On a Wednesday afternoon, I broke down at work. Things that would not really bother me on a normal day became overwhelming. I was trying to make sense of my emotions when I realized a good measure of what was going through my mind had to do with uncertainties.
I like to plan. It gives a level of certainty and stability.
Some of my plans were rattled this month with unexpected things popping up last minute. Picture it this way: you have these long-term plans that are layered up like dominoes. When one thing goes off, the others are affected. So you can understand my worry when part of the plans started to seem shaky.
The truth I’ve come to learn is that there is only so much you can plan for in a world as volatile as this. Life can take different turns at different times, so it becomes important that one does not rely on what they hope the days to come will look like. There is a place of leaning on the One who is not caught unaware by changes.
Back to this fateful afternoon, after a series of meditation on the many things that could go wrong, I felt the waterworks coming…oh chim!😭 (excuse the local parlance). I fled to the washroom to let the tears run free. Maybe it’ll help ease the burden. Amidst the tears I knew I had to fight for my sanity. I had to do something. Psalms 23 came to mind and I held on to it for dear life😮💨
‘The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.’
Psalms 23:1-6 NKJV
I meditated on each line for some time and felt better. I was reassured that there was a God who knows me by name and cares not only about my present, but my future as well. As I write this I’m reminded of a name the Yoruba people call God: “Adanimagbagbe”. I find this name fascinating and true🥹
(Adanimabagbe eni- the One who does not forget the one He has created)
What really prompted me to write about this event was my realization of the importance of having God’s word at heart. It was the word of God instilled in my heart from a young age that granted me help in that moment of vulnerability. How would I explain to my 5 year-old self that what I was committing to memory at the time would later produce life when I put it to use, when I come to believe every line.
I am grateful for institutions that instilled Godly practices and values in me as I grew in age.
For instance, most of the Christian hymns I know today were the ones I learnt from high school. It was all routine and vibes then, but I’ll later come to see how powerful and deep in meaning these lyrics are, and how they are a blessing to those who dare to believe.
As some of us have been benefactors of institutions that uphold Godly values and practices, we must now create spaces and opportunities for both the present and coming generation to experience God as they grow.
‘It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. ‘
John 6:63 NKJV
À tantôt!🥰
Music Rec😌: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DciMh_ciwkk&list=RDDciMh_ciwkk&start_radio=1