Sometimes It's Hard To Say Thy Will be Done

I listened intently to the voice of Cece Winans as she sang 'Thy Will be Done' and for the first time I became somehow hyper aware of the meaning of her song.

It was like an eureka moment for me as I had never taken in the meaning of the song and all I could think of is how difficult it is to really let God's will be done. I mean asking for his will and not hoping it will be what I have in mind.

I think it's one of the hardest things to do especially in times when you want to do what your mind - the seat of emotion and intellect, tells you is right. Times when you feel the need to take what you think is rightfully yours in the face of oppression or when you feel the need to defend yourself against violence.

Times like this, when Nigerians are being slaughtered like sheep without value and it seems like nothing is being done and no one is being held accountable, when some innocent citizens are being made to pay for crimes they didn't commit.

It is at times like this that preachers tell congregants to take up arms and defend themselves and fathers buy guns or sharpen their machetes to protect their wives and babies because what used to be movie scenes have become reality. 

Now mothers cry as they helplessly watch their sons and daughters maimed and raped and young men and women willingly brace death in the desert and Mediterranean Sea instead of staying in a country they have lost faith in.

Times when you dare not mention love and peace because the words seems to be the reason for heartless men to continue inflicting terror without resistance.
It is hard to say 'thy will be done' when what you want is your human will to live and not be killed because of your faith, the will to enjoy life in peace and quiet even though the Bible already speaks of the tribulations you will have to endure on earth.

 Jesus Christ taught us to pray 'thy will be done on earth' but when he was faced with death,he had his 'human' moment too as recorded in Matthew 26:42 KJV: 'He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.' But he knew that he was sent to die.

This makes it harder because I do not think it is God's will for me to be killed violently and therefore will not be silent or not act when my life, dignity, work or family is being threatened.

I hope to be able to fully let God's will be done in my life but I wonder if that means embracing the morning sun in the face of danger or death and wholeheartedly saying 'thy will be done'.

That Awkward Moment...To Ask or Not To Ask

'Oh it's a movie I have seen', that was my reaction when I realized the movie I timed to see was actually one I had seen.

'That Awkward Moment', that's the title of the movie and if you are thinking what kind of movie title is this? You are not alone as I thought so too when a colleague first recommended the movie - I had joked about how it sounded like some Nollywood movies with cheesy titles such as 'Where is the love', 'Adanma, the village girl' or 'the return of Igbagaza' where Igbagaza would turn out to be a pot that was lost in some evil forest that comes back to haunt the villagers until a brave young man often an orphan saves the village by destroying the pot and gets the King's only daughter as his wife and the prize for saving the village.

'That Awkward Moment' which stars Zac Efron and Michael Jordan tells the story of three friends who were set on dating casually until they found themselves at the point in a relationship where they had to answer the question...'Where is this going'?

You have probably seen those meme where a girl asks a guy 'so what are we' and the guy responds with 'we are a chosen generation' or 'we are nothing but pencils in the hand of the creator', remember that slogan on works by Wale Adenuga Productions?

Now to the issue of asking about the status of a relationship, it doesn't matter how the question is asked or who asks it, one thing it connotes is a relationship between two people that has not been defined aka one person is being stringed along and he/she has decided to take the proverbial bull by the horn.

It reminds me of conversations my colleagues have had about defining relationships. Some say that defining relationships from the beginning puts the people involved under pressure to 'perform' or 'live up to expectations', as such it'd be best to let things flow until there is need to either keep flowing or just let go.

The opposing argument has always been that if a person values the time and energy that would be spent in a relationship, then it's best defined from the start so they don't get to 'that awkward moment'.
I have listened often with keen interest to the arguments and I think whatever side a person chooses and however you play one thing is certain, there will be 'that awkward moment' where you have to answer the question 'where is this relationship going'?

What do think?

If You Are A Football Fan, Do Not Read This

I had to put a disclaimer as the title of this post so now I can write with a clear 'conchest'.

I do not hate football but I do not watch the game.

I do not watch not because I have not tried, honestly I tried but couldn't understand the running around a field chasing a ball, the anxiety on the part of spectators and the excitement that comes from seeing a ball kicked into a net...I couldn't.

I also do not hate football, how dare I hate a game that unites the world for all of 90 minutes - if there's no extra time - and afterwards causes division amongst members of opposing teams?

How dare I hate a sport whose players earn thousands of pounds weekly while all some of the fans get are bragging rights about which player earns more or who deserves more?

How can I hate a sport that could leave die hard fans depressed or so angry that they lose their appetite because their team lost while the players who are the real partakers hug each other after the game no matter who won or lost?

You see, I cannot hate a sport that some people have killed for or haven't you read the story of a driver who ran over a pedestrian because the said pedestrian was wearing the jersey of the club that just beat his own club?

Talking about 'his own' club, I'm fascinated by the way fans act and talk as if they are part owners of football clubs especially when I hear them personalize victories and losses.

I'm sure you have heard or probably said yourself 'we lost today or we are buying Neymar o'.
The fascination for me stems from the fact that people can feel so connected to a system they are not really part of and cannot really influence. Or do you get to be part of the bargain for which player should be bought by Chelsea?

I do not hate football and have nothing against football fans, in fact I once got a customized Jersey which I wore proudly no matter who was winning or losing and even tried playing football with my colleagues.

You may say life is best lived when we find what we are passionate about and if it is football then one should 'support their club with passion' but I say the game itself is a battle and peace begins when you choose your battles wisely.

Being a Christian In Nigeria

“If Bill Gates were to walk into a Nigerian church and heard every single one of our prayers I bet he would be tempted to think he is God as I’m sure our prayer requests would be about the things we need…food, clothes, cars, houses, material things basically”. The voice of Olakunle Soriyan reeled off as he spoke and the words he spoke hit me to the marrow as it reminded me of conversations I have had one time too many with a few close friends.

I had been invited by a friend to his Church and Olakunle Soriyan, the guest speaker was speaking on renewing our minds as Christians to be able to effect positive change. I was glad that he was talking to Christians and I hoped everyone else saw the truth in his words as I did as my mind drifted to conversations I have had with friends about most Nigerians using God for material gains.

I personally think that most of us do not worship God because we love him and seek a relationship with him but because we need something, someone to hold onto, an elixir for the challenges that we are laden with. I’m in no way undermining the need for God and his ability to do all we want, what I’m saying is that maybe we have been conditioned by our environment – lack of the basic amenities, preachers who sell a God that wants to make you rich overnight and leaders who seem to be in a competition of who can leave the economy worse than they met it – to aspire for the messiah that will turn things around for us and since we seem to have ingrained in us an inability to change our circumstances by first accepting responsibility for the rot we are in, we have to dump it all on God.

I still remember asking a Christiant leader what message we would preach to most billionares who even give to nations including ours, seeing as Pastors sell the message of serving God so he will make you rich.

I have observed also that the major reason some of us fast for many days, do all night prayers, go to mountains to pray and bow down to 'men of God', taking all they say hook, line and sinker is because we have a gaping hunger first for survival and then for better than our ‘heroes past’ have handed to us and not really as a service to God.
If you doubt this, record the testimonies in Church next Sunday, they will be tales of those who got miracle cars, miracle monies, miracle jobs etal, testimonies told not to glorify God but to remind the other congregants that we are no longer in their league.
I am all for serving God and for giving as much as we can but sometimes I wonder if some of us would speak in tongues as loudly as we do, go to church as often as we do or even empty our accounts as willingly as we do (in hopes for a miraculous doubling or even quadrupling of the monies), if we were in a thriving economy with leaders who feel responsible to the people, a country where quality healthcare isn’t scarce or totally elusive and we didn’t have to pray for light and good roads.
If we would first renew our minds through the word, we will be able to shift from being seekers of things to lovers of our neighbours, thinkers, and seekers of knowledge that will effect change and bring the things we now seek.

In The Business of Living

I haven't posted for months and it has not been an intentional act.
I tried to write severally but I couldn't put the thoughts in my head to words.
I would start writing my thoughts and after a while the words just stopped flowing, I guess it's what they call 'writer's block'.
This happened for days which rolled into weeks and then months and now here I am.
Through this time though alot has happened for me and I look forward to sharing it all with you.
I now host two TV shows, a breakfast show which airs on weekdays and a food show that explores different food varieties and their method of preparation.
The intriguing part is that all of these are presented in Pidgin English. I started a career in broadcasting years ago on radio, presenting in the English language and never envisaged myself broadcasting in Pidgin but now you should watch me tear my Pidgin English...correct Warri babe.
Now that I'm back - not like i travelled - I hope to share some of the stories I have heard from guests on the morning show, some of the recipes from the food show, as well as my thoughts on simple issues and I hope that you would share with me too.
So after a long hiatus, I am here again and I plan to be here still in the business of living.