THE TIMEKEEPER - 19TH JULY

 

I was thinking this morning... This morning, I glanced at the calendar and immediately froze. 19th July. For a few seconds, I just stared at the date because this date has quietly occupied a special place in my heart for the last 22 years. Many people only saw me in my glory days. Very few knew the long road that led to it.

Almost ten years after completing my Master's degree, I was still searching for the breakthrough I believed God had promised me. I worked as a contract staff, changed employers, changed jobs, and even changed cities in pursuit of something better. There was movement, but no certainty.

I attended interview after interview. Some ended with promises that never materialised. Others ended in complete silence. I prayed. I fasted. I served God faithfully. I believed that if I did everything right, my glory season would surely come quickly. Instead, the only thing that seemed to increase was my anxiety.

At some point, it honestly felt as though heaven had gone quiet concerning my matter. People I expected to help couldn't. Situations refused to cooperate. Every closed door made the next one look even heavier. Then life became even more demanding. I got married in 2001. A year later, God blessed us with our first child. Suddenly, waiting was no longer just about me. Every passing month made the need for stability even more urgent.

And then... something changed.

Almost overnight, doors that had remained firmly shut began to open. People who knew me started calling. Even those who had never met me somehow became channels of favour. Opportunities appeared from unexpected places. It was as though invisible hands had gone ahead of me, rearranging circumstances in my favour. The same prayers that seemed unanswered for years suddenly started producing results one after another.

Then came 19th July.

Twenty-two years ago today, I walked into the opportunity I had dreamt about for years. What looked like delay was actually divine preparation. What I interpreted as silence was God working behind the scenes. What I called stagnation was simply heaven waiting for the right moment.

Over the years, I have come to understand something about God that changed the way I view life. God is not only a Promise Keeper. He is also the Timekeeper.

Many things in life are not determined solely by intelligence, hard work, ambition or even sincere desire. Timing is one of God's greatest instruments. Before the appointed time, every effort may appear fruitless. Doors remain closed. Relationships fail to connect. Opportunities slip away.

But once heaven announces that your season has arrived, everything begins to align. The same people who ignored you become your advocates. The same opportunities that looked impossible suddenly become accessible. The same doors that resisted you begin to open effortlessly.

The difference was never your worth.

It was the timing.

Never conclude that God has forgotten you simply because your calendar looks different from someone else's. Your responsibility is faithfulness and preparation. God's responsibility is timing. And when His time comes, what took years of waiting can happen in moments. Like we say in Warri, when your market day never reach, even person wey wan buy go waka pass. But once your day break, na buyers go dey look for you. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV) says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time."

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

THE GATEKEEPER

I was thinking this morning... A week ago, I attended the annual gathering of my professional association. During the meeting, a man walked up to me and asked, "Do you remember me?" While his name sounded familiar, I couldn't recall his face.

"Do you remember 22 years ago when we came to Port Harcourt for an interview?" he asked. "I was the one who convinced you to stay back and do the interview when you thought the position was only a contract role. You wanted to abandon the interview and return to Warri to make an office presentation because you believed the job wasn't what you expected."

Wow!

As he spoke, the events of that day came back to me vividly. Thank God I listened to him. I got the job, and 22 years later, I am still with the same organisation. Looking back, I can confidently say that one conversation changed the direction of my career.

After we parted that afternoon, I couldn't stop thinking about a recent article written by a friend titled "Gatekeepers, Bookkeepers and Timekeepers." God places all three kinds of people in our lives at different seasons.

The man who stopped me from abandoning that interview was a gatekeeper standing at the entrance of my next level. His assignment was simply to make sure I didn't walk away from the gate God had opened for me.

Sometimes God also sends gatekeepers to stop us from entering the wrong gates. At the time, they may seem like ordinary people having ordinary conversations. Yet they are quietly carrying out extraordinary assignments.

The interesting thing is that gatekeepers rarely stay in our lives for long. They appear, do what God sent them to do, and move on. That perhaps explains why I couldn't even remember him until he introduced himself. I only recognised him as one of God's gatekeepers after 22 years.

As we climb higher in life, may we also become gatekeepers for others, encouraging, guiding and sometimes gently stopping someone from walking away from their own breakthrough.

Like we say in Nigeria, "Person wey show you road no reduce him own journey." Helping someone find their path never diminishes yours.

Never underestimate the value of one timely conversation. God often changes lives through ordinary people. "Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future." Proverbs 19:20 (ESV).

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

IS WEY MEY ALSO AMONG THE POLITICIANS?

I was thinking this morning.... Days ago, I had to fly from Abuja to back home. On boarding, I took my seat along with two of my colleagues in the front row of the aircraft. I sat beside a middle-aged man and said a casual hello.

As others boarded, I noticed a number of persons greeting the passenger beside me and someone sitting in the next row.

“Good afternoon, Your Excellency.”

I didn’t pay much attention until another man greeted him, “Good afternoon, Mr Speaker.”

It was then I turned and properly looked at those around me.

To my left was the Speaker of the House of Assembly. In the next row to my right was the Deputy Governor, and directly behind me were two Commissioners. Almost all the seats in business class were occupied by members of the State Executive Council. These were people you see on TV daily.

Immediately, I became a bit uncomfortable as I recalled the words of 1 Samuel 10:11: “What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”

I imagined a friend walking into the aircraft and seeing me in my black felt fedora hat sitting beside the Speaker and Deputy Governor. They would have said: “What is this that has happened to Wey, the son of Mey? Is Wey Mey also among the politicians?”

Then something struck me. These men, despite the titles, convoy, security details and public status, were just human beings trying to get from one place to another. They boarded the aircraft the same way I did. They fastened their seat belts the same way I did. And when turbulence came, all of us held that armrest with equal faith.

Life has a funny way of reminding us that titles may separate us on paper, but humanity equalises us in reality. It also reminded me of how quickly environment can influence perception. Just by changing where you sit, people may suddenly assume you have changed camp, status, or affiliation. Association can create assumptions.

At the end of the day, power is temporary, influence is seasonal, and office is transient. Today’s “Your Excellency” can become tomorrow’s “former this” and “former that.” Respect people, honour positions, but keep life in perspective. Luke 14:11 says “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

ARE YOU HAPPY TODAY?

 

 

 

I was thinking this morning... In about three weeks, it will be 22 years since I joined my current organisation. For 22 years, almost every morning after greeting colleagues, I ask one simple question: “Are you happy today?” In recent years, I added another version: “Are you coco today?”

Some respond with a cheerful “Yes.” Others use the opportunity to share the burdens they are carrying. But beyond the words, the real purpose of that question has always been simple, to remind us to be thankful for another day.

This past week brought that message home in a sobering way.

It began on Sunday night with news of an explosion at a Qatar LNG plant. Thirteen people lost their lives, and 66 were injured.

Then on Wednesday came another tragic news report, this time from outside the Oil and Gas Industry. A four-storey building under construction in Port Harcourt collapsed, trapping workers beneath the rubble. Sadly, at least one person who left home that morning would never return.

So yes, when I ask, “Are you happy today?” I ask from a deeper place.

If you woke up each work day, went to work, and returned home safely, that alone is reason enough to be grateful. No be every battle we dey see with our eyes.

Safety is both a personal responsibility and an organisational duty. But beyond procedures, controls, and systems, we must never forget that life itself is a gift. Sometimes, despite every precaution, freak accidents happen. Ultimately, God is the One who keeps us.

Never take today for granted. Every safe return home is a blessing worth celebrating. Psalm 121:8 says “The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” Let me ask one more time, Are you happy today?

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

WHO WILL SPEAK FOR MEN?

I was thinking this morning… When it comes to family matters, na who write that script? And why dem no consult men before releasing the movie? Yes, women carry pregnancies and give birth, no debate there. Respect. Massive respect. But when it comes to the stress of caring for infants, men too collect premium package.

From the day our wives become pregnant, we begin running around like people wey borrow money from ten banks at once. Midnight cravings? We move. Foot massage? We report. Mood swings? We adjust. One minute she wants ice cream, next minute she wants pepper soup. If you delay small, you are now insensitive.

Then baby arrives.

We double our hustle because failure is not an option. We want to be heroes. We want that child to admire us. But after all the sleepless nights and hard work, the child’s first word is usually… Mama. Chai. Pain. Emotional damage.

After that heartbreak, we triple our hustle. This time, we work harder so our family lacks nothing. But in doing so, we spend less time at home.

Now, if you decide to stay home more often, your wife starts looking at you with that “gbejoro eye” and asks, “Hope everything is okay at work?” Your neighbours too will contribute their own analysis. “Why this man dey house like this? E no get work?” Before you know it, dem don label you agbaya consultant.

The hardest part is the unwritten rule that men must always be strong. Who made that rule? Are we robots?

Months ago, I lost my dad. During his lying-in-state, as we all walked around his remains, my sisters cried openly. They poured out their emotions freely. We the men? Everybody was looking at us like we were on some “Strong Men Association of Nigeria” executive committee.

“As the sons, be strong.” Strong ke? As how? Are we not humans too? So we did what men have mastered over generations. We wore dark glasses and behaved like undercover FBI agents, hiding tears behind tinted lenses.

But truth be told, men feel deeply too. We hurt. We cry. We break. As we say in pidgin, “Na person wey wear shoe know where e dey pinch am.” Even the strongest man gets tired.

Today, I celebrate fathers. The present fathers. The fathers carrying burdens nobody sees. The fathers showing up every day, tired but determined. Thank you for the sacrifices. Thank you for the strength. Thank you for loving, providing, protecting, and enduring. I also remember my late father on this Father's day. God bless his soul. Proverbs 20:7 says “The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him.”

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Father's Day!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

NO MATTER HOW LONG YOUR MONEY IS...

 

I was thinking this morning... Some years ago, I was negotiating to buy a property in Warri and could only afford about 60% of the asking price. While still pleading with the owner of the property to consider my offer, I was told a week later that someone had offered the seller 300% of the asking price. My friend helping me with the deal just asked me to walk away because according to him, "the person money long." Though I was annoyed with the arrogant show of wealth, I wasn't surprised because that is Nigeria for you.

That memory came rushing back on Friday when Elon Musk became the world's first ever trillionaire in dollars and has $2 trillion at his fingertips after investors flocked to buy shares in SpaceX yesterday. Let me help you understand. One trillion dollars is one million million dollars. Laid end-to-end, two trillion dollar notes could wrap around the equator 3,890 times and reach the sun from the Earth. Yet, one poor man in Warri is harassing me saying "im money long." Rubbish!

What about the fans of Manchester United that will not allow us Gunners rest, because they claim to support the richest club. Yet one man, Elon Musk, could snap up Manchester United more than 281 times. Abeg sports fans, make una let us breathe.

Imagine me attending an event in Lagos recently and parking my 2020 Lexus SUV in one corner, feeling good. Just for someone to come and park his brand new 2026 Lexus beside mine, turning my car into a welfare case. If that is not oppression, then I don't know what is. That guy should go and flex muscle with Mr Musk, who could buy the world's most expensive car, a Rolls-Royce Droptail, for £25 million and even splash out on a new one every day for the next 163 years. Or he could purchase 14,000 Boeing 737s. Mtcheww.

Even more annoying is how Nigerians oppress you with joy. At another event, we were required to bless the celebrant. I went out with my hard-earned change in crisp notes. Before I could do anything, I observed one guy dropping bundles running into hundreds of thousands that made it look like I was there to sacrifice to an unknown god. He didn't see his mate, Mr Musk, who could pay off Nigeria's total public debt ($110 billion) several times over and still have enough left to tackle world hunger, na my body e dey get power.

But beyond the jokes, perhaps the lesson is that there will always be someone richer, stronger, smarter, or more influential than us. The race to impress others never ends because the finish line keeps moving. After all, no matter how long your money is, there is always somebody whose money is longer. Comparison steals joy, but contentment multiplies peace. Hebrews 13:5 says "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have,.'"

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

SEEDS, SAPLINGS, AND THE CHILDREN WE RAISE

 

I was thinking this morning.... On Friday, June 5, I was a special guest at RA International School (RAIS) to join the early years pupils, ages 3 to 6, in celebrating World Environment Day. After a short indoor session where we talked about going green, we all stepped outside to plant some trees together.

With the children gathered around excitedly, we planted the first tree, the perfume tree (Ylang-Ylang), popularly called Queen of the Night. At the second spot, we planted a Queen Palm. At the third spot, we were about to plant a mast tree when a bright little boy, about four years old, asked, “If trees grow from seeds, why are we planting saplings instead of seeds?”

It was such an innocent but thoughtful question. We explained that the saplings had first started as seeds in a nursery where they were carefully nurtured to improve their chances of survival before being transplanted into the open ground.

As we explained, my thoughts drifted back to my childhood in Warri. In those days, many of us were thrown straight into the fields as seeds and not saplings. There were no nurseries to cushion us. We started trekking to school from very young ages, exposed early to the harsh realities of life. Yet, by God’s grace, many survived and grew strong.

Today’s children are more like nurtured saplings, protected within high walls, surrounded by comforts, cartoons, video games, Capri-Sun, and Choco-Milo. There is nothing wrong with either approach. Some seeds survive the storm. Some saplings flourish because they were first protected.

Perhaps the lesson is that every generation grows differently. Some are planted as seeds and learn to survive storms early. Others are nurtured first as saplings before facing the winds of life. Neither method is completely right or wrong. What matters is that, whether seed or sapling, we grow roots strong enough to stand, branches wide enough to give shade, and hearts humble enough to remember the hands that watered us along the way.

As we planted those trees with the children that morning, I was reminded that growth takes patience, guidance, and grace. Some of us grew through hardship, others through careful nurturing, but ultimately, it is God who gives the increase. 2nd Cor 3:6 says, “Paul planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase".

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey