I ran into an old flame some days ago, not that old really, the most recent of the flames though. I’m beginning to think Ibadan is becoming too small for me. Running into him was like…okay, lemme describe it *rolling up sleeves*

I was going into a building with my bestie and he was coming out of it. I was about five steps to the entrance when he bursted out of it. Omo! I froze (not physically though, in my brain…or mind, methinks). So, I said hello but kept walking, didn’t even miss a step. Diva all the way. He responded with a hi and an expression that suggests he was surprised to see me still existing on this planet. Duh! And he was with a babe, fine one at that (reluctantly admitting o). I walked into the building all calm and everything but all my senses were on fire! Sincerely, if I had succumbed to the reactions of my body…my actions would not have been defendable. In court.

But I stayed calm through it all even though my bestie kept making fun of me and laughing. Told me he could see the problem, that I am obviously not his type as I am not orobo (plus size)….apparently, I’m only medium orobo *rolling eyes*

See that roughly 10-minute moment, I had been there aaaaaaa lot in the past. This year alone, my crushes and almost-happened are…hmmmmm, let me count. I…A…oh, Banky W….O…B…and now, Captain America! (Not Chris Evans, the Cap himself!) I daresay after loving all these boys and I’m still single, its time I said e don do. Give up on all the love shiznit. Hands off. Respect myself. Go all Queen Elsa. That would be the 21st century way right? But alas, that isn’t the case with this fool for love. Because my attitude is still “ooookay, who’s next?!”

Why-can’t-I-stop?! Respect myself, do the “all my single ladies-independent woman-girl on fire” things…I mean, a girl just need to know when to freaking stop! Aaaarrrghhhhh!

But the Lord never stopped yeah.

Even though we keep rejecting Him. We are hardly ever kind to one another, we usually don’t go visiting orphans, widows, prisoners, aged etc, we are entirely selfish with personal resources, we don’t take gifts to the sick in the hospital, random guy with a seat in a bus will never give his seat to that girl or elderly without a seat. We kill each other with guns, bombs and tongues, we hate each other, husbands don’t honour wives anymore, wives don’t respect husbands anymore, children don’t love parents anymore because all they see is the parents hating on each other, poor folks can’t be our friends (many have rejected angels thinking they sent a beggar away) and each individual is always looking out for himself/herself, no loyalty among friends. No love.

Yet, Jesus is always there, with arms open wide.
So, I’m going to take my cue from this Guy that loves me endlessly. Yea, getting heartbroken a lot leaves its toll but it’s okay. God did not make a mistake making me, me. Things might suck most times but I always leave every failed interaction a stronger, wiser woman. And all these, is all part of a plan. We are all God’s perfect plan drawn in love. So, no matter how hopeless that relationship or marriage is, we are not gonna give up on love. We will get the concept of the love that never fails.
The greatest fear most people have is lack of hope. No hope of a bright future, no hope of a loving husband, no hope of a secure job, no hope of continuous fame…we all need hope. It’s like a life force of its own. Yet the Bible says ‘faith, love and hope, the greatest of this is love. Love bears all things, believes all things, endures all things. Above all, LOVE NEVER FAILS (1 Cor 13:7-8) If new generation marriages were based on this love, divorce rates will be drastically reduced.

MYLES MUNROE: AM I WRONG?

We were all shocked to hear the news of the death of Dr Myles Munroe and his wife on Monday morning. Shocked and terribly sad. But surprisingly, the way my  heart operated that day, it wasn’t one of sadness but of joy. I simply couldn’t bring myself to be sad or even muster up regrets about his passing. Now days later, people are still expressing sadness, mourning him on social media. And I got to wonder, am I wrong for not being sad about this? Am I even normal?

Don’t get me twisted, I love Dr Munroe and will I miss him, Oh yeah! But the truth of the matter is Dr Myles Munroe, his wife and all the other missionaries aboard that plane got out of this train with trophies! And I envy them to bits for that. These guys spent their lives doing the business of their father, the kept at it even when they were not getting rewarded and they loved the work till the very end. Myles Munroe devoted his life to fighting mediocrity, business failure, lack of purpose, he was constantly pushing young and old alike to fulfill their vision, live purposeful lives etc. This man didn’t just preach, he influenced. A lot of people didn’t even have a purpose to their lives until they encountered this guy, he made them find their purpose and geared them to realizing it. This guy didn’t just change people, he changed nations! He and those other missionaries left this world with guns blazing!

That is why my heart is doing a celebration of life for him and all those people. They didn’t just come to this world, they changed it. And I wish I can look back on my life when I’m 60 and say the same of me. At the end of the day, it does not matter when and how we leave the world but the marks we get to leave on the sands of time. It doesn’t matter how you do yours, so long as you do it. So long as we join these generals in protecting our earth, making it more beautiful and constantly putting up a fight against all the Lokis that want to destroy our planet. So long as we leave a better earth for our children to live in, a more financially stable earth, a cleaner earth, a more God-loving earth.

Leave this planet with guns blazing!

ATTUTUDE OF GRATITUDE

I saw my nephew four days ago and on seeing me, he ran to hug me and refused to let go. Needless to say, he held on for about 10 minutes. Just didn’t let go. That felt sooooo good. Few minutes later, he said,

‘Mommy, you are a good girl’. (He calls me mommy) Swell huh?! *grinning* Maybe I’m not so bad after all.

A while later, I found a way to sit down and balance him on my laps. He still held on to my neck. Then he said,

‘Mommy, your hair is beautiful’ Oookay, the do on my head was about 3 weeks old. But hearing that made me feel like I got a halo round my head *huge, huge grin now* That felt good or what! And I hadn’t even showed him what I brought for him. Talk about tunneling a way to someone’s heart.

Four days later, I’m still tingling from this words of this 3 year old, with a warm glow round my heart. Of course, if this boy asked anything of me, I’ll happily hand it over. And if I can’t I’ll move mountains to get it for him. Not really because of what he said but the way he said it, the lasting hug and with the genuineness of his words. I didn’t give him anything, yet he gave me all that. So, I got to thinking about how happy God must feel each time we thank Him.And I thought of David. Ofcourse we all know David was skillful in playing musical instruments and writing songs. And he deeply loved God so he channeled his skills to making God happy. I remember that time he danced for God and his wife Micah had to comment on how un-cool his dancing was. Really, the dance would have been not cool considering that it was recorded that he danced with all his might! Imagine a king, battle-strong, conqueror, ladies-man, loved and respected by valiant men…dancing on the streets with all his might because he was dancing for his God. And the picture I have in my head is one of the king flailing his arms, kicking his legs, twisting his hips in all directions, bending, twisting back upwards, moving his head in all possible and impossible angles…not caring whether he was dancing on-key or off-key to the music. So, long as he did it to his God.

I’m guessing that at the end of the day, it’s not so much that he danced with all his might, it’s the honour he accorded God that despite his societal position and power, he forgot all that and just went ahead to make His King happy. And I believe that’s why David got God’s undivided attention all through his life. And beyond.

A lot gets easier when we lead with praise. It was recorded that the walls of Jericho were so thick that 6 cars could be lined on its breadth. I mean, check it, Rahab built her house on the wall! Isrealites could not have hammered their way in, yea. Yet, the wall gave way when they lead with praise. It’s almost unbelievable what we can achieve in our world and our lives when we lead with praise. There’s almost no one that doesn’t respond to compliments. Almost no one. No matter the age. Tell a one year old she’s beautiful and she’d immediately warm up to you. Same goes for elderly women (Trust me on that).

At the end of the day, I believe it genuinely help helps to make gratitude part of our attitude. Doing it without needing to think about all we have been blessed with. Doing it despite the fact that our lives truly suck. The impossible happens when thanksgiving is a part of our nature. David proved it.

Dandy at thirty

Two days ago, I stumbled on an old diary of mine that was a gift for my 21st birthday. Back then, I was a hopeful girl with a truckload of dreams. Going through the entries, I realized how so different dreams are from the reality life hits you with. In one of my entries I wrote that I believe you can make a relationship work if you put your heart and soul into making it work even if the other person doesn’t try at all. Of course, we all know that that’s a huge lie.

So, ten years down the line, most of those dreams are still…well, dreams. And I have been increasingly getting very restless about not achieving stuff especially when it seems like no one around me is sharing that fate…and the hope is gradually dwindling. So, I decided to find out if this happened to folks who eventually made it especially people I admire. And I was shocked at what I found out.

Would you believe Harrison Ford didn’t get his break until he was 35 years old when he stared in Star wars? I have always loved Samuel L. Jackson for like forever especially after seeing Deep Blue Sea and for some reason I assumed he had always been famous. Imagine my surprise on finding out he didn’t get international acclaim until he was 45 years old. 45 whole years! Melissa McCarthy is often on E! these days and she didn’t get  recognition until she was 41 years old. Martha Stewart started the career she’s known for in her 30s, Kate Walsh (Oh, how I love her!) got the role of Dr Addison Montgomery at 36, Vera Wang (…I might get lucky and she’ll design my gown *wishful thinking*) started designing wedding gowns at 40 and J.K Rowling was 32 years old when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was published! Let’s not forget Jeremy Renner, Robert Downey Jnr., Teri Hatcher and Marcia Cross.

This got me relaxing a teeny-eeny bit. There’s still hope, no need losing the faith. The trick is once the faith is lost, you will stop believing. And once you stop believing, you won’t try anymore. And we all just need to try. These guys tried again. And again. Till it worked out for them. We are so used to seeing people make it in their twenties, get married in their twenties, settle into their lives in their twenties that once the big 3-0 comes knocking and we haven’t achieved these milestones, apprehension walks in with it. And then the fear that you have to settle for what life has dished out.

We don’t have to settle for what life or circumstances has offered, so long as there is life and time, try again. And again. There’s nothing like ‘it’s too late for me’.

And never stop believing.

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