Oluwa, wetin dey happen?

Oluwa wetin dey happen?

Definition: Oluwa wetin dey happen? (originally used by Nigerians) is a phrase used when one is left speechless by an event or an occurrence.

  They put the shackles on my feet and bound my hands. “Oluwa wetin dey happen?” I was perplexed.

 I was now being sold off for a mere 20 shekels of silver. How could they do this to me?  couldn’t they bid a higher price to sell off their own brother?

My bareback open for the scorching sun to hit, my feet immersed in the hot desert sand, how did running errands for my father turn into being sold like a cheap piece of cloth. I couldn’t think straight. I was being sold off by my own brothers? How was this even possible?

“Don’t do this! brothers please” I screamed through the confusion but the snatched my coat and ran off with the little silver they had just traded me for. “God, what is going on?” I spoke out and it was followed with a whip to my back “keep quiet and keep moving” one of the  Ishmaelites spoke. Hot tears rolled down my cheeks, I kept questioning but this time in my thoughts afraid to be whipped again.

“ God! what is going on?” I asked myself several times with no response.

As we walked through the desert with our feet burning from the hot desert sand, I got thirsty I cried out for water but I was given none. I was then taken to Egypt, this was going to be my life going forward. I had become a slave, I Joseph,son of Jacob, the one who even the sun had bowed to in my dreams. In reality, I was a slave who sat there like a  commodity to be bought by anyone who considered me good enough. Countless times different masters came but no one thought I was worth the catch. With each passing day, I drown in the thoughts of how I had come to this point.  “God, what is going on?” Often times I asked, as this became my default question to God, I had exhausted all possible reasons for explaining how things had turned out, and each time I asked this question the response God gave was “I am with you.” I nodded not in agreement with what I had heard, but I nodded anyway. It didn’t make any sense but this answer was better than none.

On this day, one of the pharaoh’s officials had come to my master to buy a slave. My master sold me off to him quickly as I had become a commodity that stayed long in the market and he needed to make profits off his investment. I became Potiphar’s slave.

He was better than my previous master, I worked with dexterity and all chores given to me were done on time. Soon Potiphar began to take notice of my work in his house and he was impressed and trusted me to the extent of making me oversee all the activities of his home, he had asked me about how I was able to do everything just the way he wanted and I told him “God was with me”.

From becoming my masters' most trusted servant to being thrown into jail for allegedly trying to force myself on my masters' wife. Which, In fact, was the opposite of what happened that day after I ran away from the scene leaving my coat in her hands. Life really knew how to give me a sour taste. Each time my coat was in someone’s hands I was on my way to a new phase of suffering.

“God! What was really going on? I know you are with me but please tell me what exactly is your plan?” 

Few more years spent in jail and finally He revealed what his plan was to me when I was able to interpret the Pharaoh’s dream and he promoted me to become the Governor of all of Egypt. 

How I moved from a boy who was sold off by his own brothers to becoming the ruler of a country is a tale I still can not figure out. I guess God was with me like he said after all.

 You just heard my story, I question God’s plan in the phases of my life even when it didn’t look like he was with me I nodded and accepted that he was. Even when I couldn’t understand the turns life drove me through I still held on to the one who knew the destination and sat through every bump and turn.

You probably might be having your “Oluwa wetin dey happen?” days but be rest assured that God knows what is ahead. Being confused is fine but don’t lose sight of who is taking you through this journey. God says the weapons will be formed against you but they wouldn’t prosper and though darkness wages it will not prevail.The God we serve only knows how to triumph.  Hold on, sit still and grasp tightly to God. The bumps wouldn’t stop, nevertheless, the glory ahead is greater.

 “You whom I [the LORD ] have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its remotest parts And said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not rejected you [even though you are exiled]. Do not fear [anything], for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation].’”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41:9-10‬ ‭AMP‬‬