What do you do when you do not know what to do 2…

We all have times/moments in life when it looks like everything is against us. It looks like we are not where we should be or things are not quite working as we expect.

Sometimes we feel we are not where we want to be despite having tried all. To continue in this line of thought only leads to discouragement and despair.

At such times, when we feel we do not know what to do next, we need to re-evaluate the situation(s). And to help do this effectively, we need to see the situation through the eyes of gratitude

Gratitude

A lot has been said about being grateful. It can not be over flogged. I have discovered that this gratitude thing has got to be personal i.e. it is not a duty or a mechanical event. Sit down, take a sheet of paper and pen and begin to list things you are grateful for example:

• You are alive
• You are not in the hospital
• You have eyes to read this
• You have hands to type
• You have opportunity to access the internet
• You have 10 fingers
• You have 10 toes
• You are not bed ridden
• Things are bad but not everything is bad

Recently, my wife and I decided to take stock, we took a sheet of paper and divided it into two. We listed the good things on the left and the bad ones on the right. As we started listing all we could remember, it became apparent that the challenge is predominantly in only one area.

The exercise helped us to know that our challenges are in only one area and all the other things are working fine. So we were able to give thanks.

The exercise is such that no one can do it on your behalf but you have got to step back and consciously remember the things in your life that are working.

If we forget our problems the way we forget our blessings, life will be great.

It is amazing how when we focus on the positive, we see a light …The more grateful we are, for the things that have worked, that are working, the easier it is for us to move forward. Also, it is as if the exercise turns the light on and you suddenly begin to see things from a different light.

When you do not know what to do and you are feeling down and dejected, switch over consciously to the positive side by being grateful and you will be amazed how things turn around.

What do you do when you do not know what to do 1?

Have you ever experienced those moments, where it looks like you are alone and all by yourself? When it looks like you are carrying the weight of the world? Or you seem to be singled out for troubles?

I have had situations and events happen, that really pushed me. I mean, push me to the wall. Times when you pray and say God “I know you know what you are doing but I do not see the total picture”.

There are moments when I say to God, “I know you are good and everything you do is good but everything around me is saying the opposite”. Times when I know the right scripture for the situation and somewhere inside me, I know it is going to be alright; however, what I see is a million miles away from what I know in my heart.

Sometimes, I am able to pray but at other times, I just speak to God without it sounding like prayer. Other time, I just like to stare at the TV so the moments could fly away.

I often go back to notes I had taken earlier and they are usually very helpful and reassuring but then that voice on my shoulder starts shouting all the negative stuff again.

My candid opinion based on previous experiences is that, God is too good to sit down in heaven and watch the devil mess up my life. I usually say to myself that all things work together for the good of those that love God.

While meditating recently, I had a very great revelation – there is nothing new under heaven! (That in itself is not a new revelation). And as the adage goes, “Saying that you have never heard of / seen such a thing before, is just a means of scaring the victim”.

At the end of the day, I won’t be the first and neither will I be the last. If other people have gone through it before and they do not have two heads, I will certainly go through. It shall come to pass.

It occurred to me that nothing lasts forever. Life is in seasons. After every winter comes spring. It looks like there is nothing we can do about the change in cycle… we can only align ourselves with it i.e. use it for our good. As the saying goes, it is not what happens to us but what we make out of it that counts.

Whatever, your list or issue, someone, somewhere has been through that same thing, and has come out on the other side. However, you will only come out on the other side if you keep on pressing on.

To be continued…

My first Car

After a long day or do I say night at work, I closed around 7:30a.m. and the next Engineer came in to take over. It was quite an eventful night as there were link tests to monitor – I mean Satellite links oh! Good enough, the tests were clean – no errors, so it was good news for the morning shift and the field guys.

I prepared my hand over notes, signed out and was happy to be out of the office. It was particularly good for me because I was not amongst those struggling to get into the Island –VI; on the contrary, I was actually going against the traffic, so I was sure of a smooth ride/flight on 3^rd Mainland Bridge. I boarded a bus – typical Lagos “danfo” from “Eko” Hotel roundabout to “Obalende” and took a “connecting flight” of another bus from “Obalende” to “Ketu”. Apologies to non-Lagosians.

The second “flight” was like business class because there was so much space on board – the ratio of people going out of the Island at that time of the morning to those coming in, was more like 1:10 (hope that is not an exaggeration). I looked to the other side of the road and could only pity people that were sweating in the traffic that stretched from “Obalende” to “Gbagada” end of the bridge.

By that time, the “Gbagada” – “Alapere” end was free as most of the Island workers were now stock in the Gbagada – Obalende stretch. I had paid my fares and was only waiting to get home and crash on the bed. An elderly man got on board at “Alapere” and the moment he came in, he reminded me of my dad that was about 130 km away, and I just could not get the man off my mind. At that time of the day, the stretch between “Alapere” and “Ketu” was less than 10 minutes and shortly after he entered the purser (conductor) asked the man for his fares, I instinctively paid with the change I had from the conductor.

The man was surprised and asked why I had done that, he was obviously one of those educated folks that had served their country and should be relaxing, enjoying his pension and recounting his active days, but it did not look like the society/Country had or was treating him well at that time. Anyway, I had paid and just told him he was old enough to be my dad. He showed his appreciation and must have prayed for me.

We landed in “Ketu” and a boarded an Okada (not Okada Airways!) to Magodo gate where I was going to have to connect another Okada to the house. While on the first Okada, my phone started ringing and it was my friend – Ope. Going by the number of transits and connections, am sure you will agree with me that a car would be good for the boy! While in the air/on the road (…depending on how you see it), in the midst of the wind and everything, I picked the call and could not hear him properly cause of the wind.

As soon as I got down, I returned his call and he told me of a car that was for sale by one of his colleagues. I remembered one of my Pastors then (Pastor Wale) sharing a testimony of how he got his car then for half the price and the car was clean as we would say. I tapped into that and was expectant. Prior to this day, I had tried fruitlessly to get a car, I was very close to a particular one after borrowing from my mum – when I should be the one giving her then oh! Thank God for mothers. I got there and was told the car just went. Just like that? God dey!

I went over to his office and as I entered the compound my eyes were fixed on a grey Benz. It looked ok but I had to see him first to be sure it was the car for sale, else I start liking a car that was not for sale. To cut the story short, I spoke with the owner and took my brother’s mechanic there, who said the car was good, this, this and that. We agreed on a price and I took the cash (thank God there was no incident on my way!) to the man’s office. His bank was just opposite his office, we went over to the bank where I paid and became a car owner – my first car oh. Halleluyah!

So what informed this story that happened about 6 year ago?

This morning, I left the house with the intention of counting my blessings and not the challenges/problems which was the topic during devotion. As I was driving/travelling to work (I actually travel to work daily, thank God for safe trips), a lot of topics raced through my mind and I felt like sharing them with the world, this story was just one of them and it occurred to me that it is a perfect continuation of my last post. What lessons can we learn from the story?

• Many times, we feel we know what is good for us when in fact we don’t, we must remember that God has better plans. So if you are experiencing a delay now, don’t fret. It’s on the way and God has a better plan
• God will use people around you and may also want you to be the help another person needs, be prepared and don’t be selfish
• There will never be a time that you will have it all and are not needing a thing, the difference is in knowing that God has it all worked out and planned. Don’t let go. Don’t fret. Hold on to your desires. Know that God is faithful
• If He cares for the sparrows, I mean birds, He cares for you more than you know
• God is ABLE to do exceedingly, abundantly ABOVE all you can ever ask or think
• When God does it, it is easy and not stressful at all. It comes cheap and you wonder why all the “wahala” and stress self (another post on this latter). I am sure a lot of you can bear witness to this
• I sowed a seed by paying the old man’s fares and got an offer for a car – what I had been pursing and seriously needed. It was a good bargain for the value – more like half the market price of the car
• Let us learn to give, and sow seeds. Remember the “less privilege”. Don’t trust your judgement or memory. Join a charity (or start one) and initiate a standing order or direct debit. A monthly contribution of as small as £5, $10 or even 1000 Naira will save a life and on that day, someone will come around and say, you feed and clothed me. How nice it will be.

Have a blessed day.

Seye