Uncommon Path Network

 

Dear Path Finder,

I pray you find your purposeful path, walk audaciously in it, and inspire others to find theirs too.

In my last article, I shared an unexpected visit home, one that stretched into over a month. Besides struggling with network connection, my attention was pulled in every direction by my nieces and nephews. They’d ask,

“Makazi, when are you taking us to JHB with you?”, “Makazi, we Googled you!”

Yes, 11-year-olds with smartphones Googled me. I was both shocked and amused.
They typed “Who is Oyena Dyasi” on their tablets – and honestly, I was impressed. At their age, I didn’t even think of Googling anyone. I didn’t even know someone in my family worth Googling.

But on that visit home, beyond the chaos and questions, I received a life lesson I knew I had to share with you, something for your journey, especially if you’re walking a path that looks nothing like anyone else’s:

It is okay to leave, to move on, to change – even in the storm.

Our natural tendency is to wait for ideal conditions before we act.
We want to make decisions when things are quiet, when there’s peace, when nothing feels uncertain or unresolved. But what happens when God asks you to move in the middle of chaos?

This lesson became real when my father was diagnosed with – all at once – 
Kidney failure, pneumonia, lung failure, a non-functioning heart valve, cancer, and high blood pressure.

He was placed on life support and cardiac support. The weight of it all left the family holding onto hope with trembling hands. After every doctor’s update, you’d hear an aunt whisper:

“Your father has lived to see you grow, mature, and work – he’s seen enough.”
 Their words said what their hearts couldn’t: they were preparing for the worst.

But I couldn’t surrender to that narrative.
I would go into the hospital room, lay hands on my father, and pray.
I’d call on the power of life that Christ has placed within me.
There were days we drove 4 hours just to be with him – and even in the car, all I could do was worship. People asked me, “How are you so strong?”
My answer was simple: Greater is He who is in me.

Even as I stayed longer at home to provide support, I knew deep down:
Life is in the hands of the Lord.
 God was teaching me that it’s essential to recognize when a season has come to an end — and to have the courage to move forward, even when the storm hasn’t passed.

I asked God, “Where to from here?”
And I sensed Him say,

“I have heard your prayers. I am handling what is outside of your control. Now go tend to what is within your hands.”

So the day after my father opened his eyes and came off life support, I packed my bags. I went to see him. I told him I was leaving.

I didn’t leave because I had a perfect plan or clear vision of what was next. I left because I obeyed the voice of the One who knows all things.

And that obedience lifted something heavy off me.
Suddenly, doors began opening:

• The desires and burdens I’ve carried – to impact the public sector, to serve Africa, to influence education, infrastructure, and economic reform – began materializing.
• God began placing me in conversations that stirred hearts toward Christ – ministering through unplanned moments

When I obeyed to leave, even in the middle of uncertainty, it wasn’t because I had a preview of what God was doing.It was because I had to learn that it’s okay to leave the known for the unknown, when He says so.

As someone who has always found comfort in structure, knowing the steps, following the patterns, staying deeply engaged with outcomes, this season has stripped me of the illusion that I can influence the future. In this season, I’m learning that my highest call is not to control what’s ahead, but to be faithful with what’s in front of me today. Diligently so.

In the next edition:
I’ll be unpacking how to navigate the in-between that space where you’ve left, but haven’t arrived yet. Where the old has closed, but the new hasn’t fully opened.

So let me leave you with this reflection:
Do you want to live life only when you’re sure of every next step?
Or are you willing to walk by faith, not by sight?

You choose today.

Shalom,
Oyena