MyMUSINGS DAY 5

Ah, I am taayaaad! Work today had no chill. I'm tempted to spread out on my bed like a virus and shut down for the day.  I have to do this. I have promised God and my vows to the Lord I will fulfill before all His people.

The past three months in the office have been hectic. To top it all, I noticed that the attitude of my very jovial, dry joke cracker boss just changed. His replies were curt in the morning when I greet him. His jokes were not forthcoming, he just became stoic. Most times he kept assigning more work load my way especially stuff that I felt was a total waste of my time. At some point, I became confused about my job description.

It was almost like everything I did annoyed him and then he was bent on punishing me for something I knew for sure that I didn’t do. Maybe he was probably experiencing some marital problems, I mused. I would have asked him what went wrong or better still what I did wrong but for some reason I didn’t. The work environment that period was awful and it took it's toll on me.

It didn't help matters at all that my closest work buddies were resigning to move on to greater prospects. I confided in some of my friends about this on how I wanted to just resign as well. "Okay, you resign now and go to where?" I was asked. "See you, it's like you don’t even know what you have, people would tear cloth to be in your shoes" others said. "Hay, God, are you even listening to yourself?" Then a long hiss would follow.

After all these reactions, I couldn’t even bring myself to actually explain that the environment just wasn’t favorable anymore. That my really nice boss was gradually becoming an ogre and going to work was a struggle!

Today, he sends a message to me coping the MD that he wouldn't be coming to work and for the very first time, I stepped into the shoes of my boss. For about 8 hours, I was the CFO of the company.

As I dashed up and down round the office, creating reports, checking performance parameters this week, calling branch managers, responding to the numerous calls of my MD, detailing some colleagues to do stuff, meeting clients and affiliates, I'm humbled. I realize that my boss was actually preparing me for this! He knew very well that I would NEVER learn hard and fast with him being lenient with me and cracking jokes I rolled my eyes at. I had to learn the tough way as the task ahead was tougher, hence his withdrawal.

Sometimes this is how it is with God. When we face challenges that almost knock us out of the game, we are quick to write off the lessons He wants to teach. We feel that He has abandoned  us and we start recalling sins past that He doesn’t hold against us.

We start comparing our lives with others and wonder why ours is always different. Why we have to go through so much pain and struggle when it seems like everyone else has it easy. Why it doesn’t seem like anything is working out especially when we put in our very best. It may not look like it now, but trust me on this, God is preparing you for something wonderful! He hasn’t left you, just watching you more closely.

Hang in there! As is said, the teacher is always quiet during the test.

1 Peter 5:10 - And the God of all grace who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

 Nkem 

Photo Credit: Titus Ogunniyi 

MyMUSINGS DAY 4

My ride back home today was rather uneventful. I think I might have napped a bit sef. Earlier today, a close friend asked me why things can't just be simple with me. "Common to go back home "jejely" with BRT bus, nooo! You have to turn it into Festac BRT Bus Revelation Ministries". She says it with a poker face but still we both laugh hard. Well, nothing was revealed in the bus today. The small witch must have jinxed it.

Nevertheless…

Tuesdays and Thursdays mornings before 8am at work are prayer times. For a well recognized financial institution, this is pretty remarkable. Everyone take turns to lead in the prayer sessions and even the Muslims join us to pray!

Today I request that the Recovery Manager lead us and he makes a face. "Bros, abeg are you quarreling with Jesus?" I ask him. He starts to make a string of excuses why he can't lead that morning. I'm nodding trying to follow each reason but the truth is I still don’t get it. I try to encourage him that the fact he's in the mood funk he's in is the main reason why he should give thanks. We are still talking but I move towards the reception to beckon on the others signing in.

Our office assistant hears me and immediately exclaims " Miss Nkem, I will pray today o, I'm in the spirit" Ha! This young man is known for his marathon prayers and we need to keep it pretty short today because we were starting a bit late. I nod towards him while pointing to my wrist watch. He gets my message and smiles with his head to the ground.

Then the prayer starts.

15 minutes later, we are still praying.

For some reason, I look up and find one of my colleagues laughing with her eyes closed. I make a mental note to ask her about her "karashika" attitude later. This young man prayed o. 30 minutes later and our office assistant finally releases us with the grace.

.
Back on my seat, I'm thinking. I know God wants to ask, seek and knock. He wants us to come to Him with different prayers and requests and supplication with thanksgiving. Still, I think the most important factor is praying according to His will. I strongly feel that if something was not meant to be, if something isn't according to God's will for you, it might not just come to pass. It doesn’t matter how long you pray or how loud you scream or how many "Amens" you shout out per minute. It just won't come to pass. Even the greatest prayer of all time, the Lords prayer recognizes this. "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven"

Our guy probably knows this well and so he concludes with asking that God let us live out what He has planned.

For me, this is indeed the prayer above all prayers.

1 John 5:14-15 - This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

Nkem

On this night of record breaking by Real Madrid here is Nkem again.

MyMUSINGS DAY 3

I'm encouraged. Really.

The feedback to the MMM Day 2 message was inspiring, thank you all! I promised God that I'd do this to honor our Mother in this month of May. Each day, I would share my experience or those of friends and reach out to inspire someone, even if its just one person! Three days down, twenty eight to go…

I've known Lekan (name changed) for about two months now. We met on the queue at our usual Festac BRT bus stop. He sure fits the tall, dark and handsome description and what some call the 'yoruba demons' (meaning those unnecessarily fine looking Yoruba brothers) but I deviate here.

We talk casually once in a while when our paths cross or we get to seat together in the bus. Today he tells me his birthday was two days back and I genuinely wish him well. For some reason, I start to talk about him being grateful to God for his life, good health and other stuff. I'm stopped midway when he smiles and says, "Nkem, I'm a living testimony of what God can do". Of course the "amebo mama" in me springs to action and I subtly encourage him to tell me more.

Summary, Lekan used to be (in his own words) " a nonentity". A good for nothing, written off by family, friends, he had even written himself off. His life in the university was a mixture of hard drugs, booze, bad company. He said to me, "Think of anything evil and wrong and totally disgusting, I've done it". Of course his 8 carry-overs and CGPA of 1.1 was not a bother to him.

For an electrical engineering course of 5 years, he spent 9 years in the university. At some point he contemplated suicide as the solution to end the misery he called his life.

Today, Lekan is working in one of the topmost oil companies in Nigeria in charge of oil field inspection. The days he's not boarding the bus, he's probably in some helicopter hovering over oil fields in Akwa Ibom, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers State when he's onshore. He's seems happy and it shows.

You see, God can use the most mundane to do the most incredible! This brings me to realizing more that it doesn’t matter at all where you’ve been or where you're at, if you HONESTLY reach out to Him for help, He'll lift you up. He'll not only send His angels to take charge concerning you but they will lift you up lest you strike your feet against a stone. This He has promised. He CANNOT fail.

For Lekan, he knew he wasn’t living, merely existing, so he cried out. With all his heart he reached out to God. Of course God heard Him, from His heavenly throne he heard him, picked him up and then dusted him.

The rest today is history…

2 Cor 5:17- Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come!

Nkem

Bio: Jesus-Lover. Nature-buff. Social Entrepreneur. Business Doctor. Blogger. Youth Leader. I keep changing. For now, this is ME.

Today was a good day, tiring but good. On the bus home, we heard some gunshots and even those who had dozed off, woke up with such agility as if they had just passed 100V of electric current through their bodies! The guy seated next to me says loudly, ‘Nna ehn biko, let them tell me if I should lie down flat now, because I no fit to argue at all, na dem get power’.

Even though this brings about some laughter in the bus, this sums up one word- FEAR. This guy and most (probably all) of us in the bus were crippled with the fear of these robbers who perhaps where at a further distance from where we actually were. This brought me to a stark revelation that “Fear has no boundary, fear knows no limit”. Once you allow the emotion in, it completely takes over. When fear grips you, for those few seconds, you're motionless, your heart almost in your mouth, not even able to think but just focus on that which makes you afraid.

Fear Not!

This is easy to say, hard to follow I know especially in a country like ours. Nevertheless, it is said that this phrase appears about more than 365 times in the Bible. Probably God’s daily capsule for us to remember that He’s got this. Whatever it is that gives us the chills, God is saying, “Fear Not”. That’s enough assurance to hold on to as you can surely take God’s word to the Bank. Let your practice of His words be your everyday deposit and your faith be your currency.

It surely pays!

Psalm 118:6- The Lord is with me, I will not be afraid, what can mere mortals do to me?

Nkem

Bio: Jesus-Lover. Nature-buff. Social Entrepreneur. Business Doctor. Blogger. Youth Leader. I keep changing. For now, this is ME.

Hi there!

So for the next 30 days, I will be sharing with you an amazing journey into the life of my very dear friend, sister, leader, accounting professional and soon to be chorister, Nkembuch Melaugha

I hope you find each day interesting and challenging.

This would only be shared in the evenings

So welcome to Nkem's Musings

OjisiEmezie

DAY 1…The beginning

I looked through my list yesterday and the plan to "Reach out to at least 500 people for God" which is one of the goals to be achieved before my next birthday is quite daunting. Decided yesterday to simplify it so it can be more achievable. I've thought of several titles and came up with "Inspire 30 people in 30 days". This means I have to write something everyday for the 30 days?! Ha!

I'm not sure about the outcome of this considering I have not written in a while, February to be precise. Where do I even start from? How exactly do I inspire people sef? What will I write about? If I'm going to do this, today might as well  be my practice day.

Something tells me to just live and write. Make the little things count. Talk to some friends if they would like to share experiences, be extremely vigilant all through the day.

This will be tough o! What time would I set aside for this? Am I sure this is possible? God, abeg guide me. I really want to do this but I'm so chicken right now. The timing especially will nearly kill me!! Plus I have to drop something for each day?!!!

Won't overthink this. Anything that I can do, I'll do. Anywhere I stop, I stop. At least I would say that I tried.

Meanwhile, dropping a Bible verse at the end of each post, would just be fine.

Nkem

Jesus-Lover. Nature-buff. Social Entrepreneur. Business Doctor. Blogger. Youth Leader. I keep changing. For now, this is ME.

I have always been fascinated about her writings​. This fine trained psychologist can slice through any topic like hot knife piercing through butter. She does so with the finesse that is uniquely hers, a fine trait that makes her Ezinne Arua.

I trust you would find her "Reflections​ on Democracy" (my caption). Soon we hope to be blessed with her writings frequently.

Happy reading.

OjisiEmezie

I pray I live to see the day when our recorded achievements as a Nation will make a mockery of the savage we are living through in this our primitive days of democracy.

Democracy is a beautiful thing. According to its simplest definition, it is the government of the people, by the people, for the people. The very sound of it echos hope to those who practice other forms of government.

During our stints with the Military, democracy was the only Change we hoped for. A Change we got, a Change that has proved not to be that which we had hoped for.

Every four years, we fulfill the righteousness of an election. Admittedly, it bests the era of violent overthrow of the government, coups and other forms of military menace. Our electoral and transitory process is not much a bane on our democracy as the quality of leaders that get elected into leadership positions. For the right man (or woman) can get things done, while the wrong man (or woman) can rip away everything right in the system.

I remember this day in 1999. I can still see a picture of President Obasanjo in my head, waving to Nigerians after he was sworn-in as a civilian President. I remember the symbolic drive of the military back into the barracks. Maybe their trucks drove back, but the men did not. They only hung up their boots and uniforms and adorned the apparel of civilians and the game (simply) continued.

From the East to the West, North to South, there are countless ex-military men who have taken up civilian rule. From the Lords to their boys, they have also raised a new breed of "non-former military" politicians who have the same drive as they. Clinging to power by all means necessary and hoarding power as though it is a material object.

It is hard adjusting to ways that is unfamiliar to one. No one taught us how to be democratic. I understand that it may be hard to shed old ways. The struggle to become "anew" is seen in the ridiculous contrast between the democracy we read about in textbooks, that we see being practiced in other Nations and the democracy we have here in our Nigeria.

Early days can be hard. Great democratic Nations of today once joggled with their own democracy too, most still do. Nigeria too will learn.

It is up to us to shed the cloak of apathy, and build a democracy that would appeal, not to the money mongers, but to people that hold ideals, integrity and an unflinching passion for a service to the Nation.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Happy Democracy day.

Ezinne Arua

"There are two things children should get from their parents: roots and wings." Goethe

According to Wikipedia, "Children's Day is recognized on various days in many places around the world.

It celebrates children globally. Children's Day was begun on the second Sunday of June in 1856 by the Reverend Dr. Charles Leonard, pastor of the Universalist Church of the Redeemer in Chelsea, Massachusetts."

The International Day for Protection of Children is observed in many countries as Children's Day on 1 June since 1950.

*Universal Children's Day takes place annually on 20 November. First proclaimed by the United Kingdom in 1954, it was established to encourage all countries to institute a day, firstly to promote mutual exchange and understanding among children and secondly to initiate action to benefit and promote the welfare of the world's children."

Today we celebrate *Children's Day* in Nigeria, it is an event established in 1964. Every Nigerian child looks forward to this day even though not all of them benefit from the day's celebrations.

Why?

The growing spate of inequality in the distribution of our Commonwealth, increase in child abuse and molestation, and of course child mortality among others.

The Nigerian Child still suffers from malnutrition, lack of clean water, he dies of Polio, Malaria and other preventable diseases due to a decay in our healthcare system.

he still goes to school and​ sits in the floor, the Nigerian Child's future is bleak because the parents entrusted with the duty of providing solid roots and strong wings have disappointed him. Instead of deep roots, they have placed him on quick sand, placing him in swampy threshold where he continues to gasp for survival.

Pythagoras once said "Educate the children and it won't be necessary to punish the men." Maria Montessori puts it well when she said  "If help and salvation are to come, they can only come from the children, for the children are the makers of men."

Conversely, the "Naija pikin" wakes up to stories of disunity, kidnapping, embezzlement and misappropriation of funds meant to cater for his future. The parent has failed to rise to the challenges of personal example which is the hallmark of leadership.

They say he's the leader of tomorrow, yet they deny him the right opportunities and platforms to learn, to grow, to blossom. How then can he lead? How can he stand when there are no deep roots? How can he soar to heights on end when his wings have been taken away from him?

But the Nigerian Child is beautiful! The dexterity and doggedness with which he fights for his life is such that it inspires even the adult. He continues to clear his own path, to live above board, to make his parents proud even though they continue to disappoint him.

Today the Nigerian Child celebrates despite the many odds in his way. This one is in praise of the Naija Pikin!

PS

It's good to be back on this platform. Been going through some stuff. I trust you find our new look delightful?

It's all for you!

OjisiEmezie