Cute Lessons

Children are so adorable and interesting to be with. It was from them I learnt that people do not learn bad. It is inborn just as good is inborn. Let me give you an example. I was with a friend’s one-year old son, a boy that just learnt how to start walking. Let’s call him Cute. He still holds the stools and chairs as he walks. That day, I had my phone charging somewhere in the living room. Cute liked the blue light blinking on the charger. He made several attempts to reach the charger but I warned him not to go near the charger for his safety. He did not cry or get angry with me. When I was engulfed by a Nigerian movie, Cute crept behind the chairs, stealthily, using a long unsuspecting route to get to the charger. Thank God for my side eye and back eye. I caught him just before he put his tiny finger into the socket.

How did he know that he should wait for me to start watching Nigerian movie before he creeps behind the chairs?

Anyway, Cute left me wondering about something that day. Sometime later, he was playing with my phone when it rang. I asked him to give it to me. Now, I knew he was not an experienced walker. He had the phone in one hand. If he had to stand, first he needed his two hands to lift himself up. But he did not want to release the phone. He found it difficult standing up. He crept a little and helped himself up with my feet, then my legs, stood up and attempted walking towards me. I saw the effort he put in trying to reach me. I so loved him at that moment. I reached out to him and helped him walk towards me. Then I lifted him up and swung him the way he enjoys.

For that moment many questions surfaced my head. Is that how God sees us His children? Does He know sometimes we find it difficult taking on new experiences? Does He see our efforts and is moved by our small determinations? Is He so eager to draw near to us as we draw near to Him? Does He get so excited when we rely and trust in Him ? Does He love us so much that He seizes every opportunity to help us? Does He so desire to lift us up and take us to heights we have never imagine? Do you have answers to these questions?

It takes faith, courage and trust to reach out to Him in every situation. But believe me, not only is He continually trying to reach out to us, He is too eager to touch us in that way that makes all the difference.

Remain blessed and compliments of the season.

The Tanker Driver

I used to have one thing called Tankerphobia. It started because of a story my mother said that before I was born. She said a tanker came running into them directed at her (or me). She made me believe that it wanted to prevent me from being (I think I have blogged about this sometime in the past). Having that fear, I never wanted to drive. After managing to learn how to drive, I had a couple of episodes with tanker drivers. I have had a smashed booth, destroyed side mirrors and cars that panel-beating could not restore because of tanker drivers. I have even pursued a tanker driver with barefoot.

On this fateful day when I was trying my driving skills in Lagos, I came to a junction that led to an expressway. Cars were zooming past at alarming speeds. I told myself that probably a handsome man will slow down for me when I flash or one of those expensive jeeps that do not want to be jammed will slow down when I make a move. 15 minutes past. To my disappointment, neither male nor female, handsome or agbero, jeep or moto, okada or bicycle stopped for me. I was still flashing and trafficating.

I spotted a tanker driver coming with high speed. I immediately stopped flashing and trafficating so he would not know I was interested in entering the expressway. Quickly I reversed small incase it occurred to him to do what I have known them to do. I prayed for the tanker driver to pass quickly so I could continue my flashing and begging, or wait for the expressway to be free (indeed!).

To my astonishment, the tanker driver stopped and flashed me, indicating that I should go ahead. That is not all; his assistant stopped the cars coming behind them so I could have the road to myself. I quickly took advantage of the opportunity and drove back to my destination joyfully.

Maybe God was trying to tell me to change my thinking. Or maybe He was showing me some things I should not have done…

1) I prejudged. Is there someone who is prejudging like I did? You feel you know so much about this person, this opportunity, this situation, what ever you call it, and as such you do not want to take it? What seems like it is no so good might end up being too good to be true.
2) I withdrew because of what I knew in the past. Is there someone out there, like me, who is afraid to step into the future because of something that happened in the past? It is time to let go, says the spirit of God. A better future is waiting for you.

Like the fruit of the palm kernel, the sweetest part of it is encased within the core of a hard shell that does not look too nice.

My prayer for myself and anyone that is in this position is that the eyes of our understanding be enlightened to see opportunities no matter what our past says, to heed the inner voice of our hearts, and to be ready to move into the great future awaiting us. In Jesus name, Amen.

Bible Reference: 2 Cor 5: 17 (KJV) Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

That Boy's Smile...

I was on my way back from a wonderful Sunday service in Lagos. Some of the things I admire about the Lagosians, which I gathered from the few services I've attended there are: -

1. They know how to worship.

2. They can dance their energy away in praise.

3. They do not joke with their Sunday dressing.

But despite the refreshing message and the excitement I had displayed in church, there I was on reset mode to life - back to thinking of the things I do not have and wondering if God had heard my prayers. Contrary to what I was just taught in church.

Then I saw this boy. Dark complexioned, handsome boy. A child that took more than an extra glance from me. He had the most beautiful smile I had ever seen. Yet he was paralyzed from waist down, no legs and was on one of those boards with wheels to propel him. He was playing with some “complete” children who taunted him and mocked him endlessly. He was a beggar too. Yet his smile remained.

I asked myself, “Why should he smile? He has nothing to smile about. He can’t go to school, get a job, marry, copulate and have children!”

All of a sudden I saw my vanity stare me in my face. Was that all I thought about life? Was life so stereotyped? It was as if God was telling me there was more to life than: “Go to school, get a job, marry and have children”. It was as though He was telling me each person had a different purpose in life and all those things I thought were life are not the essence.

I looked at the boy again. He was still smiling despite his situation. This time, I smiled. He had taught me a few lessons in life:

1. Life may not be perfect, but God is.
2. Life will not offer me all I want but God will supply all my needs.
3. Each level of achievement in life will not be fulfilling until I can be content at the level I am.
4. Who am I to limit God?

That smile of the paralyzed boy, I still see it today. It is a constant reminder that if I reflect on my life as it is, there is a reason to smile. And then I realized “God has given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine”. [Psalms 4:7, NLT].

What of you?

And as you reflect on your life, if you find one reason to smile, know that ahead of you are several reasons to smile.

Remain blessed.