Arise shine, Nigeria

In the light of continued Boko Haram bombings and wanton loss of lives, I stand on this word of God by faith.

My prayer for Nigeria is simple and is encapsulated in Isaiah 63.

I love Naija

The titles of the books written and produced locally that i saw on a trip to the Tejuosho Market area, made me think about the way in which we are socialized in this country. It is often said that our behaviour is driven by our large population. I have heard the analogy that we are reacting like rats packed in cages, and therefore it is no wonder we are so aggresive as a default. The rats in various experiments, apparently turned on each other, and started a canibalistic feeding frenzy out of the sheer pressure created by their cramped living quarters. Their hostility to one another became a means of ensuring the survival of the fittest. The results of research into the behaviour of new born male rats and how high levels of testostorone drive them to start trying to eat each other when they are barely out of their mother's womb, is a topic for another day.
My own conclusions from the various experiments and how they relate to Nigerians is that we are very 'dog eat dog' in our approach to life and our actions are akin to the high testostorone induced behaviour of the new born 'male ratties' regardless of our gender.
Even our words of endearment will crack up the most stern faced individual.
'Look at your head like coconut', could be as much an insult as an expression of undying love.
A translation of a yoruba phrase that literally means ' if i slap you, you will instantly have a craving to eat all kinds of foods at once' tells me very clearly that we are graphic and dramatic in our speech and behaviour.
All the foregoing did not prepare me for the book titles i saw at a roadside bookshop, you know; the kind that has winnie the pooh sticker books nestled in any number of cheap, ghastly plastic toys, and all kinds of frightening looking text books targetted at children . The novels didnt inspire confidence either. There were titles like;
'Weep not mother'
'The ugly ones refuse to die'
' Amaka and the sacred fish'
All with suitably hideous illustrations on the book cover. It is food for thought, and fodder for great mirth as well. Ultimately, i can see that these inputs mesh together to unleash a great deal of innovation and entrepreuneural spirit in our country. There are many local champions, and pockets of excellence in almost every shpere of endeavour you can think of. My hope is that eventually, the pockets will spread, and there will be overlaps, and the remaining spaces inbetween will be infinitessimal, and we will have an upsurge of quality standards in this great nation.
So help us God!

AGE OLD WISDOM

When did it ever matter what I think and feel and am?
When?
When will I move my recognition in line with what matters
I came to a place of knowing the revelations of many lies
And the new light stung my eyes like shards of glass

It gave me wisdom of my years and eyes that spoke volumes
Eyes that knew much, had heard much and had seen much
Babbling created white noise that drowned the central truth
Totally masking its importance and diminishing its potency

The white noise is for a time when filters have not yet been
They are the ones for later, advanced models, not yet, not now
It is a smoke screen and a tying down of reasons
Shackled to the ordinary, the explainable
Diminishing the magical, the miraculous
The heavy weight of age old wisdom comes to a new realisation
That what I thought I knew, I do not
And what I thought was certain, is not
Certainty is vain and illusory
She is what we hang on to for comfort
When we need to take courage and step on out
Step on out?

I like that, yes, I like that 

I should step on out
Now that is wisdom

New Year 2014

As 2014 rolled in, I started to reflect on my desires, plans and wishes for the year. In fact, I had been thinking about this for over a month prior to December 31st. 

At the beginning of the previous year 2013, I wrote out a list of elaborate plans which I grouped under key sectors such as;Spiritual,Professional,Personal, Health etc. I wrote down 'next steps', 'action plans' and included all sorts of footnotes. It was a massive brainstorming session. I felt good afterwards, but that feeling was short-lived as I surveyed the long list and instantly got stage fright as it dawned on me what an enormous task lay ahead of me. I actually stuck together several A4 sheets so that I would have everything in one place. There after, a vicious circle began where I attempted to implement my grand plans, came up short, fell into a guilt trip and on and on it went.
At first it seemed like an utterly useless activity! On deeper contemplation, I realised that the excercise had value in that I was able to do a  mental 'clear out' of sorts.

I entered this New Year with only one decision , which is such a contrast to a year ago. In simplifying things, I think I might have got rid of some lurking anxiety and given room to be instructed from above. As a result, I have found myself more focussed, and gaining better clarity as to what my next steps should be. Perhaps after all, the massive brainstorm was indeed part of the route to get here.
The one decision that I made was so simple but yet profound.
It was to be still.
To be still before God is not easy, and requires discipline, and I have discovered that I must keep whispering my new strategy to myself. Being still literally means banishing fear in every shape or form. Fear has its uses, and must be paid attention to in the right context, but really, 99.9% of the time, it is to be stared down and asked to go away.
So far, in two months of being still, there have been positive outcomes. Being still has allowed me to feel the love of God, and to receive it in a refreshing new way. In my stillness I was led to ask for wisdom-oh yeah! Just like Solomon. In my stillness I have discovered un confessed sin, bad attitudes, and hurt that needs healing. This may be the most important decision that I've ever made. I am released into a renewed confidence that I will be led aright and God hears me and speaks to me;because of that, I am strengthened within.

The words of Psalm 131 sprang to mind, I think it speaks very clearly about being still.