Be grateful with whatever God has done
for you. Do not be an Oliver Twist; you
should appreciate God's faithfulness instead, so that he can do more. Were you surprised with the outcome of your
last results: is it the election results, academic result, interview result or
what have you? And in the case of those aspiring for public position with the
permutation around the emergence of a partner or party… hmm - It is well!
My dear, if you find it difficult to
thank God for what he has done, why not thank him for what you have missed? Remember you started this journey of life together with
many people who have gone yonder with their dreams;
it is the living that can seize opportunities. When
you look at your life, career, job, family.... I think: “Thank you God” should
be appropriate.
Let me share a story of a couple with
you:
Paul and Tunrayo Alagbe got married on September 3, 1998 and had
their first child on December 29, 2014; few months shy of 60 years of age. They
had ‘delay’ as you may say at both marriage and child birth.
Mrs Alagbe noted that the many years of
worrying, coupled with the delay before
marriage, contributed to making the experience
quite worrying. According to her, “’I wouldn’t say we were not worried, but God was comforting and encouraging us’. ‘It was not a pleasant experience at all. We experienced delay before marriage but this one was more excruciating (note the
comparison please). ‘However, God sustained us’. On the most
nagging worry during the times of trial, the
couple notes that the African tendency to look
down on a childless couple was a constant
source of concern.
I guess you agree with the Alagbes that
in Africa, having children is very
important. If one is married and childless, it’s
like one have no honour, respect and place. One is judged no body.
The hubby, Paul Alagbe, further stated
that “She would sometimes say if she had known that it would be like this, she would not marry me as it seems like she is a problem to me.” The wife affirmed:
“Medically, I was told he has no problem, but
I was the one whose fallopian tubes were
blocked’. I felt like I was a burden to him,
like I shouldn’t have come his way and instead
allowed him to live his life.’”
“Childlessness
does not mean you are married to the wrong person”, anonymous. Some couples who do not
have the problem of childlessness have other
problems. Would you rather exchange
childlessness for blindness, for instance? A
problem is a problem but God is always there.
 |
| Keep the FAITH!!! |
Indeed there is always light at the
other side of the tunnel; Mrs Alagbe started treatment in early 2014 and was confirmed pregnant in
April 2014! She who was called a barren
is now with a child (in angel Gabriel’s voice to you, ‘gbo ohun awon
angelii ton konrin’- listen to angelic tone joor). Having waited as though
denied, errrm, you are proved wrong by the reality as in the case of the
Alagbes, the protruding Tommy of Mama is too audible to the deaf and too
visible to the blind. Note again, delay isn’t synonymous to denial at all. And the Alagbes said; God never come too late.
I do feel those looking forward to
children in their families had a ‘swell moment’ with the Alagbes. Please ram
and concretize the thought with melody from the Psalmist:
“I
waited
patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him” (Psalm 40: 1-3).
Should the experience of the Alagbes be
a stroke different from yours, then, let’s check at the next experience mall; Thomas Alva Edison’s
own to be precise. Hopeful you will find your identical scenario twin....
Just three months into schooling, his class
teacher labelled him- too stupid
to learn, and was sent home. Perhaps,
your CGPA has done same to you and, so worst, the advice to withdraw letter may
have landed on your learning table. I am confident it isn’t over yet! Hold your
breath and gradually relax the lungs to evacuate the useless thoughts. Please
sip into your mind this air cleaner and morale booster.
The mother was mad at red card from the hired teacher and
decided to teach Thomas herself. She further encouraged him to be self-educated and so he spent most of his time in the
library reading books, especially scientific books.
The mother added the Dictionary of Science to her investment over Edison,
and he read it all. Schools can send you out
of their gates but never out of learning. A teacher may fail you in a
particular course; he can’t hold you back from becoming his lecturer in same.
You may not have Mrs Edison in your life but you are sufficient enough- you
have yourself. What if Edison had chosen to proof his teacher right? You are
the principal moulder of your destiny ‘joor’!
Can you imagine? The too stupid to learn had already read and mastered History of England, Decline and Fall of the
Roman Empire, History of the World, Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy, The Age of Reason and a number of works on Practical Chemistry before
his tenth birthday. And at ten, he set up his own chemical laboratory in the
basement of his house. By twelve, he took up a job as
vendor.
Much more, he hawked candy, books, fruits, and other snacks
at a train station. At fifteen, he acquired a
small printing press located at the train
station. The hand the diligent shall be made fat says the Bible. Be the
guest as the too stupid to learn
Edison proved his hasty teacher wrong; he rescued
the son of the railway stationmaster. And to show his appreciation to Edison, the rail stationmaster taught
Edison the art of telegraphy. Behold the
seventeen year old guru of telegraphy in the land. I feel like saying thank God
he was sent out of the cage called school system. I guess you should by now see
the gold in your situation and light at the end of the tunnel. Can you describe
Edison in one word? Can you see a man who’s diligent? Then, you are seeing a
man who for sure will be hosted by the kings. You try it, be diligent at
schooling yourself outside classroom setting.
Something incredible again about this
enigma was that he knew his weakness and so engaged other brains. He had a pool of 61 talented people, consisting of chemists, engineers,
model makers, scientists, mathematicians and skilled
mechanics. How many can you engage? Call me with the details at the ad corner; I
am fully at your service.
Let’s go on exploring the life of too stupid to learn boy. He patented
more than 1,100 inventions. One of his inventions was the electric
light bulb. He succeeded only after failing more than
1,000 times. The resilience he built came to fore at
the brink of breakthrough. Delay to Edison was a catalyst that got the self-development
school admission for him, afforded him enlargement in his too stupid brain, and
much more he could learn to value people and books.
The name changed from too
stupid to learn to Wizard of Menlo Park. You choose
what people call you; never blame it on the society. Friend, you may get a lot
of negative feedback from others, and so much happens in life to block the road
you wish to travel. Never give up! Stay at it, just
like Thomas did. Pretty soon you will arrive at your
greatness where the whole world will celebrate you.
Do understand that no shortcuts
to building a life of substance. It's an on- going
process. It takes time, real effort and a desire to become more than you already are. It's a worthy challenge. Education alone will not make you successful,
although it does help. Edison was successful
because he was creative and had a strong
willingness to learn new things.
He had a mastermind alliance with a
group of experts, to bridge his weakness. He was also persistent
in whatever he does. When he failed 1,000 times to
perfect the electric light bulb, he did not treat it
as 1,000 failures. To Edison, he found 1,000
ways that does not work! “I have not failed. I’ve just found 1,000 ways that won’t work.” -Thomas Edison. How
many times have you given up on your dream? How do you treat your failures?
On the note of consistent failure case,
let spice the moment with another guest- the 16th US President,
Abraham Lincoln.
There we go again. Sit belt tightened,
rive the engine and....
Abraham Lincoln had two failed business ventures, lost 8
different elections and had a complete nervous
breakdown before becoming president in 1816.
Dear keep moving so Abraham Lincoln says with
the life he lived. The synopsis of his life is
hereby presented to you. Born on 12th February, 1809, and at
seven, he worked to support the family forced out of their shelter. Lincoln was
bereaved of his mother at nine and his sister at
eighteen.
And at twenty three, he lost one his
business ventures. He ran for the State Legislature; do please complete the
story- he lost!
Same year while he lost an election, he
got fired in his work place. He tried law school but luck. By the end of 1833 he was
bankrupt. Then, the years of delay conceded to defeat! In 1834, he ran for the
State Legislature again and was hereby returned. He got engaged at his 26th
birth year (*winks), errrrm the unfortunate occurred; his fiancée died. I bet you, he had a total nervous breakdown and bedridden for half part of the year. Some
people are just rare species by choice though. Between the 26th and
30th birthdays of his life, he lost the privilege to serve as the
speaker and the elector for the congress men.
His marriage at 32nd birthday
was blessed with four boys of whom three didn’t out live the parents- Abraham
and Mary Lincoln.
Another routine of loss again, 1848
through 1858: lost his seat as congress man, could not get the job of land
officer in his home state, lost one of his sons, lost at the poll twice for
senatorial seat and as vice president nominee (he won ridicule for himself).
Yet, two years later he is at the poll
for president of US (very ridiculous and unrealistic! Yell the unborn). The
amazing happened in 1860; Abraham Lincoln is elected President of the United
States. He lost another son two years into office, and finally he lost his life
in 1865. Did I bore you? Such is life. Make what you want out of life and be
good.
His life made a difference in the world and yours
can too, if you just keep going after your
dreams.
As we conclude, permit me to check at
Daura for General Muhammad Buhari. Note that the road may be rough, Daura-
Aso-rock en route, he cruised it for twelve good years. You know how it was
from difficult to impossible and finally, God-win!
We started with a melodious Psalm; let’s
end with words of the then richest man of the East.
Job 14 verse 7-9 says
“For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will
sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root
thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth
boughs like a plant.”(KJV)
The fact that you keep sitting and
rewriting for same exam doesn’t mean you won’t eventually pass and change your
level/status. Do you believe in defeat? When there is life, there is hope. The
true understanding of God’s will for my life started taking shape after an
experience of failure in my first year in University. Even till now, how it
happened is still a mystery to me, however the mistake of the past has now
turned to a testimony for me. Sometimes as individuals, we don’t understand
God’s doing for our life until it is finally done, because God doesn’t reasons
the way man does. His thinking is far higher than us.
A good attitude towards God makes him move on your behalf. Just
sit down and say, "Today God, it is well with my
soul", I am thankful for being alive
to see this result, I am thankful I am alive
with possibilities, or what is the use of a
result of a dead person? The Psalmist says in
Psalm 92 that we should always give thanks to God.
Why not say this now:
Lord I am so thankful that I have you by
my side. Don't be envious or shocked when others are having better
grades or accomplishments than yours because you
don't know what they have passed through
before they got theirs. Be grateful to God for
what you have. Appreciate him. It is well even
in that very deep well. Delay is never a
Denial!!!
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Ayokunmi-Solomon Jimoh
President/Initiator: The Immaculate
Team
07034586467
Email: apostleayoks@gmail.com
Twitter: @apostleayoks
