Sunday 25 December 2022

A VERY BUMPY ROAD

 


I was thinking this morning..... A friend invited me to his recently completed house not too long ago. We set out after Sunday service with him driving ahead of me since it was my first time in that area.

We drove off the tarred road into a side earth road that turned out to be one of the most bumpy I had ever driven on. The road was so bad that my car, a 2004 Toyota Corolla, creaked like a grandpa. We left the bumpy road onto another road that was so sandy that my car almost got stuck. 'Today na today,' I thought as we turned off into a grassy path. At this point, there was no building in sight and it seems we were driving in a farmland. At the end of the path, we turned off and I saw a compound ahead.

At the gate, he horned and the gates were opened and wow, it was a beautifully and tastefully finished mansion. As I settled in with cold glass of sparkling juice, the bitter taste of the bumpy ride was quickly washed down.

Life lessons began to drop. First, the road we passed through was rough and bumpy but the destination glorious. Believe me, somewhere in the middle of the bad portion of the road, I was tempted to abort the journey but didn't because my host was ahead of me and I was confident in him not leading me astray. As 2022 winds down in a few days, the road may have been rough since January, be confident that your destination will be glorious. Moreso, because God, your host, is leading you to somewhere glorious.

Also, on our way, I imagined if there was no better route we could take. There was none. If we must get to his mansion, then we must need go through the bumpy ride. Some people wonder why the route to their success is always rough and difficult. Well, it is because you are unique. Like we say in Nigeria, own the journey with your full chest because the destination shall be glorious.

Life is a series of journeys with some routes smooth and others bumpy. Whatever the case, stay the course because your destination is glorious. 2nd Timothy 4:7 says 'I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.'

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Merry Christmas!

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

Sunday 18 December 2022

THE TEAR IN MY TROUSERS

 


I was thinking this morning....... Last week, I went for a major Church program dressed corporately and looking sharp and soigne. I had a striped tie on a white shirt that is neatly tucked in like a capsule. On top was a bespoke blazer that made everyone give me a second glance. At the end of the program, I entered my car and left, only to discover at home that all this while everyone was admiring my front view dressing, there was a big tear on my trousers at the back. Apparently, at some point in the service, my trousers had torn without my knowledge. Hmm!!!

It got me thinking about life. Every day people see you and admire you, with some even praying to be like you. All they see is you looking stylish and chic. They do not see the tear at the back of your trouser. They fail to see the struggles, shame and pain within or behind.

You are a wife and a mother. You wake up each day, dress up and out you go looking like the proverbial Cinderella. Many women admire your life and want to be like you. What they do not know is that there is a tear in your pants behind that they cannot see. They are not aware of your secret tears. They cannot see the heartaches you have over your spouse or children. All they see is the smile on the surface.

Interestingly, while I was moving around and everyone admiring me, I felt good with myself because my focus was on my dapper looks. But the minute I realised my trouser was torn, I was overwhelmed with shame. Whatever takes your attention has you and will take a hold of you. It matters what you are looking at because your focus determines your reality. If you focus on your problem, heaviness and depression will come on you like stew on rice. Focusing on your wins and blessings will give you a smile that will make the most expensive Mary Kay makeup look like 'portorportor.'

Stop wishing you are or look like someone else. Define yourself through God's word and act accordingly. Forget the tear on  your trousers and live your best life ever. A joyful heart is good medicine but a crushed spirit dries the bones (Prov 17:22).

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday.

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

Sunday 11 December 2022

DYING UNDER THE WEIGHT OF PROSPERITY



I was thinking this morning.... about the weight of prosperity. I was driving somewhere in Port-Harcourt and saw a vehicle overloaded with goods literally crumbling under its own weight. As the vehicle passed by, I wondered why the driver will even choose to subject his vehicle, which probably is his only source of livelihood, to such heavy weight. No doubt, he was enticed by the money he was to be paid. He considered the immediate benefit but was blindsided to the long term impact on the vehicle.


Had a friend in Warri years ago that didn't have a job at the time. He was pious and disciplined until he hit it big. Suddenly, his social life hit the roof. He started drinking and womanising, changing girls like African asoebi. It took God for him not to lose his job. What went wrong? He was dying under the weight of his prosperity.

There is a young man I knew while we were at the university. Like me, he came from a modest family background where our feeding schedule at a time was 'Zero-Pawpaw-Water.' He was health conscious and even managed to develop six-pack abs. Years after we left school, his heavens opened and he started living large. The next time I saw him, I couldn't recognise him because of his weight and very visible one-pack abs. He couldn't control his desire for food and was literally crumbling under his own weight. Why? He was dying under the weight of prosperity.

Many dream and pray for prosperity but only very few have considered whether they can bear the weight. 'Bless me. Bless me' is a good prayer but can you manage the blessings? Wealth destroyed Solomon who married 300 wives and had 700 concubines. He died under the weight of his prosperity.

Prosperity becomes a dead weight if it makes you to deny God or cause you to harm yourself by your actions. No wonder Agur in Proverbs 30:8 prayed 'Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me.' The next time you pray for prosperity, be certain you can handle the weight.

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday.

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

Sunday 4 December 2022

THE NIGERIAN POLITICAL WORLD CUP

 


I was thinking this morning.... about the frenzy of the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the Nigeria political season. With each Match day of the group phase, I could see similarities with our political season.

As I looked at the Nigeria political space, I could see a number of politicians who have no plans to win but playing the role of spoilers for targeted politicians. They fight hard and can give their lives to ensure the rival politician don't have a seat at the table. When the competition starts, they disappear into oblivion. These are the Political Ghana, that knocked Nigeria out, only to come last in their group. Mtchew! Spoilers.

I looked again and could see politicians with potentials at the National and State levels. They feel entitled as incumbent or host and are confident of winning having spent loads of money in the run up. When Match day comes, they will lose at every turn. Disgraceful. These are the Political Qatar, that lost all their 3 group stage matches despite being the host.

There are the politicians that hit the ground running killing political giants on their way. Few months into the campaign season, they lose steam and suffer back to back losses and end up not moving to the next round. These are the Political Saudi Arabia, that defeated the mighty Argentina but still could not progress.

Then there are those politicians who seem to have a good chance at moving to Aso rock. They play well and even win the big points that should qualify them, only for them to discover it is not enough. These are the Political Uruguay that won the big match against Ghana by two goals but still got knocked out.

The Political Belgium are politicians with prospect of winning, having a Lukaku, the sweating machine, with so much action but no result, in their team and at the end of the day, they crash out.

The political game is still on and come February 2023, the final match will be played. France, Argentina, Spain, Morocco, Portugal and Brazil all stand a chance. Which country represents your favourite political candidate? Consistency, character, grit and God’s mercy will be key in arriving at a winner. Romans 9:16 'So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.'

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday.

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