Sunday 30 April 2023

THE TWO SINGLE BEDS

 


I was thinking this morning..... I have had to stay in two different 5 Star hotels in Abuja and Lagos very recently. Coincidentally, on both occasions, I was checked into a double room with two single beds instead of my preferred double room with a king size bed.

As I wondered why, complaining to my young wife on phone, she said 'the extra bed is for the Holy Ghost who is always with you.' Thank God for godly wives.

However, as I laid down on one bed peering at the other, I couldn't but muse on why hotels would have two separate beds in one room. A number of reasons came to mind. Two friends or siblings may be travelling together and decide to share a room. Some hotel guests receive visitors that may want to sleep over. But a very common reason I don't understand is a couple travelling together and sleeping on separate beds. Strange bedfellows?

It's common nowadays for couples to have separate rooms and even sleep on separate beds each night. Research shows one in four couples sleep in separate rooms citing snoring, restlessness, parasomnia, frequent trips to the bathroom or incompatible sleep schedules as reasons. While the impact on sleeping apart from your significant half could be extremely positive for one, it could also be extremely negative for another.

Some are married but lonely and it has been established that loneliness kills. As a married man, how can you sleep on a separate bed or room from your wife as if she is your sister in the Lord. Lol. if you and your spouse sleep on two separate single beds, then you probably are singles. When you ride in different cars to an event and sit apart, you are sleeping on separate single beds.

Irrespective of the sleeping arrangements though, what is critical is the quality of your relationship. A good life is built with good relationships; quality relationships with your spouse, children, colleagues and community and it is not achieved by sleeping on separate single beds. Ecclesiastes 4:9 says 'Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.'

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

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

Sunday 23 April 2023

PLEASE PRAY FOR MY HEARING

 


I was thinking this morning.... While growing up in Warri those days, pidgin English was our forte, while Yankee accent was a struggle to understand. There was this TV commercial on a food product that split my siblings and I in two ways because we couldn't agree on a word which the commercial actor was pronouncing. After listening to the advert severally, some of us insisted she said 'okro' while others heard 'pepper.' When we couldn't agree, we decided to combine both positions and take it that she said 'pekro.' Lol..

I recalled that incident when I read a story of how an evangelist at the end of a revival service invited people to come forward if they wanted someone to pray for them. About midway through the line of people stood an imposing, intimidating looking man. When the minister asked about his prayer request, the burly guy said, “Reverend, I need you to pray for my hearing.” The evangelist quickly placed his hands over the man’s ears and prayed fervently for restored hearing. When the minister finished praying, he looked the man squarely in the eyes and shouted above the choir’s strong singing, “How’s your hearing now?” The man loudly replied, “I don’t know yet, Preacher. My hearing ain’t until next Wednesday at the courthouse.” oops!

While the man wanted prayer for his Court hearing, the man of God thought it was for his ear. Truth is, poor hearing is at the root of many a disagreement and wars in families, groups and nations today.

Many have ears but do not hear. Some can hear but when you speak, they chose what they want to hear and misinterprete the others, leading to friction and acrimony. When someone says something, seek to understand because our interpretations are coloured by assumptions and biases. We should not be cognitive misers who don’t think and reflect before judging others.

If you have had serious disagreement with your spouse or colleague based on what one person said, then you should be saying 'Please pray for my hearing.' If you are quick to misunderstand what someone has said, then declare 'Please pray for my hearing.' Matthew 11:15 says 'He who has ears, let him hear.'

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

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

Sunday 16 April 2023

AMALA SINCE 1052

 


I was thinking this morning..... I was in Abuja this past week and was taken for lunch by colleagues to a joint at Central Buisiness District (CBD) called 'Àmàlà Central.' I didn’t know what to expect and just hoped it satisfies my dainty appetite.

As we stepped into this makeshift facility, I was surprised to meet a queue of corporately dressed men and women waiting patiently to place their order at the counter. I joined the queue along with my colleagues even as I did a quick scan of what everyone seated was eating.

My attention was drawn to a framed message by the counter titled 'Brief History of Àmàlà.' It says that Àmàlà was first prepared by Aduke Agbedegbeyo of Abule Onipaki of Osun state in the year 1052 in the days when Sango was Alaafin of Oyo. It concluded by saying it was the same year Sango spat fire for the first time. As I looked around again at the men with tie digging into their bowl of Àmàlà, I wondered why the history of Àmàlà was so much tied to Sango.

If you were a first time inductee to Àmàlà  and stumbled on that little history, would you be swayed not to eat it? I don't think so. I do not judge Àmàlà because of it's origin or history, rather I eat it because it is healthier than most 'swallow food'.

While some will say they don't eat Àmàlà because the colour is not appealing, I will say, don't judge a food because of it's colour. Taste it before you judge. Someone once said if you hate Àmàlà because of the colour, then you are a white supremacist.

As I stepped out of Àmàlà Central, I wondered, if we don't judge Àmàlà by its origin and colour, why do we judge fellow Nigerians by their history, state of origin and religion? Why do we give oxygen to tribal and religious bigots in Nigeria?

To a connoisseur of the Àmàlà dish, Àmàlà has been saving lives since 1052. That you don't like how it was made or how it looks is not enough to demonise or denigrate Àmàlà. There are many people who grew up under very difficult circumstances and don't look or speak like you expect, please do not judge them, rather love them like an Ibadan man loves Àmàlà. Mark 12:31 says 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Easter!

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

Sunday 9 April 2023

THE JUDAS IN YOU

 


I was thinking this morning..... I watched a video days ago about Leonardo da Vinci, one of the greatest geniuses and artist of all time. It talked about how Da Vinci made the greatest masterpiece painting of the renaissance, The Last Supper.

In preparing for this epic work, Da Vinci wanted a model to pose for each of the people in The Last Supper. One Sunday he was at mass at the cathedral in Milan, when he looked up at the choir loft and saw a young man who looked just like how he thought Jesus would've looked. He invited the young man to come and pose as Jesus and for days he drew Jesus into the painting.

He went out into the streets of Milan and looked for someone that fits the picture he had in mind of the other disciples. One by one, he drew them into the painting. In 11 months he found and painted 11 of the 12 disciples. All except Judas. Da Vinci couldn't find a Judas. He searched high and low but couldn't find a man that looked like what he thought Judas should have looked like. He left the painting unfinished for 11 years.

One day he found this man on the streets, with harshness in his face and hardness in his eyes and he thought, 'this is my Judas.' He invited the man to his studio to pose as Judas. Shortly after he started painting, the man began to weep inconsolably. Da Vinci stopped painting and asked 'Is something wrong?' The man answered 'Master, don't you remember me? 11 years ago, I posed for you in this same painting as the person of Jesus.'

In each of us, there is a Jesus and a Judas. One of these personalities manifest per time depending on what life throws at you and your response. Life brought out the Judas in that young man to the point that Da Vinci couldn’t recognize him. For some, the Judas-activator is their spouse while for others it is the love of money.

The world today is full of Judases. If you are a Jesus, do not allow the hardness of life turn you to a Judas. As you celebrate this Easter, feed the Jesus and starve the Judas in you, so we can have a better world. John 3:30 - He must increase, but I must decrease.

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Easter!

Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey 

Sunday 2 April 2023

SOMEONE REMEMBERS YOUR FACE

 


I was thinking this morning..... I was at a Conference early last week in Port-Harcourt, when a lady and her colleague approached me saying, 'Hello sir. I am sure you don't remember me.' As I looked on lost, she continued. 'About seven years ago at a Conference in Lagos, you came to our exhibition stand and liked one of our products. Without us asking, you went out of your way to get your colleagues and manager to our stand and introduced our product to them. The journey started that day and late last year after about 7 years, we got our first contract based on that introduction.'

As I smiled, she concluded thus, 'I usually don't remember faces until multiple encounters, but after that chance encounter with you, I will never forget your face.'

Wow! Her closing statement got me thinking. Many times we do things without knowing the impact it will have on people. Some are subtle and ordinary while others are big opportunities. Whichever way you act leaves an impression that will make someone to remember your face for good or for bad.

Until March 18th 2023, not many in Nigeria recognised the face of Prof Nnenna Oti, the Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO). She had the opportunity of being the Abia State INEC Returning Officer in the last elections. She resisted offers of bribe and threats to manipulate the results. Today she is the people's hero making headlines daily. She did her job but to Alex Otti and many Abians, they will never forget her face.

The truth is, no man is anonymous. Someone will remember your face, but for what reason? The greatest tragedy is to miss an opportunity to show kindness or make a good impression. As you meet people daily, smile, say something nice or do something good because you never know the impact it will have.

Just like some Greeks came to Philip in John 12:20 - 22 saying 'We would like to see Jesus,' people will come your way daily. How you treat them matters. You can either leave them better or worse. Whichever it is, is what they will remember your face by?

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

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