Their time came: Chipolopolo of Zambia

If the Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire had won
this 2012 Africa Nations Cup, the sorrow of the Zambians could have
overshadowed their celebrations.

Not far from the field of play, off the
coast of Gabon, in 1993, the Nation of Zambia lost 25 souls, all members of their
entire national football team in an air crash. Africa wept!

The Africa Nations Cup of the following year
saw a brand new Zambian team make it to the final. Most people predicted, prayed
and wished for a Zambia victory. But they lost to Nigeria.

It was a memorable match, fueled by passion
for the dead and hope for the living. But it was not their time.

Truly, there’s a time for everything.

God has made everything beautiful in its
time (Eccl
3:11). Sometimes this scripture is misapplied, misquoted and misunderstood.
It appears to some, if not most, to mean God makes things beautiful in His own
time.

But is it really a matter of God’s time,
seeing that the Almighty is not bonded by time and space?

This scripture underscores the wisdom of God
as He displays the appropriateness and beauty of a purpose, a person or a
people whose time just arrived.

This is not to say that God cannot or does
not make things happen when He wants them to but it’s more expressive here the
fact that the Kairos moment of a
purpose which is foreknown to the Omniscient God is always a spectacular time.

Aided by hindsight and a rich God-centered
theology as we investigate current affairs of great delight to us, we can’t
miss the fingerprints and footprints of a loving, faithful and all sufficient
God.

Some lessons from the Zambian victory:-

 1. Even if the Ivorian team had an
extra man from the beginning of that final game, Zambia would still win. Their
time had come and they won’t be robbed of it. Jesus came at the best time in history (Galatians
4:4) Herod, all Jerusalem and even the hosts of hell could do nothing about
it.

 

 2. This Zambian team may not have won this
tournament without a 19yrs old tragedy which became the binding cord that kept
them united, focused and also determined. Don’t
mock tragedy when it arrives first, you may be ridiculing the wisdom
of God. (Acts
7:17)

3. Your underdog status today is part of
God’s matchless strategy. Don’t force
yourself to be something when you are better-off just being nothing
or the lesser. Like David, allow God to make
you! God showcases
His strength through the weak and His wisdom through the simple at heart. (1
Cor 1:27-29)

4. 18 years (as it was for
Zambia) could seem a long time to wait for anything, but consider the beauty of
the end result when God pulls the curtain. The longer the wait, the sweeter the
victory in the end. Your waiting time is
God’s working time. He works for those that wait for Him. (Isaiah
28:16)

5. The delay may be as a
result of your unpreparedness for the beauty God is planning. There’s need for adequate preparation not
just to facilitate the time of glory but more so to be humbled before it dawns.
(Remember
Joseph)

6. Sometimes, the
circumstance may seem right and the preparation seem apt. But if it’s not time,
it’s not time! We build our faith while waiting. In 1994, the Zambia national football team and probably the
whole world could have felt and acted as though their time had come; but no. Even the Lord
Jesus , despite His passion, understanding and focus; waited patiently for
18years to finally and fully engage His Father’s business and finish it. (Luke2:40-51)

May your waiting time not be wasted time,
may your time come, may it be soon, may it be on God’s terms and ultimately,
for His glory.

What lessons have you learnt about waiting?