TEST TO TESTIFY!

Well, this is indeed the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice & be glad in it. Is it just me or is life slapping us around a little bit too much? (seems it is only me). Why are you so glum? Your smile is now facing upside down. Ooh! Life is giving you a thorough beating, till every time you try to catch a breath you are knocked out again. To tell you truth, it is quite baffling how there is sudden change in the atmosphere that has elicited vigorous & volatile survival tactics in all of us.

“Most people can sponsor your funeral; few can sponsor your dreams and majority will market your failures. Be careful with people”.

Remember when you were young & got your first bike, it was such an accelerating thing that you could not wait to ride it. However, each time you tried to ride, you would fall, time & time again. You would then dust yourself off & try again. It is quite draining to wake up each day with no sense of direction, lost hope, tired, worn out, feeling rejected, torn, puzzled, confused, betrayed & so on. The yearning for serenity in one’s life is a tall order, just like ordering for an ostrich egg from a chicken farm.

“The noise of a frog does not stop an elephant from drinking water. Same way, the negative opinion of people about you does not devalue you. Keep pressing on. Never give up”.

At no time are you able to catch your breath to take in the moment, appreciate the memories, relish the laughs, soak in the tears, as all around, war is being waged on you day in day out. We are at a cross road where every minute flies past like as if it is chasing your destiny & once its zooms past that is the end of that. This life has no rewind button as a number would expect, once you press play that is it. The screen starts rolling & the intro credits start popping.

“Classy is when you have a lot to say but you choose to remain silent in front of fools. Just because I don’t show it, does not meant I don’t feel it”.

The first scene comes on the screen & you are there like a headless chicken trying to figure it out as there are no instructions as to how to proceed. As the clock keeps on ticking, one starts to figure out in which direction he/she is going to take. Lo & behold like a prize giving day, the world awards you with a snippet of goodies that are in store once you overcome an obstacle. Many a times we are caught up in the whirlwind of life that we forget to take a moment to put things into perspective & start taking a chill pill.

“The truth is, they will never realize how big of a part you played until you are not playing it anymore”.

When was the last time, you just stood still & just appreciated living? When was the last time, you just looked at the sun dipping in the horizon & marvelled at the wonder? When was the last time you just enjoyed a meal, without counting the number of calories or its health benefits? We miss so much, when are so focused on the cruise as we ride the waves of life. Well, fear not, we are on a journey like no other each day coming with its own surprise when the sun rises in the morning & dips in the evening.

“4 things everyone needs to come to terms with in life:

i)              No response, is a response.

ii)             Timing would not always be in your favour

iii)           If they wanted to they would

iv)           Not everyone has the same heart as you”

If you continue to take life too seriously, you will miss out on the little pleasantries that it has to offer. In our own pursuit of happiness, we must remember that you have one life to live. Take a moment to breath, think, just sit idle & ride the storm. If you would allow, let me pray for you:

Our everlasting Father up in heaven, we are humbled to have seen this day. Our Lord Jesus, we come before as your children seeking your love, peace, blessing, understanding, wisdom & grace in our lives. In all that we do, we submit our lives that you would mould them in your way & not in our own way. May your will prevail & not ours. Lord, we are going through the battles of our lives, each day as we are at war, not knowing which direction to take. We exalt you Lord, may your will be done in our lives as it is in heaven. Father, we seek you in all that you do. Give us strength in all that we do, wisdom in our thoughts, humility in our dealing with each other, courage in each day, peace in the times of turmoil. In Jesus holy name we pray, amen!!!

THIS IS MY SPACE!

A new dawn has come upon us, birds chirping in the air, freshly brewed coffee permeating all around, the sun gracing us with its presence, the opening theme being "here we are yet again! If you ask anyone currently how they are doing, the most common response would be “I am breathing”. It may seem laughable but the times have become unbearable, hard, tiring, draining, confusing, sunny, rainy, windy & all manner of confusion.

It is one heck of a roller coaster filled ride, with unpredictable outcomes that can make one to pull out their hairs from the very roots. Pure survival mode has kicked in & all around, most people are minding their own & not checking on others. It is now the hour of self & others be damned!

The obvious reason is that since life is coming with such brut & hard hitting punches, it is time to fend for self alone. How quickly we have forgotten that no matter what we do or are going through in this here life, we are not islands. It is saddening to realize that we forget that we are of the same blood & we have but one life to live.

“Slow down and be patient with life. If you are looking for wealth, somebody else is looking for health. If you are looking for health, somebody else just died. Each time a new mansion springs from the earth, a new grave is dug blow the earth. Each time you throw food into the dustbin, someone else is looking for remnant to eat. For each smile on the planet, there’s a drop of a tear in another place on the planet. For each celebration of child birth, there are tears of burial. Think of the goodness you have rather than the vanities you long for.”

Is it too much to ask you 'politely' to check on each other? Who said it is a must to physically be there, you can opt to make a phone call, you can text, you can WhatsApp, you can send a voice note & so forth. We take for granted the little things that we have, that we have lost sight of the value they bring & their meaning. Did you know that smile you have; a kind word can make someone's day.

“Wearing cheap clothes or using an old phone does not mean you are broke, you have a family to feed not a society to impress.”

If I may, with your permission, who said that we should be mean to one another? Is being kind too much to ask of ourselves that we treat each other as fellow human beings. Anyway, mine is to pray that we come to the realization that in this life, we are here on a one-way ticket & that while we are here on this beautiful earth, we ought to make the most of it.

My assumption is that no one on this beautiful earth loves war more than peace (apart from weapons merchants & war mongers). We live in a time where, peace of mind is the most precious gift to reward oneself with. The year has come with its own projection on the direction to be taken, that it wants to take us on like an ocean wave beating time & time again with such force to show who is boss.

As the sun rises in the East with so much flare, it brings with it a fresh start to the hour. Why are you stuck on the same spot of your living, are you a tree or a rock? Take courage & forge forward like the Knights of the round table, swords drawn to fend for the weak, fight for the truth, being equals with neither above the other with shields at the ready.

“A wise man once said: hate has 4 letters but so does love. Enemies has 7 letters but so does friends. Lying has 5 letters but so does the truth. Cry had 3 letters but so does joy. Negativity has 10 letters but so does positivity. Life is 2 sided, choose the better side of it.

We must at all times remember that we are blessed & highly favored. It is said that at times a bad apple can destroy a basket full of good apples. Who do you surround yourself with? Whom do you consider your die & ride? We are so caught up with clout chasing that we take no heed to whom we deem our friends.

If you look at those whom you surround yourself with, are they making you better or are they eroding you more & more to a point you can’t recognize yourself. Remember that choices have consequences, one way or another.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, nor our darkness, that most frightens us. You playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were all meant to shine as children do. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone. And, as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

As we proceed with the year be more purposeful & intentional in all that you. You are meant for better & ought to aim to manifest the greater things that may seem wild to even fathom, do not let the way of the world shackle you. Is it really necessary for you to be hanging out with a certain crowd of people? Are you improving to the extent that if you look at yourself, you feel grateful at where you are or you are still stuck in a whirlwind?

If you are engaging in an activity, check to see if it is beneficial to your well-being or if it is draining you more & more with each day like a broken-down car. It is time you do some spring cleaning. If it is what you are listening to, be it music, podcasts, gossip, docuseries, is it impacting you in any way or form.

If it is those whom you surround yourself with, are they making you a better version of yourself? If it is the places you chill, is the environment serene & soothing to your sanity.

God doesn’t give the hardest battles to His toughest soldiers, He recreates the toughest soldiers out of life’s hardest battles. Regardless of how cruel and dark life may seem to you, you can make it through. Always remember that God only gives you challenges that He is convinced that you can overcome.