Am certain this topic seems more serious than interesting. However, I would love to have you see it from an inspiring angle. To the glory of God, I have been through thick and thin for a lady my young age. If you know a tenth of my story, you would understand why I said I am a work in progress and God has a great interest in me, hence I can't afford to let him down.
Lets spend more time looking at the rationale behind this statement:
In as much as I would not mind devulging and spitting out a fraction of my story so as to throw a pity party, I would also like you to know that no matter how bad or deep my scar runs, there are people out there who experienced and are still experiencing worse. I just learnt yesterday from someone who I know for a fact has seen almost all in this life that there is a place in a country where the city is regarded as " The city of the dead". The whole settlement is built on a cemetry where a great multitude of people where buried during the world war 2. He said that every slab of a dead body buried, has a tent over it where a family resides. The occupants of this settlement, move out of the cemetry once in a year when a memorial service is held in honor of the dead soldiers. After the service, they move back in and continue living life and sleeping on a grave like its a normal and regular piece of Land.
I also learnt from another that during the civil Biafra war that happened in Nigeria around 1967, people resolved into eating lizards for protein.
A story was published about a woman who sold her child and by the time She was given an audience to speak, She told them that her reason for selling her son was with the hope that wherever He was going, there would be food for him to eat instead of him having to starve while staying with her. Also, whatever money She gets from the sale of her child, will feed her for a while, hence making it a win win situation.
Some people think emotional trauma resulting from a failed relationship is worse. Some feel its the psychological effect of rejection by a loved one that hurts more. Some believe poverty is the leader of it all. Some people who experience one of these things, are driven to do terrible things either to another person or to themselves. I have not only experienced the three, I have experienced more and guess what? I am still standing and its only been God.
Initially, anytime I found myself in any of this phase of my life, I thought it was God neglecting me. Now when I see people going through lesser things and they feel they have gotten to their limit, I share my story and encourage them. Then it hit me like a splash of cold water on my face, God made me go through those things not because He was bored and he needed a project to amuse himself with, He was building me up to become a living testimony and a source of inspiration to people around me.
I remember when my aunt told me that when I was a baby, She used to buy me a carton of cerelac for fifteen naira from her business proceeds. And when it finished, She would soak garri with water and milk till it was so soft and mushy, then She would put it in my feeding bottle, shake it well and give it to me. Being the bubbly happy, hungry and sweetly naive baby that I was, I would suckle joyously and finish my garri like I was taking the most expensive and delicious baby food ever made. No wonder I have this unbreakable love for garri now. We fight and part ways for a while but our bond is so strong that we always find our way back to eachother. God bless the our ancestors for garri, it has indeed saved lives.
When you feel sad, lonely, devastated, heartbroken, confused, hurt, betrayed, furious, hopeless etc, Remember that there is someone out there who is living a worse life and would kill to be in your position. The fact that you are alive is a living proof that God still has you in mind and He has given you another chance at making things right with him and the world around you. Everyone has something peculiar and great deposited in us. Our manner of utilising it is what determines if it will either be for a good cause or the opposite.
Get up...... the time for loathing, depression, hurting, and disorientation on how to handle your situation is over. Tell yourself that you are a work in progress and God has a great plan for you. Work towards being better and remember that all great men and women have stories to tell. Whatever is happening to you at the moment is a process of your very inspiring and interesting script been written.
ponder on this and till our next article.......
XOXO
Jaymaimah
