Psalm 42:1 says: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.” Next week, I will be hosting our @kta_law 9th edition of the @KTASymposium. Anyone who has put together an event knows that it takes its toll. Finding partners and sponsors who believe in what you’re doing is norrize ! Even harder is being a leader and also a counsellor to individuals on your team. They say time is a finite resource, and the time you give to one thing is time taken away from something else. That’s the sacrifice of having a vision and building towards it. In all of this, in the past, it was easy to rely on my own understanding, to toil believing that my own knowledge and abilities would be enough. Did you know about phototropism? In primary school science, I was taught that light-sensitive proteins detect light and trigger changes that make a growing shoot bend towards it. The light also provides the energy the plant needs to flourish. At the cellular level, receptors recognise particular signals and trigger a response, rather like a cell recognising a call it is equipped to answer. This morning, I took a walk to Karveli for a pastry and coffee. A Sunday ritual I’ve come to enjoy with my significant other. I felt quite low and depleted, a feeling that is familiar at this time of year as we approach such a huge event. Coupled with the East Africa Carbon Markets Forum, the Y4P Fellowship and all the other projects we’ve been working on, it has been quite a season. Then there is being a father, and a man who wants to know and be present for the community around him. As we took our walk this morning and listened to a sermon, I understood that longing to return to God’s presence can be like a plant turning towards the light that sustains it. And my, how the Lord has sustained me! Social media this week has been awash with calls for miracles. A while ago, I conceptualised this 9th edition of the Symposium and had a mock-up designed of how I wanted the venue to look. I then realised that dreams need a lot of work 😅. Well, unless you give them to God. The venues that could bring this dream to life were too expensive, and we had settled for one that was close enough to what I had envisioned. But something in me, the Spirit, kept leading me towards the Marriott. And when I finally walked into that hall, I was standing in my dream. Then came the hard part. The money to make all of it happen. I remember telling my team, “This event will show you all the power of the Lord I serve.” By the time I said this, we had only a quarter of the budget we needed and about 14 days to the event. Imagine the faith required to say that with three-quarters of your budget still unfunded! 😅 Now, with just three or so days to the event, God indeed reigns. We have covered our budget, held our first press conference at the Uganda Media Centre, and will be hosting the Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area here in our Kampala !!! I cannot begin to tell you how humbled I am that my God listens. This is my miracle. That I serve a God who validates my dreams, and because of the knowledge of this love, I am at peace. I know that I am not alone. It reminds me of the way my son asks me to stay with him as he falls asleep. He doesn’t need me to do anything extraordinary. He just needs to know that I am there. Life is easier when you know you are safe, next to and covered by your dad. Perhaps that is what I have been learning through this season. That I do not always have to rely on my own strength or understanding. That when I feel depleted, I can return to the source that sustains me. Just as the plant turns towards the light, my soul knows where to turn. I post this here to share my testimony, but also to remind myself, on another day in the future when I may feel low or overwhelmed, that God is still in the business of doing miracles ☀️