Father's Business...

I went to the market to buy some sweet potatoes, and the teenage girl manning her mothers’ goods attended to me with zero courtesy! She was so rigid, no smile, and no attempt to cajole me to buy her goods. She gave the price as her mother had probably instructed and just stood with that dirty attitude when I tried to bargain. I would have gladly paid for her goods if only she was nicer; I would do the obligatory bargaining dance (so I don’t feel like I was cheated) but end up paying. But I got no courtesy, so I walked away to the next woman selling sweet potatoes, and bought it at the same price the girl gave me for because this other lady served me better, even when I tried to bargain, she handled me well enough to get me to cheerfully part with my money at her original price.

That little girl messed up her mothers business with her attitude and lack of thereof. She lost a customer with the much-needed money I could have given… she cost her mother so much, but she was too stuck up with herself, she didn’t notice… or care.

This encounter got me wondering: are we messing up our Father’s business with our attitude? How much damage has our inability to show love and compassion caused? Do we show some level of grace when we deal with people? Do we show some level of excellence and diligence in our businesses? I mean God is the Father of ALL grace; we should be able to show at least a little when we handle His business. Look at how excellent creation is, we should be able to show the same sort of excellence in our business/daily life.

Jesus was found in the temple after his earthly parents nearly had a heart attack from discovering him missing and searching for him. When found in the temple, He told them he was going about his Fathers business. He must have acted with decorum, with wisdom and given honor to the scribes for them to have sat down to listen to the little boy speak. He handled his fathers business well, with grace. “And he said to them: How is it that you sought me? did you not know, that I must be about my father's business?” Luke 2:49(DHB)

Do the gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of us? Think about it! Sometimes, the only bible people would read is our lifestyle/attitude … that’s all the convincing needed, to either get them to buy your product/service or serve your God.

And he calls himself a Christian! A statement I’ve heard one too many times from people disappointed by some person who parades his Father’s name/business, but in no way represents him in the way he runs it.

What happened to diligent and excellent service? Tongue speaking and anointed does not give a license to misrepresent your father by the bad fruit you allow to fester because you’re a child of God. Good children handle their fathers business well, and Gods business goes beyond the church; a pastor or a worker or called to certain offices in the ministry…. It includes our ‘secular jobs’ as engineers, politicians, musicians, producers, pilots, soldiers, writers, domestic helps, husbands, wives etc… what ever we find ourselves doing, we do it to the glory of God, because it is His business we front for. We represent Him in every sphere as Christians.

In your daily life, what are you living? Do you have integrity? When people hear your name, do they encourage me to come to you or do they warn me off you or your services? When a person is dating you, do people stare with pity and warn the person off or say how blessed that person is? As a pastor/priest do you misrepresent what you preach?

Have you earned a sour reputation on your job?

My family had a printing job and I recommended a friend who was also a spirit filled Christian to handle it… Long story short, a day to my grandmas funeral and we had no program printed, after paying him about eighty percent of what he charged… to cut an even shorter story short, he didn’t deliver the work and disappeared from the scene, an emergency work had to be done by another friend. The whispers spoken loud enough for me to hear was an accusation that I gave the work to someone in my church… what a picture it painted… a church member with such a lousy score on integrity. That’s someone who is anointed, but like that teenage girl selling her mother’s potatoes, hasn’t handled his fathers business right… and I would without guilt walk to the next person offering the same services next time because of the attitude I received from this one. This is a misrepresentation of this God of grace, love, peace and forgiveness we teach. Has he apologized to my family and I for the embarrassment? No! My mum got his dad involved and he had to refund the money… but an apology would go a long way. The teenage girl attitude came to play in this scenario.

When I was ready to publish my book, I went for the best. I didn’t think I had an option to do anything less. I paid a lot for professional editing services… even though in the end I saw one or two errors In the finished work, I know I did my best, it wasn’t out of negligence, I could have gotten my sister or friends to read through, and look out for typos, save myself that money, but I knew if I was publishing a book, then it had to be done well. I could have ‘printed’ the books anywhere in Nigeria with lots of willing printers for less than a quarter of the price I paid for publishing, and saved and made a lot of money… be profit driven… but I was more about excellence than profit. I want people to hold my book in their hands and see something of value, many would only be encouraged to read by how the book is packaged (by the way, my book Kiss & Tell is available on amazon and all the major book stores online)… the book has God’s imprint on it, why should it be presented as anything less than excellent? If it represents God, it doesn’t mean it has to be shabby, that’s when it ought to exceed every known expectation.

That’s the picture we grew up with, Gods business is Gods business, so we don’t need to put in any energy. We just show up and show out… but we take more time in doing it if it doesn’t concern God. Thank God for eyes that are opening to see the importance of excellence. Now we have gospel music been produced with excellence and performances/ministrations with so much work put into it. Churches look better and church workers aren’t as scruffy looking in the name of the Lord as they used to be.

We serve an excellent God, a God of excellence and He’s given us this kingdom business in the dreams He’s placed in our hearts and the things our hands have found to do, do them well… don’t let the gentiles ridicule your God because of you.(Romans 2:24)

Yes God loves you irrespective of what you do… but why not honor Him with what He’s placed in your hands? Why not show forth His excellence? Why not be kind and show love? Why not gain more knowledge in what you do and find ways to be better at it? Why not stop cheating people? Why not give top-notch customer service and show excellence? Why not clean up and have baths and wear clean clothes? Why not brush your teeth and stop being so spiritual that people avoid you because you stink in the name of the Lord. You don’t represent God that way.

Like that awful teenage girl… maybe people aren’t patronizing you because of your attitude or lack of, your neighbor isn’t using witchcraft to excel in his business while you fail… he understands the principle of integrity and excellence in service. Shut up, stop complaining, put your faith to work, as you pray for good success, work towards that good success and improve on your services. Stop binding and casting and start looking within to bring about the necessary change. There’s grace available. I should know, because I’m on this journey of learning to manage my Father’s business as well.

I Told You... Bemyoda!

He told me. I listened. Here I am. On the other side and that moment feels like just a dream… an unrealistic one, here I am not smelling of the fire that burnt me.

"Don't listen for strange hearts, listen for mine. I'll be the voice that tells you to fight for life, for freedom."

“Put your fears aside, make sure you speak out. You will be all right. You’re still alive… I told you”

I listened to His voice… the voice that echoed hope in that deep valley… and here I am… on the other side…because I listened. To what He told me.

Excited about Bemyoda’s new release… “I told you” off his upcoming 2017 album titled 'Stark'

Sharks of The Ocean... or Dolphins Maybe?

It's a pity so many women reduce their worth by getting their validity from how hard the next lady falls.
We were made to be soft, delicate but firm and assertive... Our minds are analytical for a purpose (not just for investigating cheating boyfriends/husbands) We are nurturers; equipped to support and help build up, and not tear down people. We're not created to be bitter vessels of offence formed from the hurt, dents and scars our delicacy sometimes opens us up to. 

From that subtle 'aha' we feel, to the open laughter and excitement when a fellow woman who doesn't even know you falls, is the sleeping monster of your insecurities awakening... Excited to rise up and separate you from who you were created to be… by making you compare yourself with others!
Is it easy? Not always… Am I this way? I am supportive, but I get jealous sometimes… how do I deal with the jealousy creeping in? By complimenting! See a lady looking good and feel the monster of judgment roaring within you? Then kill it by complimenting her on something. Women need more love from women… the competition is unhealthy!

I have people I call friends who never acknowledge what I do… I know I could keep quiet and pretend I don’t see what they do, but I’m not wired like that… I call and I show enthusiasm over what they do. I encourage, ask after their health and their family. It takes you being the bigger person to get them to rise up to be the bigger person as well. Royalty are not threatened by other royalty. Know who you are, and you would own your own space without feeling the next woman is a threat to you in her own space.

Learn from the dolphin... Dolphins are known to rally around injured and sick dolphins and even humans, protecting them from shark attacks, and pushing them up to the surface to help them breath if there is a need... While sharks destroy even their own at the slightest whiff of blood... Support and encourage your friends business, rally round and push them up to breath when they are bruised. Support is as simple as asking how she is/saying a word of prayer/acknowledging what she does/promoting her work and when you can, patronizing her.
Don't be quick to do a dance and spread the word when her relationship/marriage is wobbly.
Don't try to pull her down at the first sign of a cut that is bleeding... One little cut and your gossip like sharks help in destroying her self esteem. 

Be the one who loves/gives support like a dolphin and not tearing down like a shark.
(Of course Dolphins have their dark sides... But we're just emulating it in this aspect)

Story Story... Not Tales By Moonlight.

I wonder how I got to this place that I am today! If I was given the monotony of the script of my life ‘Inyamu’s Eldorado’ ‘Adventures of Joy’ it’d play out differently (see, I can’t even get a proper name for it)…  splashed with only vanilla, ice and all things nice but with so much deficits. Like those over-hyped movies I hear about and look forward to going to the cinema to see… and once there, I’d be bored out of my socks. What was all that noise about? Common, those rave reviews for this? I’m rolling my eyes half the time, making myself appreciate the few scenes that catch my attention, just to justify the money paid and the company kept… selecting extra sugar coated popcorn out of the bag is more exciting…. Why not stay home and watch movies with engaging conversations like… the godfather or binge on west wing episodes.

You see, there are things I daydreamed about as a little girl… things I pictured as an adolescent… and fairytales I played out as a young adult… now those things taste like chalk.

I once imagined over the top, out of this world proposal scenes as a teenager reading M&B’s and silhouette’s romance novels… now I’d probably walk away from such a loud, public and over the top proposal… (The party involved has been duly cautioned).

Did I age too fast? I mean I’m thirty two soon… and seventeen year old boys are still chatting me up, pot bellied men are leering at me as another school girl to be preyed on… but it goes beyond the looks with age. The slate of my mind was cleaned and it was renewed to think differently… it’s not about the age, seventeen or thirty two, I’d be thinking this way after the refurbishment my mind went through.

A time came when the real professional came in, and I humbly gave the script to him to overhaul. Sometimes, I come in to add my own scenes; you know that two-cent input that is never needed… but goodness me! What a disaster they’ve been, so I humbly revert back to my main role as the lead actress in my story - I’ll tell you the truth though, I’m more like the supporting actress in this story, even though its mine, there’s a lead act, a very cool one at that and so good at what he does, I'm only in this movie, because He choose to be in it. It's only a hit movie, because we have His name in the cast.

I like where the scriptwriter is going. He’s made it quite predictable in an unpredictable way. I love mysteries in movies and books, but suspense isn’t really suspense with me, I take the fun out of the mystery, because I somehow manage to have guessed right. Maybe I get too analytical… I should learn to chill and just watch... right from my Nancy drew and famous/secret seven five days, I've almost always been ahead of the authors.

But anyway… I know what my story is about, but goodness, the twist and turns and nail biting scenes keep me on the edge of my seat. If it was a cinema, I would completely forget about the popcorn or even the idea of looking for sugar coated ones. My mouth would hang open, and not even flinch when one of those rats rumored to be in certain cinemas in Nigeria use my foot as a chair to enjoy my story.

Scenes as intense as being thrown into the fire and coming out unscarred… no special effect! Every scene as real as can be. You could see the smoke, feel the heat of it and smell it through the screen and I’d come out unscarred in my red lipstick, still scenting of chanel and my hair well laid, and maybe even heels to balance my strut… shutting the religious folks up, encouraging those who are watching me and just being fabulous.

I care about my looks… I love nice things (thus on this movie set, I have been given a wonderful wardrobe and stylist to satisfy my taste), but what has that got to do with my truth, my basking in the love of God and walking in His power? While I’m enjoying myself in this love, people are scrutinizing and judging… and being concerned about me. She needs to get married… but with the way she looks, does she know how to cook? Cook? Seriously?

That’s the scene where I would walk into the kitchen, dancing to hillsong, open the fridge and bring out some eggs… can I cook? I would crack the eggs, the camera zooming in as I whisk it briskly, put the pan on the fire and fry it, then let it get burnt… and then I would turn and face the camera… Eat this! I can cook and would cook burnt eggs if I want to, what has my cooking skill or lack of thereof got to do with my kingdom slayer status?

There’d be comedy, there’d be romance, there’d be betrayal, there’d be drama (like the cooking scene), there’d be the supernatural; paranormal… there’d be events that would be tagged as sci-fi and even horror and then there’d be the general theme of blessed!

I sit on the edge of reason as frequently as I fall off it, not knowing where I’d land… suspense. But always knowing I’d find a firm safe landing in the land of extraordinary… and then faith shows up as a parachute and glides me firmly on solid ground. Bones in position…purpose fulfilled.

There’d be a moment where I deal with insecurities… where I’d stand in front of the mirror crying, looking at myself and asking if beauty really is a gift? And trying to find the thin line between gift and curse… till I finally rise up from the ashes and embrace it fully as such a gift that is beyond what my face looks like. There’s a beauty that comes from embracing the love of a God, who loved me so much, He became man, proposed to me with the greatest gift: the gruesome yet beautiful gift of the cross (beat that… what a romance!). How can’t you be exceptionally beautiful without the contours and bronzing of makeup when you’re hooked up to such a love?

There’d be betrayal, where I’d stay faithful and true to some who end up taking for granted the purity of all that is molded in gold for them, and crushing it right at my feet, glowing from all I’ve given but instead, I’d be compelled to love them still, and hold no strive, but move away from the poison and keep living in peace with all men. Now that requires some extra coaching from my acting tutor on containing emotions.

There’d be bravery… of a girl, unsure about certain things but the love she’s got and stepping out to literally live her dream. Not knowing how, but knowing that she’s doing it, and she’s shaking the world with this little seed in her hands, one ridge at a time. Bravery in times when her heart beats and her mind taunts her about the possibility of failure and the downpour of shame that’d come with it if she dares… but throwing that caution holding her hostage in the edge of reason out and doing it anyway.

There’d be emotional moments, when the one in whom she leans on who she can’t see, whispers to her in the dead of the night, when she stays up enjoying his presence… uhhh, paranormal they say? When she hears whispers that seem to come from her heart, but isn’t her speaking… when the tears flow from the force of the love she feels and the power of the words spoken.

There’d be crazy moments of her laughing with one in whom she cant see… when she jumps up in glee over nothing and dances to the silent but potent beats of His love in the face of seemingly strong oppositions.

Crazy moments when she lays on her bed and sleeps while the storm rages, unafraid, confident… even as her heart beats sometimes, but knowing, there’s something that conquers it all on the inside, working on her behalf, unfailing… knowing that the storm may have come to destroy her, but the one in whose love she rests is converting it to a fire that helps forge her for better.

What a story… even I with my imagination would have never thought of half of this… I can’t believe I get to live this life. I can’t believe I get to do this life with this God. I cant believe, even as much as He loves me, He sees me faithful in my human shortcomings to carry this seed of dreams that are brought to life as I daily choose to live, and to live in Him… trusting His love and faithfulness to see me through every moment, not caving under pressure, rejoicing in the face of adversity… I get to live this life… I get to do this. I get to understand a revelation of His love daily.

This is my story… well, just a brief glimpse of what it is.