YOU'RE GETTING OLDER, SO WHAT?.

For some reason I remember the founders of "The Future Awards" and I remember reading somewhere that they started when they were under 25years of age and today it has become one of the most prestigious awards in Nigeria (in my opinion). The sub-conscious pressure kicks in and I ask myself: what have you done? Skip that, this is not about me. It’s about the unnecessary pressures we put ourselves under these days. The bitter truth is that, no matter how successful you are today, some of your mates will always do better than you while you will do better some others ... at one point in time. How easily do we let ourselves get swallowed by pressure or maybe guilt? So s/he was your understudy in school and now they are making millions while you are still struggling to make ends meet, big deal! You really don't know how they got there and how long they will be there. See it as motivation to do what you can do to be better, not necessarily better, anyway, just do something which will make you happy.
 

Ene has always been the youngest amongst her circle of friends wherever she finds herself ever since she was a child; she was also the smartest, most successful and seemingly happy. Whatever she put tries her hands on always turned into something successful. At 21, she had a master's degree, she had a blooming business and she was someone every guy wanted to hang out with. Ajuma was supposedly her best friend, she wasn't envious, but she was four (4) years older and has only just completed the National Youth Service Corps scheme. Ajuma went as far as sleeping around with different men who promised to give her huge funds to start a business which would be bigger and more successful than Ene’s. What Ajuma didn’t know was that Ene was leukemic and probably had only two (2) more years to live. Sound familiar?

Odeh and Agaba are best friends, too. Odeh to had it all, a good job, a nice girlfriend; the type every guy wants to have and everything seemed to be going on well for her. The “annoying” part is the fact that Odeh is not even handsome and he is shorter than Agaba but he gets all the ladies’ attention. What no one knows, however is that behind closed doors, Odeh has a horrible temper and when he is angry, he physically abuses his girlfriend. Agaba, desperate and thinking his friend uses voodoo powers decides to visit an indian temple where he sold his soul to the devil for fame and affluence.

So, are you about to get married just because you are thirty and you feel this is your last chance? Or are you with a partner who constantly abuses you and makes you feel like crap? Are you a guy willing to join an occultic society simply because you are promised wealth? Are you going to sleep with that politician just because you need a car and all your mates have got cars? You’re getting older, so what?

Shhh… What's that sound? Oh! I forgot I left the shower running just because I let my random thoughts get the best of me this night. Or maybe I've been thinking I'm getting older and I'm not where I think I should be... well, I best go bath, bed and beyond! Lol…. As for you, you're getting older, so what? stop thinking, start acting and act right!

HANG ON, THE SENTENCE AIN'T FINISHED YET

It was only 5.20 am in the morning and you could already feel the tension in the air.Eye balls protruding from insufficient sleep, fists gradually tightening, toes stumping on the ground at a fast rate and even flared nostrils.Nobody was happy.I don't blame them. No one wants to get out of bed this early and drag themselves to the office only to hear the commission’s Public Relations’ Officer say…"We're sorry, but it looks like our bus won't be leaving at the right time…" 

It's 5 am. If a bus was ever guaranteed to leave on time, it should be one that is chattered.Nobody was happy... at least, not until the P.R.O. finished his sentence. 

"We're sorry, but it looks like our bus won't be leaving at the right time… (dramatic pause). It seems we'll be leaving a little earlier."

Phew. Ha!Funny guy. Just like that... Just like that, everything changed.

Eyeballs decrease to normal size. No more looks of disappointment. No angry nostrils or people looking ready for a fight.Everybody was now happy, relieved.Including me.LOL! 5 seconds earlier, I was biting my lip, throwing a mental tantrum and querying myself for being punctual but now I'm smiling and thinking the P.R.O. is hilarious. 

Funny how simply letting the man finish his sentence changed everything. 

I can't tell you how often that has happened in my relationship with God. I can't tell you how often I freak out because I didn't let him finish what he was saying or doing. Thanks to Nollywood, it's like getting upset at how a movie ended until we realize there's a part 2. 

Part 1 – “You won’t secure an admission this year like most of your mates would” (Lord, why me?)

Part 2 – “I want you to meet a group of wonderful individuals in the set to which you’d belong”

Part 1 – “Oyiwodu, you shouldn’t get married now”. (That’s not fair)

Part 2 – “But that’s just because I’m preparing you for that man who will be perfect for you”. (Oh yeah! J)

Part 1 – “So, I want you to stay home and weave threads for a while” (What? Take that back, I’ve been idle for months already!)

Part 2 – “Until the coast is clear where I want you to be” (Nice!)

 

Whao!

You know, the crazy thing is, but for God's grace, I would have given up after all those part 1s. But for his grace, I would have taken a short cut to school, marriage and work (things that seemed impossible at the time). 

Friends, I don't know where you are today but I'm guessing some of you are stuck between the part 1 and 2. I know it's scary and you're mad and angry.Take heart. Take heart my friends. I don't know how long it'll take. I don't know how God will finish the sentence and his work but I know that he will.

He will because he always does.He will because he's never left His word unfinished.He will because he is faithful.

It might not go down like we want and it might not even be, till we see him. But He will come through and he will work all things together for our good. “That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good” – Romans 8:28.

Waiting is hard and if we knew then what we know now, we wouldn't have been scared one bit.Again I know it's scary but I assure you that someday you will look back and say, if I knew then what I know now about, I would not have been scared.

However long, however hard, however heavy the weight of the wait, patiently let God finish his sentence.