness, the joy in her heart sparks words of encouragement to anyone reading her story now.
“To my friends out there: who told you there’s a deadline to destiny? Life is a process. Pass through it with diligence.”
“You are not behind. You are not delayed. You are not forgotten. You are unfolding in grace, growing in strength, and becoming everything you are meant to be — in God’s time.”
“From JHS to SHS to university, God always came through and paid my fees. I want to tell you today: you are not late. You’re not late.”
The Song That Gave Her Strength
In her wait, sorrow, and hope, Ghanaian gospel musician, Celestine Donkor’s song echoed words of comfort in her life.
“There were many songs that inspired me. One I remember clearly is by Celestine Donkor — ‘I Have a Testimony.’ That song meant so much to me.”
“I prayed with that song. It reminded me that God was still writing my story. At every point in my life, He showed up for me.”
What Are You Waiting For?
Joyce’s journey reminds us that though the wait may be long, God’s faithfulness never fails. Her story is a living testimony that your current situation is not the end.
If you’re still in your waiting season, may her story stir hope within you. Share this story with someone who needs encouragement. Leave a comment below to share how this testimony spoke to you. And if you’re trusting God for something, pray this today:
“Lord, strengthen me to wait with faith. Let my testimony bring You glory. Amen.”
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