BE COMMITTED TO LIFE

 

I was thinking this morning.... Today is the last day of the year 2023 and many will be reflecting on how well they've achieved the resolutions they set for themselves at the beginning of the year. While for some, it was a hugely successful year, to many, it was just another ho-hum year where they dropped the ball few weeks into their commitment.

Why has commitment become such a rare quality to have? Why do we struggle to commit to people or a good cause? I have always wondered why we use the phrase 'the body has been committed to mother earth.' How can a dead body be committed to something? To commit means to stay with and completely support one person, organization etc. or give all your time and effort to your work, an activity etc.

Some are good at avoiding commitments. They will never commit to a relationship,  believing it keeps them free. Some others take the bold step by getting married but never committed to their spouse. How committed were you to your marriage or family in 2023? If you weren't, take dressing because las las, you will be committed to mother earth.

Some live an unhealthy lifestyle, eating everything and remaining inactive. When the doctor announced the sad news that their health has been compromised, they promised to change for good. A couple of months down the line and their commitment is broken. Anyone that can't be committed to healthy living have invariably signed up to be committed to mother earth.

Many are committed to things that can kill them, rather than what gives them life. As we start a new year, be committed to healthy living and to God, so that you will not be prematurely committed to mother earth. Ecclesiastes 11:3 "And if a tree falls to the south or the north, In the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie." In order words, wherever the tree falls, there it will be committed to. 2024 will serve you a banquet of healthy and unhealthy options. Choose to be healthy and be committed to life.

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday and a healthy 2024!

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

MY DEAR NAIRA

 

I was thinking this morning..... I was only 4 years old when I was introduced to this lovely girl called Kobo. It was Christmas morning when my siblings and I kitted our Christmas clothes and were visiting our neighbours and relatives to 'do Christmas for us.' After eating Christmas rice, one of our hosts took my hand and pressed a coin on my palm. It was one Kobo. That was the beginning of my friendship with Kobo. We became quite close and always spent time together every Christmas. She was a dependable friend.

Many years later, Kobo introduced me to her elder sister called Naira. She was very fair to look upon. For the next few years Naira and Kobo were inseparable. Whenever Kobo came visiting, Naira was with her. With time, I noticed Kobo became scarce. She was no longer visiting with Naira. I initially thought it was out of jealousy, but later understood that Kobo was seriously sick. It seemed like a terminal illness, because Kobo became permanently confined to her death bed and went completely out of circulation.

I remained close to Naira for many years. She was a darling and brings happiness by her mere presence. Everyone wanted to befriend Naira because of her beauty. I studied hard at school and ran errands for my parents so Naira could be allowed to visit and spend time with me. When I became an adult, Naira and I became inseparable. She was very valuable and well sought after irrespective of the colour or garb she had on.

It wasn't until recently that I started observing changes in my good friend, Naira. She had emaciated and completely lost her beauty, obviously a sign of a debilitating illness. I am worried that if nothing is done, my dear friend, Naira may go the way of her sister, Kobo.

Oh my dear Naira, what aileth thee that thou has become frail and scarce? It's time for you to change your medical team and go for a comprehensive medical check-up to identify the root of your ailment. Your absence this Christmas is worrisome and making many fall for the two oyinbo babes called Dollar and Pound. I value our friendship a lot and look forward to seeing you in the new year revitalised and shining again. My prayer for you is that you shall not die, like your sister Kobo, but live (Psalm 118:17).

May the joy and good tidings of Christmas enable your quick recovery. Oh my dear Naira, get well soon.

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday and Merry Christmas!

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

ARE YOU IN THE SECRET SERVICE?

 

I was thinking this morning..... As my team prepared for another end of year get-together, I pondered on how a number of things we do have become an annual ritual. As I did, I recalled a gist I read about a guy named Jim who went to church for Christmas service. As he was leaving at the close of the service, the pastor greeted him and said, “Jim, it’s time you joined the Army of the Lord. We need to see you every Sunday.” “I’m already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor,” Jim replied. “Then why do we only see you on Christmas and Easter?” Jim looked to the right and to the left, and then leaned over to whisper, “I’m in the Secret Service.” LOL...

One period we looked forward to, growing up in Warri, was Christmas. Christmas was special because it was the only time all year that we are guaranteed of a new set of clothes and shoes and a time we are most certain to eat rice and chicken. Aside economic reasons, I always wondered why our parents made buying Christmas dress and eating Christmas rice an annual ritual. Now I understand that they were preparing us for the Secret Service.

Just consider the pattern of some of your behaviours and you will realise that you work for the Secret Service. There are many people who pretend to be too busy all year round and only take time out to visit their loved ones at special occasions. It's not because of lack of love, they belong to the Secret Service.

Some are blessed with material resources but reach out to the less privilege only on their birthdays and at Christmas. They may be thinking they are among the army of philanthropists, not knowing they are secret service philanthropists. Some enjoy taking their spouse out or spending time with nature but will never create time to do so unless on special occasions like Christmas.

Don't wait for Christmas or your birthday to do the things you love, eat your favourite food or wear your best clothes. Do so as often as you can and stop showing up like a secret service agent. When it comes to showing love and fellowshiping with brethren, I made a choice long ago not to be in the Secret Service but belong to the regular Army (Hebrews 10:25).

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

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

KEEP MOVING

 I was thinking this morning.... It was the year 1986. I just completed my West African School Certificate (WASC) exams and was waiting for the release of the results. As a teenager, I had not received any shocking personal news at that time. On the day of the release of the results, I joined my fellow classmates to visit the Admin office. One by one, we went in to check our results.

Standing before the teacher, she flipped the pages searching for my results. She looked up and gave me the shocking news, 'Your result has been seized.' Seized ke? The word 'seized' froze my world and it felt like the earth had stopped moving because I could no longer hear those around me speaking. But then the teacher's touch jolted me back to reality and I discovered the earth did not stop moving but had continued its movement around the sun.

I had a boss in my early years of working who was an emperor. He barks out commands that makes everyone quiver. At some point, I thought that if this oga leaves, the earth will stop moving. Years later, he was moved. On hearing the news, I paused, waiting to see if the earth has stopped moving. Alas, the earth did not stop moving but had continued its movement around the sun.

The size of disappointments differs. One man's tsunami is another man's storm in a teacup. There is no disappointment of man that can cause the earth to stop its movement around the sun. I thought my life had ended when I was told my results were seized. If I had given up on life at that point, what a loss it would've been since my results were released two weeks later.

If your disappointment is not great enough to stop the earth's movement around the sun, then it is not strong enough to take your hope away. Is someone or something terrorising your life and making you feel like giving it all up? Please don't let them. For as long as that person cannot stop the earth's movement around the sun, he/she is not that important.

As long as the earth continues to move on its path around the sun, you too should keep moving forward. Psalms 37:23 says "The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him."

Stay hopeful. God's got your back.

Happy Sunday!

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

A LIFE WELL SPENT

I was thinking this morning.... As my  college alumni perfected plans to accompany one of us for the burial of her mother last weekend, I took another glance at the invitation. It's been jokingly said that in Nigeria, the poor and rich announce the death of their loved ones differently. While the poor will write "With heavy hearts and deep sense of sorrow, we regret to announce the death of.....," the rich will say ''With gratitude to God for a life well spent, we heartily announce the transition to glory of....". Hmm!! Class, even in death.

But then, I couldn't but pause to ask "when can one really say a life was well spent?" Is it when a man achieves a great feat or after making a lasting impact on future generations? Some dream on becoming a big bang inventor but end up being a user rather than an inventor of gadgets. Does it mean his or her life was not well spent? Some are writers who aspire to achieve public acclaim but could only impress a small group of friends on Facebook. Does it mean the life was not well spent?

If you were born to be a blessing to others but you spent all your resources living the life of the rich and famous, adorning yourself with jewelries and reveling in choice cuisines without fulfilling purpose, your life was not well spent. If your purpose in life is to influence just one random child positively or to enable your children to be great or support a friend or boss to win, and you achieve that, then your life was well spent. Someone can live to be 100 and the life not well spent and another die at 33 but life well spent. It is not how long but how well.

You don't have to be a renowned scientist like Albert Einstein, an inventor like Steve Jobs, an accomplished writer like Chimamanda Adichie or a great man of God like David Oyedepo for your life to have been well spent. 99.99% of people on earth will not leave a dent on the universe. Someone once said, you do not disapprove of a chair because it cannot be used to boil water. A chair is not designed to boil water, so it is not a problem if it doesn't. Focus on your purpose. If you can achieve your purpose in life, then your life was very well spent. Allow God fulfil His purpose for you (Psalms 57:2).

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

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