God Given Vision
October 2009
Martin Oguzie is a prominent Birmingham optician but there was a time when the man who cares for other people’s vision couldn’t see where he was going
 “My teachers predicted I’d get 7-8 GCSEs – I only got three. I had ignored my parents’ encouragement to study hard. I never felt confident in my own ability and didn’t think I’d go to university or do anything special. I was fifteen years old and didn’t think I would get very far.
“My parents weren’t very angry with me, more disappointed, which I didn’t expect. Their response made me understand their love for me and see how their Christian faith impacted on their parenting. It took the pressure off me but they insisted I got a job or went back to study.
“I picked myself up and went to Cadbury College. I started from scratch doing re-takes and then A Levels. It was hard seeing so many people come and go while I was still in the same place for 4 years. There were many times that my faith was tested – I felt isolated but this really made me pray more and rely on God. With Him at the centre of my life, I gained more and more confidence with each challenge that I overcame. God showed me that I shouldn’t put limitations on myself and that I could achieve more than I could imagine.
“I got a C and 2 Ds in A Level Chemistry, Biology and Statistics and a conditional offer from Bradford University if I got better grades. By now I had the confidence I needed, re-took the exams and got 3 Bs! I graduated with a degree in Optometry and have worked for some of the best practices in the country.
“Without the troubles I’d gone through I wouldn’t even have dared to aspire to achieving anything much. God uses these times to strengthen us and He’s always there when we need Him.
“If you don’t succeed at first, keep on trying. Don’t worry about failure – it can teach you so much. If I hadn’t messed up, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
Martin Oguzie is a deacon at Birmingham Christian Centre
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