Growth-A process

Enoch got up, took a few steps and fell again. He stood up again few minutes later, took a little more steps and hit the ground again softly. We were all excited at the effort he put in taking his first steps. As much as we wanted to ‘help’ him, we knew it was a process he had to undergo to be able to walk.

Enoch is a 9 month old boy. And we all want Enoch to walk as soon as possible but he’d have to keep trying while we the older ones give him all we can to ensure he grows up to be the ideal man. Food, drugs, love etc

God works in a similar way . He wants us to experience the very best, however, that might not materialize unless we keep trying; trying to move forward, trying to forge forward inspite of obstacles. As much as we’d want God to change all our trials into instant victories, we should also understand that it is all a process, a process necessary to bring out the best in us. He’s constantly watching over us to provide help when we need it.

When we do the little we can, God often crowns it up and gives us the ‘wow’ factor to complete the process.

Its like this; He puts a ‘cap‘ on our abilities making our capabilities LIMITLESS.

Why the Lion is called King of the Jungle

King

Why is the Lion often referred to as the King of the Jungle?

It’s not the fastest animal on earth, the cheetah is faster

It doesn’t have the sharpest tooth, piranhas have that

Its skin is not the toughest, the elephant has tougher

Its claw is not the fiercest, eagles and other birds have that

Its roar (the sound it makes) is not the loudest, the blue whale is louder

Its not the biggest, hippopotamus and elephants among others are quite bigger

Its ears are not the sharpest, owls have better

Its eyesight is not the  best, Mantis Shrimps can see better

It has no venom in its mouth, snakes have that

Its bite is not the most menacing, crocodiles are very much around

Its nostrils are not the most sensitive, bears smell better.

I could go on and on with the analogy but there are other things to write about.:)

Yet lions are called King of the jungle. A jungle where they aren’t even the fiercest, wisest, strongest or tallest e.t.c

My opinion to their elevated position is GRACE. “Not by power, not by might…” Just in-case you missed it, the only reason lions are called king of the Jungle is GRACE. It is the animal that has consistently being related to bravery and strength. The bible constantly makes use of Lion to connote bravery, strength etc. It has no particular characteristic that makes it stand out per se. Okay except for its Mane (the hair around its head) but that’s about it. Is a Mane a good enough characteristic to name a King? Think about it.

Even though you might not necessarily be the best at what you do, because you know and believe in a gracious God, you will be truly lifted.

And you will be like a Lion in your industry.

 

About Planning

The greatest of events that have ever occurred took many years of prior planning and thinking.

Many a times we have made the error of waiting for it to happen before doing something about it, taking medicine after death has occurred. We would wait for the situation to happen before we take necessary steps. Now its impossible to be able to envision all that will come your way, but they’re some of them that would surely occur. Aging is one.

Even though you might have not have hit the 20 year mark, it is not out of place to learn about parenting. Even though you might not understand fully, it will all unfold soon enough.

Even though you might not have made your first million, there is nothing wrong in reading about billionaires (especially if you want to be). I don’t mean reading about their latest acquisition, but what they think of, how they think and what inspires them.

Even though you might be less than 30, there’s nothing wrong about reading about magazines for 80 year olds every once in a while. Reading them would not make you grow older quicker but it would make you ready for what lies ahead of you. And perhaps it would give you tips on how to prevent some issues that the elderly face.

Don’t wait until you get there before you start preparing. Start now…

Less Brighter Than The Sun?

The Sun is useful for providing light during the day.

The moon and the stars are responsible for light at night.

Small light bulbs are useful for providing light in our homes.

Halogen lamps are useful in very large gatherings.

Party lights are useful for parties

 

We are all shining lights in varying degrees and intensity.

Even though we MIGHT not shine like the sun,  there’s a niche that’s unique to our abilities.

 

No one puts a halogen in his parlor or expects the Sun to illuminate his room in the night

No one uses party lights in a stadium or expects the moon to provide light for a party in an enclosed area

If we function in an environment alien to our ability, the result would be unpleasant.

 

We all have a place in this life and we must do all we can to identify it and shine.

 

What God wants

Someone told me, “If it doesn’t happen, it means God never wanted it in the first place”. I replied with a blank stare.

Something was wrong with the statement but I couldn’t reply at the moment, so I kept quiet.

After much thought, I realized that the statement was false. I’ll give 2 illustrations; God wanted the Israelites to get to the promised land in a short while but their actions made them wander in the desert for 40 YEARS. Ofcourse God wanted it, but it didn’t happen until after 40 years.

Saul was chosen by God to lead the Israelites as King till his last breath BUT it didn’t come true because of Saul’s action. He was REJECTED because he didn’t obey. God didn’t want it, BUT his actions triggered it.

Let it be clear to you; God wants the very best for you BUT your actions will determine how fast they become a reality, if at all they became a reality.

Being Involved

“If you think you’re ready to get involved, you should be ready to get hurt and most importantly, you should be ready to forgive”

At first glance, you would assume the quote borders on relationships. You would be right at the assumption. A deeper look would unravel however that it cuts across, even beyond relationships.

But first, let us expand on relationships. One of the quintessence of the greatest relationship ever known to man is that of Christ and us. He chose to get involved with us and as a result got hurt. Most importantly, He forgave us and still forgives our shortcomings day in day out. His is a case of perfection. The only wrong he ever committed was choosing to get involved in our lives.

For any relationship to thrive, both parties must be willing to withstand their shortcomings and forgive as many times as needed.

Beyond relationships, the phrase also suggests pessimism at first glance. But it means quite the opposite in actuality. Your knowledge of the imperfect human nature would give you the ability to come to terms with others’ shortcomings. You’re expecting the best but know there will be hurts in the process.

However, the mindset of being ready to be hurt and forgive does not give you the right to suffer untold pain and sorrow or to be walked upon.

Another aspect this quote covers is LIFE. In life, being ready to get hurt and your ability to forgive yourself, the people involved or the circumstances responsible is important. Because every life would experience hurt and so it is important to forgive and move on.

“If you think you’re ready to get involved, you should be ready to get hurt and most importantly, you should be ready to forgive”

No wonder

Emotions

Whatever the emotion;

Love or Hatred

Joy or Sadness

Peace or Anxiety

Hope or Despair

Pride or Humility

Courage or Fear

Zest or Apathy

 

No matter its depth

No matter its width

No matter its length

No matter its height

 

If its not fed daily,

It’ll wane and eventually die.

No wonder,

No wonder He desires to commune with us on a daily basis.

No wonder…

Illogical He

How would you describe a slave to ruler of a great country?

How would you describe a teenager defeating a 9 foot veteran soldier?

How would you describe losing everything in one day and gaining everything back in double fold?

How would you describe marching round a thick walled building and shouting just to collapse it?

How would you describe pointing a stick on a sea and expecting it to part ways?

How would you describe a child born of a virgin?

How would you describe a woman giving birth at 80+?

There is One who is responsible for all the aforementioned rare cases. And from time to time He defies logic just to prove something.

If these feats are anything to go by,  then it is important to listen, trust and obey God because in it are rewards far beyond our expectations.

*Joseph, David, Job, Walls of Jericho, Moses, Mary, Sarah