Anna....

Anna

Anna’s mother thought been married to Ebe was the best thing ever that would have happened to her. Nothing made the most sense like the day she stood before the alter to say ‘I do’ to the most handsome, adorable man to her in the universe. The first year of their marriage was filled with so much bliss and Helen felt so joyful and thankful to God for giving her Ebe.

As time passed, the couple was blessed with a beautiful baby ‘Anna’ and this brought so much Joy the family.

When Anna was 2 years old in pre-nursery school, she was involved in an accident that caused her to be admitted for about 3 months in the hospital. During these times, a great gap grew between Helen and Ebe; times were tough for the family due to the expensive hospital bills the couple had to pay to ensure anna did not have any complications with her brain from the fall on the staircase. By the time, Anna was discharged from the hospital and certified ok, Ebe’s business was almost wrecked, and Helen had lost her job because she had to be with Anna most times at the hospital. Things were tough for the family and this affected the pristine relationship that existed between the couple; they would argue over food, over bills and call themselves foul names. When Ebe found he could not bear the marital challenges anymore, he took few belongings of his and left the house, never to return. Helen was heartbroken and did not know how she could cope with her life without Ebe been around. He meant the world to her; life was meaningful because he was on her side.

For years, Helen cried and moved around very sad. She blamed Anna for the circumstance she found herself and did not hesitate to show her only daughter how much she pain she suffered. Anna did not get a chance to be educated or even mingle with other kids as she grew up. All she knew was life with a mother who showed her how much she regretted having her. Anna cried most times but soon got used to the life she was exposed to. She saw the world as a place of war where bitterness ordered life.

When Anna was 20 years of age, she got into an argument with her mother over the bad treatment she had received all her life. This degenerated into a physical fight between mother and daughter and Anna was asked to leave the house and never come back. According to Anna, her mum said ‘You stupid child, that has brought me nothing but pain since I gave birth to you, take your cursed, useless self and leave my house. I never want to see you again. You came into my life to rub me of my Joy and you think you can live like that with me for the rest of your life? You must be a Joker Anna. You are from the pit of hell and I want you out right now so you can go to hell and burn. I don’t ever want to see you again forever’  

That night, Anna wept uncontrollably, she thought of the possible reasons why her mother hated her so much but could find none. Since she had no place to go, she remained at the community square weeping and did not realize when she slept off. Early the next morning, Justin the manager in charge of the square, came for his usual inspection and found Anna there. Recognising her as someone he sees in the neighbourhood, he woke her up and said ‘Aren’t you Anna? What are you doing here?’ Anna could say nothing but cry. Consoling her, he invited her to take a shower in his house and then have breakfast, an invitation Anna agreed to.

When she was refreshed, worried Justin tried to find out why Anna slept in the square but she would say nothing to him. ‘You can stay here for as long as you want Anna until you are ready to go back home since you do not want tell me what is wrong’ Justin said.

One month in Justin’s house, Anna still carried on in grave silence. She found all kind gestures from Justin really Alien until he said to her one afternoon after Lunch ‘Anna, I have lived here  in my house with you for one month, knowing nothing but your first name and nothing else. I have trie d to probe into your life to find out what issues you have, what needs you may require that I meet for you, what your plan for life is and you have said nothing to me. I am not going to ask you ever to leave my house or push you to say something you don’t want to say but I’d just like to let you know that my life is different with you and I Love You and I am willing to help you go through whatever difficulty you may have been through because I know God cares so much about you, so I should care’

Some light came into Anna’s life because the words Justin spoke to her were delightful to her ears. Occasionally, he reminded Anna of his Love and matched them with deeds that proved right what he felt. Gradually, Anna opened up to him and told him of how much hatred she had experienced, how much she had been told about herself and what she could become – A failure. Justin empathized with her but told her how special she was every time he had the opportunity. Light came into her life and she said one day to Justin ‘I am certain that the Lord has used you greatly to heal me and give me life. I know now that I am not useless, I may not be educated now or rich, I may not know a lot of things but I know I am wonderfully and fearfully made and my life is so so beautiful and promising. Your words have encouraged me, given me life and made me so different. Thank you for your words Justin – I Love you’   

Life (Good or Evil) comes with Every Word we Speak…

Entering Ikenna’s office, I jokingly said to him ‘Bros I have come to return this incomplete company diary you guys gave me’ We both laughed concerning the Joke then I completed my transaction in the bank and left. When I got back home much later in the evening, and wanted to check how much planned activities I was able to accomplish for the day, I discovered my diary was missen. The next day, Ikenna called me and said ‘Guy you forgot your diary in the bank, you see what your mouth can cause right? You said you wanted to return our incomplete diary jokingly and forgot it eventually’.

The event I described above may appear very casual to most of us but it tells how much we are able to create with the words we speak. The Bible says that God created the world out of nothing but by his words Because we are created in the image of God, I am certain we have been given abilities to create our world through our words. My very casual encounter with my friend; Ike brought many things to mind: I thought about all the wrong words I have heard us use in our dealings with each other, how many times we have had to say ‘This can’t work between us, I have lost interest in having anything to do with you, You are just plain stupid, Nigeria is a hopeless country, I am destined to be the way I am, never to be successful’ and many other wrong words I wish I/We could take back now that I am reminded of how much my world could be affected by the words I speak.

My prayer is that you may come to know that four major things exist in life; Life, Death, Good and Evil. All these exist in the mind but one thing rules and give them life – The Tongue. Use it wisely!!!

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LynnVille: A WOMAN'S WORTH

LynnVille: A WOMAN'S WORTH

Unity, an uncommon bond that will give us Hope that our tomorrow will surely be beautiful.

All we did on the 1^st of January and all these days we were watching people on screen from all over the country react concerning the subsidy that was just removed was discuss and hope something was done by the Nigerian Labour congress to ensure a reversal to this unbearable state of life we are about to see ourselves plunge in. For some of us that were gathered in that big hall that belonged to Gum our friend, it was a serious time for the country but for some of us, we wished strike and crisis in the country would last at least a week so we could just sit at home and rest from all those hard days we had in our various places of work. As we talked, Paapa, an old man we were all fond of due to his age, humility, wisdom and wit walked in. He said ‘Guys, I was just so bored at home and thought I would come spend some time with my favourite friends before I think my old self to the grave’. Sitting down and grabbing a wine glass to share in our drink, he stood still in strong reflection and sad countenance. We were worried for Papa and asked him if something was wrong ‘Nothing he said’ nodding sadly still. Then he asked ‘Is someone’s birthday today that I am not aware of?  Because there seems to be so much celebration going on here’ No papa was Biodun’s reply. ‘We are just taking our time to make merry for the strike holiday we have and drink away this bad time our insensitive leaders are trying to put us through’ he added. ‘Really’ he said. ‘Well I guess I am in the right place and with the right people because I was almost falling sick at home thinking about the kind of hard time we will have soon in the country only to remember I had friends who knew a way out of this misery’ Filling his glasses with Amarula, he took a sip and sat down on the floor with us. ‘You know guys’ he began, ‘this entire subsidy episode in the country at the moment reminds me of some stories my grandfather told us when we were boys your age. I mean a very long long time ago about 2 places or call them kingdoms called Peak and another Corona. Now boys, I know we may be drinking but I am trying to drive somewhere with these stories so I will ask that we all pay attention to Paapa here. ..

Every house divided against itself will never stand…

Peak was a very great kingdom at one time because it had abundant resources and was attractive to neighbouring kingdoms just like Nigeria is very attractive to many countries of the world. The people there were very good and welcoming and this attracted the influx of people into the kingdom; many even arrived the kingdom and got married there. The fortune was so great that one would even assume that was the only place in the continent blessed by God. Well, the citizens thrived in various works of life they were concerned with including immigrants that arrived Peak for business, pleasure and other reasons. As the years progressed, something seemed to happen in Peak; the emergence of some kind of class strata due to the amount of investments and wealth some citizens of peak amassed as I suppose is the case everywhere in other kingdoms and nations of the world. For a while, the division was not noticed because Peak still had abundance of resources until some kind of disaster hit the kingdom, something that ravaged greatly the amount of the resources they had. I don’t remember what my grandfather called the disaster again but will let you know when I do. Everyone had to adjust because things weren’t as rosy as they were anymore. Most migrants who were used to abundance in Peak left for their kingdoms because it was not a place of great comfort anymore.  Time for reality you guys can say…[C1] Guys, you know what was bad about Peak, because they had so much in abundance and even wasted too much, the people were not concerned about rules or about how to make Peak greater. All they knew was the fun. Rules in the kingdom at the time were just like a prophet in the religion telling the people what to do and not do and these were simple things they needed no thinking to carryout. Well, since reality time had come, it made sense that leaders were needed if the kingdom was to survive because resources left had to be managed efficiently. Well your guess is as good as mine, those who amassed more wealth thus seen as best with managing resources due to how they managed theirs were chosen to be guides for the people. For few months, everything seemed fine in Peak and the people were happy but gradually, things got tougher. The citizens found life getting tougher and tougher. Some things that were free at some points in their lives, had to be paid for. There were lots of levies in the kingdom and so many terrible laws. Amazingly, some of the people in the kingdom degenerated to conditions of hunger; they hardly had food to eat. It was amazing to the people who took some time to observe their environment and see if the experience they have was common to all. Obviously, it was not. 

The Law of life says that he who has more will be given more and he who has little, even what he has will be taken away from him and given to the one who has more. Whether this happens genuinely or not, it is a law in life.

Going through untold hardship, the people of Peak converged and decided it was time they questioned their leaders’ performances. They nominated some people among them and sent them to consult with the leaders but those sent returned with some explanations urging the people they represented to be patient. They were paid prices to ensure the people who sent them got satisfactory explanations[C2] . More delegates were sent but the responses seemed same, many more and still same responses. The kingdom was divided obviously because another class was created; let’s say the surviving class. A day came when most of the poor in the kingdom stood and said their sufferings were enough. It was time for revolution and they called on their supposed delegates to join in the war to survival. Alas, the truth was known, they were not a people anymore, they were divided amongst themselves. Some were up there too rich, too content to care about those they ruled, some where there in the middle class surviving because they refused to be dependable and cared more about their survival thus been loyal to the class of the ruled. They failed those who sent them to seek solutions concerning their plights from their leaders and there were the poor too weak to fight because they had no one to support them. Well, they fought and carried out a revolution but was it successful? NO!!! It was not because they all did not fight and they did not capture any rich one because they all sought refuge in neighbouring kingdoms with friends that had always been beneficiaries of Peak’s abundance. Peak was eventually dominated by other kingdoms who occupied their territories with offers to help the people survive. Their end as far as I am concerned was sad.

Corona had similar experiences like Peak but they did not end up the way they did. In fact, they did not need to fight the king and other rulers to get them to bow. They understood that the rulers depended on them to keep the country going. They came together, prayed, sought counsel, revolted and told the king what they wanted. He had no choice but to bow because he saw that the voices of the people were united. They had a common voice and till date, brothers, the country thrives and many more are thriving like that.

‘I know I said I came here because I was certain you my great friends will make me feel better. I think for once, I am wrong. I have fasted three days now and prayed to God to please touch the heart of the President to reverse the policy he just made not forever but for now even if to prove to the people of this country that he loves them enough to do what they ask him to do and I still have not seen any change. This makes me so sad guys. Maybe my prayers were answered to the point that the Lord touched NLC to begin a strike because his word says ‘One (1) Shall chase a thousand ([C3] 1,000) but two (2) shall chase (10,000). So he has just answered the prayer of 1. My friends have not even prayed instead Biodun, tells me he is making merry for the holiday and drinking so he will forget the bad time the nation is about to descend into. We sit here and go against what the word of God tells us in Proverbs 31: 4-5 ‘Kings should not drink wine or have cravings for alcohol. When they drink, they forget the laws and ignore the rights of the people’. We partake in destroying the nation because we can survive at this stage of the nation’s difficulty. We forget that our failure to labour now to bring sanity to our country even it is through prayers may further cause our nation to degenerate into a greater suffering that will one day affect us’.

‘I feel so sad really’ (tears dropped from Paapa’s face) Paapa continued. Well guys. I am really sorry but I need to be at the right place where I feel men appreciate the worth of lives. I have no right to join in this celebration of yours because I have not lost my sense of judgement. I may be too old to join the protest by a million hungry young ones out there who fight for the collective purpose of all of us but I will pray God sends more men into the vine yard of prayers so he can answer the prayers not just of two (2) that can chase just ten thousand but of those that that can chase over one billion (1,000,000,000). Have a good day’

The room went silent. No one sipped from their glasses anymore or said a word. I took my car keys and drove home to pray. Paapa spoke words of life to me. He made me realize that how wrong I could be failing to bear the burdens of my neighbor as expected of me…  Gal. 6:2

I wish there was more to say other than a reminder to all of us that ‘Every man must have a course to die for. If any man does not have a course to die for then he is not worth living’ At home, I am told by friends not to join the protest so I can keep my life for my family but then I ask them after listening to Paapa, who then has the responsibility to make the nation good for me and my kids? The Poor in the streets who could also be shot or me or all of us who care…

We must all get on our knees and tell the Father what we want because we are a nation under God and he says in Mark 9: 23 that everything is possible for the person who believes. In verse 29, he makes us understand that there are some circumstances that take prayers to get solved and I know Nigeria is one of those.

 This is a call to call for UNITY under God so we can have our nation back. Nigeria can be beautiful again. 

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On the eve of the new year, I went to church with some friends to thank God for the past year 2011 and ask that God will be with us in the new year; 2012 so we could prosper and be great despite some tough times we experienced in the past year. I took time particularly to pray for our dear country, Nigeria, her leaders, for providence, Jobs, peace, security and more and I felt certain that the Lord answered my prayers. Too tired to celebrate the New Year due to the vigil I attended, I slept through the 1^st of January in peace only to be awakened by the puzzling news on the removal of petroleum subsidy by the government – TERRIBLE. You guessed right if you say I immediately went into a state of great bewilderment. I wondered why the leaders of this country and many men in various seats of power have left nothing undone to ensure they cripple our intellect, darken our minds, debase our moral nature, kill all traces of good relationships that exist between common citizens and now pose before us the most frightful bondage I prayed we never experience: Hardship in their real forms (Hunger, poverty, breakdown of societies laws and order). I was upset and began to think that God did not answer my prayers for 2012 but you know something friends, God speaks and all he said to me was “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and Lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways, acknowledge him and he shall direct your path” That was light from God’s word. The word of one who will never fail even when we fail, who never forsakes even when we err. His words are life for all who will obey the command “Trust in the Lord” ‘Hmmmmmmm’ was all I could say.