Do Me A Favour!

"Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” Prov. 31:29 (ESV)

One day I sat down in tears on the staircase of Workshop II building in FUTO, it was at about 8pm, I remember the time because we had just rounded up the weekly meeting for NIFES' Rhema Theatre, the drama group of the fellowship, having  been serving God and not willing to compromise whatsoever.

Throughout that day, I hadn't eaten any form of food and the only water I was privileged to drink was from the hostel tap. I was hoping that a 'thus says the Lord' will come my way but to no avail.
After the meeting that night, I waited till everyone had left the venue before I could leave because I was so hungry that I couldn't walk well, I had to count my steps.

As everyone left, hot tears flooded my face, it dawned on me how alone I was at that moment, I was too shy to ask for any form of help.
Counting my steps toward the staircase, I froze, I had no strength to continue nor carry on, I sat there, at the stairs and wept to my fill, when I finished, I wiped my face, stood up, dusted my butt, mustered more courage and walked back to the hostel and slept in that hunger.

The next day, Friday morning, while going to get water, I noticed that the Salon downstairs hostel C had a number of waiting clients, I approached the stylist and told the woman I will like to assist her in making hair for free, she obliged me. I washed some hairs, retouched, and plaited for weavons and at about 11:43am, she bought us food, after eating, I had to leave for my afternoon lectures.

But look at me today!

It doesn't matter what you are going through, it doesn't matter how many blows life has dealt you, it doesn't matter how many times your heart has been broken, it doesn't matter how many times you have been disappointed, cheated on, lied upon or even abused, it doesn't matter if the world has given you a thousand and one reason to cry in bitter sorrow. After all the tears and pain, do me a favour, don't die, don't quit, don't give up, there is still more that you can be. Keep on keeping on.

Lots of Love,
~Oma

Make the Choice!

Most times I write from the wealth of experience I have acquired through the years of going through the wilderness called 'life', where the grasses have cut deep into my feet at some point and at others, I have cut through the grasses of life with my feet especially when I made a choice to be a blessing to everyone that comes my way even when the recipient did not deserve it from my human point of view, it is a choice I made and still make, God helping me.

Life itself is full of challenges, rumours, stories and realities of war, famine, breakdown of law and order, agitation, etc but in the midst of all these, what choice have you made?

Life is a choice, it is as you see it. You may choose to see the glass as half empty or half full but my advice is this, be positive, keep hope alive, God's word never fails, the lines will fall in for you in pleasant places. How? you ask!

And I ask you, what do you see about yourself? the truth is, until you see something, nothing will be confirmed in your life.

There is no super-human anywhere. Everyone you see that you term successful, has made one hard decision, one hard choice or another at some point in their lives.

Let your own choice be to 'live'. please stay alive, choose never to give up, refuse to die, keep on keeping on, if you have to crawl, walk, run or fly, just keep moving forward positively, be a blessing to as many as you can.
Even your smile could be the blessing someone requires.

May the Lord give us understanding.

Lots of Love,
~Oma.

My Long Distance Race!

I reminisce with so much fascination my days as an athlete in High School. The whole school team where gathered in anticipation as the race was about to commence. As the whistle blew, everyone set out on track. It was a long distance race.

But suddenly, after the first lap while being in the lead, I stopped, I didn't fall, no one was in my way, I just stopped and walked out of the track. What? How could she? My team members blurted but deep down in me, I knew that I couldn't continue this long distance race.

I was injured inside, no one would see it but I felt the sharp pain over and over again. It was a decision of life or death. I made a choice against popular opinion and expectations, I made a choice and that is why I am alive  today.

At the next competition, I won all the 3-long distance races (800m, 1500m & 3000m), again I took the centre stage and reclaimed the top till I graduated.

No relationship is a 100m or 200m dash or sprint race. Relationships are like long distance races, it requires you to run slower but steady with open stride, water intermittently - communication, it also requires patience and endurance so as to build up. Nevertheless, know how to stay alive cos life is a very long distance race.

I Luv U.
~Oma

As You Lay Your Bed!

Prov 18:21 (NIV)
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Prov 18:21 (NLT)
The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.

Sometime ago as a student in one of the Universities of Technology, I visited a senior friend and as I entered the sitting room, the little daughter came to me  crying and I took her in my arms and tried to console her and I asked her what happened she said "Its Junior that want to share my toy and I refused, Daddy now said see my wonderful head" I laughed so hard because to this child, ''see your wonderful head'' was a punishment  for not being kind to her kid brother. That family made a choice never to use a foul languages in their home and they kept at it no matter the provocation.

Life is a choice and as you lay your bed, so you will lie on it.

A lot is at stake in what we say today. Every word we speak is a seed, you have to be careful with what you say no matter the situation, circumstance or condition.

For by your words you will be condemned and by your words you will be acquitted. Make your mouth a fountain of life not a death drum. Say something to encourage yourself and someone else, speak words that build up and inspire.

Some people are agents of destruction, so called Christians alike, you must stay away from such people. All that such people do is complain and complain and complain. They only see bad about the country, the polity, the people etc.
These set of people are negativity personified. They always see the glass as half empty. If you are part of this bunch please stop, desist from such lifestyle. It is unhealthy.

Those that do know their God, they shall be strong and do exploits. You have a duty to search the scriptures and know what is written concerning you as a believer. Take time out and just read the bible, read it to know. You have to patiently read the bible to know what inheritance you have and then continuously speak and appropriate the written word into your life.

As we go into the weekends, I encourage you to speak words that edify, stop complaining. Complaining about a situation never changes it but you can help yourself by speaking life into your destiny.

The lines are fallen for you in pleasant places, you have a goodly heritage, a thousand shall fall at your side, ten thousand at your right but they will not come near you, and all that are incensed against you shall be put to shame.

As God's people in Goshen had possessions therein and grew and multiplied exceedingly despite the famine in Egypt, you also shall experience same  because God never breaks His covenant nor alter the thing that has gone out of His mouth. Jesus said "What I say to you, I say unto all, Watch." (Mk 13:37) Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Brethren, relax, your case is different!
Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. God is on your side.

Lots of Love
~Oma






 

A Ray Of Hope!

''A merry heart doeth good like medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones''
~Prov 17:22

So many things have happened in the series of my life that I have come to realize that truly indeed, every word is a seed.
when people give counsel, I try to find out if they have had a similar issue before I take such counsel especially when it has to do with life and living.

You can't give what you don't have!

Never let anyone dissuade your positivity especially with statistics, current affairs or their so-called knowledge of the state of the nation.

1Tim 6:20 (NIV)
Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge.
1Tim 6:20 (NLT)
Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge.

No matter the negative situation and happenings, always keep a positive mindset and attitude. It is a choice.
Life is not a bed of roses cos even roses have thorns, but I advice you to keep a positive attitude.
Make a choice to be patient with God, yourself and your life. Life is in phases, appreciate your phase per time and enjoy it.

Anyone is permitted to suffer anything but not you because the hand of God is upon you. You have to consciously appropriate this truth into your being. Positive words into your life.

I have seen people get sick and die yet I have seen others get sick and recover. No matter what state you find yourself, always know and be rest assured that God is on top of your matter and everything will be alright.
You have got to have a ray of hope, don't give up, don't give in, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
It will surely end in praise for you.

Lots of Love
~Oma.

Beware Of The Devourer! 2

One day while on a visit to another organization in search of a job, I ran into another man I once knew...
Standing at the reception of Raw Materials and Research Development Council, confused and almost at the point of tears because the receptionists informed me that collection of CV and applications for the advertised vacancy had closed. Instantly, I remembered that all things worked together for good, lo and behold this man strolls to me, being elderly, I greeted him, he answered and then went on to tell me how he had been observing me, he said I looked liked someone he knew about forty-something years ago, I burst out laughing because I am not anywhere near that age and then he went on to say that the person he is talking about is a man, I laughed harder because I am a full blown woman with three surviving children and a doting husband. I had a good laugh, that was what I needed at the present circumstance. We talked more as I made my way out of the complex. A big black jeep pulled over and the man stepped in, wow, this man is actually a well placed government official and very intelligent too. He called my names in full, to my utter amazement and said, when I saw you last, you were four years old, your passion for life is still as strong as I can remember. Your father was my lecturer in the College of Education in Osun state. He was a father to me. I have prayed to reconnect with him someday and be of help anyway I can. I stood there, speechless because the names he called me, I don't think my husband even knows them because most of them died with my grand parents.
This man gave me a hundred thousand naira to send to my father, he gave me his card and a note to a government parastatal. He specifically asked me to go there by Monday of the coming week, owing that the week was almost over.
I woke up as early as possible and prepared and by 9am, I was at the government agency. From the gate, I was informed that the DG was expecting me. As I walked in, she offered me a seat, collected my credentials and fast forward to this day, I am in level 15 with huge take home and that my colleague? remember him?, he is in level 12. The reason?, my agency has a faster promotion schedule and because I have an Msc., that helped.
The morale of my story;

• God is never late
• Keep improving yourself
• Be patient with God and with yourself especially if you have done all that is needful
• Never ever give up
• God is too faithful to fail
• Be grateful
• Never ever compare yourself with anyone
• Beware of the devourer

Let my story encourage, inspire and strengthen you.
Your testimony shall be sweeter.

Beware of the devourer!

We do not have the audacity to put ourselves in the same class or compare ourselves with some who [supply testimonials to] commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they lack wisdom and behave like fools. ~2COR. 10:12 (AMP)

 But godliness actually is a source of great gain when accompanied by contentment [that contentment which comes from a sense of inner confidence based on the sufficiency of God]. ~1TIM.6:6 (AMP)

 

My name is Pamela I graduated a little over ten (10) years ago with a brilliant second class upper result from one of the prestigious universities in the country and this is my story.

 

 All efforts to get a decent job proved abortive. I submitted my CV in countless organizations. But one in particular struck up my interest, I really wanted to work there, apart from it being in my line of study, it was a government parastatal with multinational affiliation having mouth watery packages. 

 

On one of the days I went visiting the said organization, at the gate I saw a very classy car about to drive out. The car pulled over and behold, it was a former course mate of mine, Bello, who had graduated with a pitiable third class, he worked in the organization and really living large, this is a fellow who partied virtually every night all through school and hardly wrote any exam on his own, I couldn't believe my eyes. He took me to lunch, and made me understand there was no vacancy yet but promised to look in for me incase of an opening, he eventually gave me 10,000 naira for cab, what? I had to pretend all through to be happy but inside me, I was full of jealous-anger, that immediately I got home, all hell was let loose.

 

I cried my heart out regretting all my years of trying to be "a good girl" I was so angry with God more so because in our years in school, Bello had boasted to me when I refused his love advances  that this my 'good girl' attitude will never get me anywhere and that taking a bet, he will one day dash me some change to help my pitiable self, lo and behold, it has come to pass.

 

 I thought about all my struggles through the years to make ends meet, she refused to acknowledge that over this time frame, I got scholarship and did my MSC, a wonderful husband and four (4). 

I was so angry that I stopped attending church service nor prayed to God nor even acknowledged that God has been faithful to me in any way, I compared myself with my former schoolmate who was now 'living large' despite his wayward lifestyle and a pitiable result.

 

I began to doubt God's word and found fault in everyone and everything, I lost interest in doing anything productive or diligent, my heart was so full of bitterness, regrets and anger that I lost one of my child in the process until the day, my husband was fed up, he didn't understand what snapped in me, he threatened to leave. Hmmm! that one I could not bear.

 

I began to seek help, I came to your fellowship meeting at the invitation of a friend. When you climbed the pulpit and read these verses of the scripture;

"God is not a man that He should lie..." ~Num.23:19. 

 

"If we believe not, {yet} He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself" ~2Tim.2:13,

 

"But godliness with contentment is great gain." ~1TIM.6:6

 

The words pierced my heart like a sword and she broke down in tears, fell on my knees weeping and crying and asking God to forgive me for allowing the evil of comparism to creep in like a devourer. When I got home that night, I couldn't believe how much I had lost in such a short period because I was comparing myself with another. I made up my mind to make things right, God being my helper.

 

One day while on a visit to another organization in search of a job, I ran into another man I once knew...

TO BE CONTINUED...