Empty Head

image

He woke up on that Sunday morning with no particular agenda on his mind as usual, his family members had gone to church but he was sleeping when they left. Not that he would have followed them when they were leaving but at least he could have demanded that his breakfast be brought to the bedroom. He brushed his teeth and went to the dining table, his food had already been prepared, he ate hurriedly just so he could watch the highlights of his football team which would be playing later in the evening. At about 10:00 am, there was power outage so he became so bored, he didn’t know what he could do again; after watching football; movies and eating, or just sitting around, his list of ‘things to do’ become exhausted.

Such a purposeless life, he didn’t even have a job but he was a handsome one, it was years after the wife married him that she realised she had only married looks, asides this, he was lazy, lackadaisical and had no plans for his life not to talk of family. He on the other end married to get his free meal tickets and a house keeper, -a desperate rich lady met a purposeless poor man-! His wife must have taken her wallet to church or else he could have gone to take money to fuel the generator. So he did what he could do best; shower and look good and then he took a stroll, thinking “I may just visit one beer joint and hear the latest in town or probably just roll with the men”

image

The street was quiet save for few people still rushing to go church probably those already late or those going for the second service. He was already half way when he realised he didn’t even have a dime in his pocket, he cursed silently “to hell with that woman and her wallet, she could not even leave money for me, she would get it from me again today” so he made to turn back when he noticed a shadow, from the newly occupied attractive house on the street, the curtains lifted and the shadow beckoned on him to come, at first he wasn’t sure but the shadow kept beckoning. “I will just go see what it is” he said and moved closer, the shadow had moved from the window to the entrance door.

He saw clearly now, it was a shapely slender figure hiding behind the curtain, a leg was popped out, it was a fair smooth leg with a chain at the ankle, his mind began figuring what all these could mean. Then he moved closer again, and a hand adorned with trinkets, with long fingernails painted in red and gold made an invitation signal. Fascinated by the theatrics he moved closer a bit. The curtain was raised up to reveal two fair spotless smooth legs. Curious, he moved closer and now the figure peeped behind the curtain, having seen that it was a woman he threw caution to the wind not minding if it was a bait or something dangerous, he trampled reasoning, walked straight to the door of the house and pushed the curtain aside. There she was, with a wrapper hanging loosely around her chest, her makeup was loud and rebellious, the paint on her lips was that of a honey comb and the words ‘come’ which came from her mouth was smoother than oil.

When she said come, he could not decipher what was going on around him, his whole being yelled “ here I am, do whatever you want with me” he was there standing  but he did not know whether he was standing, running,  sitting or falling, then she caught him and kissed him and brazenly said unto him:

I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows. Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.  I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:  He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.”

And With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks. Until an arrow pierces his heart, like a bird darting into a trap. He does not realize that it will cost him his life.  He never lived to tell the story. His whole life was summarized thus: “he was among the simple ones, among the youths, a young man void of understanding”

Now, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words from my mouth. Do not let your heart be turned to her ways. Do not wander onto her paths, because she has brought down many victims, and she has killed all too many. Her home is the way to hell and leads to the darkest vaults of death.

Whatever name you call it, ‘scoring’ ‘away game’ ‘double dating’, ‘back up’, ‘friends with benefits’ ‘helping each other’ and so on….. fornication and adultery has only one end which is destruction: for the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:  But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.

Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house: Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel: Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger; And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;  And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

DON’T BE AN EMPTY HEAD, THE LORD PLACES VALUE ON YOUR LIFE BY DYING FOR YOU, PLACE VALUE ON YOUR SELF AND LIVE FOR THE ONE WHO CREATED YOU.

NB: REFERENCES: Proverbs 7: 6-27, 5: 1-23.

BUY THE TRUTH AND DO NOT SELL IT!

Life is a series of shopping; buying and selling, and I tell you it’s so interesting. You cannot but buy something even if you don’t sell a thing throughout your life time, you just have to buy. While some of us are shopaholics, some buy on impulse and some are very selective in what they buy. Some buy things they don’t need while some others are very strict and specific; they only buy what they need. More so we have a varying list of things to always buy every day, every week or every month depending on individual’s shopping schedules. Some of us just love the idea of shopping; just going round those big malls or surfing the shopping sites give us some kind of joy only we can explain. Again, shopping can be a journey of three hours for some and can be as quick as fifteen minutes, the bottom line is that the acquisition of new things feel good to the soul.

Most importantly, the word of God has some basic truth about our buying and selling life: no matter what you buy in as much as you don’t run into debts, shop excessively or waste money on frivolities, the bible says to you today: buy the truth and do not sell it.

 

SHOPPING LIST FOR 19TH SEPTEMBER, 2015 and still counting………………..

 

BUY WISDOM: Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom- Proverbs 4:7, James 1:5

BUY UNDERSTANDING: With all thy getting, get understanding- Proverbs 4:7

BUY INSTRUCTION: My son, pay attention to my words and incline thy ears to my sayings, for they are life to those who find them and health to all their flesh- proverbs 4:20-22

BUY RESPECT- You can never go wrong with respect; treat with honour, due obedience and courtesy your father and mother that all may go well for you. Show respect to the elderly and honour older people. Exodus 20:12, Leviticus 19:32, Ephesian 6: 3

BUY LEARNING- Get educated, be learned and continue to hold to the things that you have learned and of which you are convinced, knowing from whom you learned them 2Timothy 3:14

BUY DISCIPLINE– Keep and guard you heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.

SHOP ADDRESS

YOU can get it all in the all-encompassing book of life (THE BIBLE) and get more insights in different books and messages written and preached by God’s sons and daughters.

And please when you buy, do not sell it, do not trade it for what money can buy. Remember, all of these are worth paying for but too valuable to sell.

YOUR SHOPPING STARTS NOW, ENJOY!truth

Do nothing, Get nothing, Be nothing!

When I was fourteen, I thought my life was so difficult. I mean I was just fourteen and I had a lot to do unlike many boys my age. At that time, I had to wake up as early as 4:30 am to help my Mama prepare food that she would later sell at the Motor Park. Being a male child did not exclude cooking and house chores in my house, my parents frowned at laziness of any kind, even girls had days they wash my father’s motor cycle. By 6.00 am, my mother would be at the park, my siblings and I would later help my father arrange the shop where he sells building materials. Every morning, we had to arrange the materials, displaying them outside the shop before 7.00am so as to meet up with early buyers. 

Bathing and eating only takes thirty minutes because my father would never hear that a child of his went late to school. After school, I attended extra lessons in a teacher’s house who had taken interest in me. He wanted me to enroll for a junior mathematics competition which would earn me a scholarship to one of the best science schools in the country at that time. My parents believed I should not just enroll for the competition but Pass excellently. I did not believe I should; I was doing well in my class and all was well with me even though I was not like Gabriel, my friend who had a less difficult life than mine. At least he didn’t have to wake up at 4:30 am nor do a number of house chores. Worse still, he was not forced to attend the rigorous lessons I had to attend. The last time we went to his house after school, that was before I went for my extra lessons. Lunch was already on the dining table waiting for him and after we ate his food, he switched on the TV and said he had some programmes he had to catch up with.

When I was coming back from the lesson that day, I was embittered, I wished I had Gabriel’s parents. They didn’t push him to do more than he did. He wasn’t part of the top ten in our class, but his parents were contented with his performance. I was one of the best three in my class and parents felt I could do more. Less I forget I didn’t tell you that after lessons, I had to help mama wash the plates used at the park while my siblings also help in picking beans, washing pepper and the likes. The News was the only TV programme we were allowed to watch on week days, after that, we all go the library to read. Sometimes our parents stay and pray with us after reading, other times they remain in the sitting room and call us for prayers afterwards. We were allowed to watch our favourite shows on weekends, even at that, we still had to read.

Ten years down the line, what I thought was a difficult life has paid off for me so tremendously. Now I don’t wake up to cook at 4:30 am anymore neither does my mama but my day starts at 4:30 am nonetheless.  The discipline my parents instilled in us has prepared us for the enviable places my siblings and I are now. They saw what we didn’t see; they pushed us to fill our capacity. I remember the last time I went home, my friend Gabriel whom I envied so much at that time now had his turn to envy my success. I thought the kind of parents he had were the best, but mine were and still are. My parents are enjoying their lives right now because they are indeed ‘eating the fruits of their labour’.

Oh, I eventually passed that junior mathematics competition and my life has not remained the same ever since. Actually, that was the last time my parents paid for my tuition. I had three full scholarship offers for my Masters in choicest universities and as it is now I am in the place every 24 year old wish they could be but are not. As for me, this is just the beginning because eyes hath not seen nor ears heard, what God has in store for me. If you feel your life is difficult now because of the price you have to pay to be successful and become what God has planned for you, I tell you the alternative is to do nothing and then you won’t get anything and then you won’t become anything. Your life and destiny is worth the price, so please do something, don’t be tired, then do more and do more and Keep flying high because that is where God wants you to be.do nothing, get nothing

Be grateful for the things God didn’t give you

On a beautiful Saturday evening, I sat on my balcony, relaxing my tired body from the week’s work. I was glad I had no wedding or any ceremony to attend. It was just me having a good time in my own way. Thankful to God, the breeze was cool, so soothing it was to my tired head that I was beginning to doze off when I suddenly heard a shrill voice downstairs. It was the wailing of a child, I wanted to ignore it and just keep enjoying myself but the cry wouldn’t stop. So I bent over the handrails to shush the child but I just stood there watching, as the drama unfolded before me.

I saw the weeping child rolling on the floor, throwing tantrums and crying nonstop, I managed to listen to her words, she was shouting “give me my candy, give me my candy”. There was another older child trying to placate her while the oldest was inspecting the so called candy. Obviously the oldest child had snatched the candy from the youngest child now wailing. The older child was confused, while trying to placate the youngest child he was staring angrily at the oldest. All I wanted was to make them stop so I can get back to my relaxation but the drama hadn’t finished.

The oldest child shouted “David come here” the older child didn’t answer, he didn’t want to leave the wailing child. But the oldest called again, “David, are you deaf? I say come here now”! Still, he didn’t respond to the call. But as he saw him coming, he ran towards him and angrily mumbled ‘Yes’. The oldest looked him over, he even wanted to slap him but didn’t carry out his threat. All the while the wailing child didn’t stop, the oldest child drew David by his ears, reprimanding him sternly “Are you blind? Can’t you see that there is a hole in the candy you bought for our Daniella? Didn’t you hear when Mum told us to always check the things we buy very well before we leave the shop? Again, I can see an opening on the wrap, which means a sugar ant had gained access.” David was now remorseful, he saw that the fault was from him. So he bowed his head, avoiding the eyes of his brother “Now what are you going to do? The oldest child fired back “I will go and change it”. David said silently.

David took the candy from his elder brother and ran out of the compound, when the wailing child saw David taking the candy away, she increased her wailing again. The drama was interesting, I could not go back to my chair. While David was away, the oldest child looked away from the wailing child. The child looked at him judgingly but he stood there with his back turned to her. David ran into the compound with another piece of candy, he was elated as he ran towards his elder brother. The brother inspected the piece of candy over and over and certified it okay. “Now go and give your sister, he ordered”. The child rose silently as he saw David coming towards her, David gave her the candy and helped wiped her tears. The child stopped crying immediately and took the candy joyfully. The Oldest child smiled with satisfaction and walked inside while the girl started practicing some dance steps. Everything looked peaceful again.

I went back to my seat as I smiled to myself “what an episode!” I was Relaxed again and wanted to keep dozing off when the Holy Spirit started giving me some insights into the story.

When you ask God for something and he does not give you, it means it’s not right or good for you. When the candy was collected, it seemed the oldest child hated the youngest, but that was love. When she wailed and wailed, it seemed he didn’t care as he turned his back but he shared in that pain too. He didn’t want anything bad to happen to her by eating a seemingly infected candy. When God delays your request, he is only making sure that what he is giving you is the best and nothing but the best. And while God is at it, making sure that you have the best, no matter how hard you wail, roll on the floor, go without eating for days or even refuse to talk to him, he won’t pity you and give you the bad choice. Though your wailing is great, he will wait till all things are ready and are in their best condition so that your joy may be full indeed. So, some times when it seems God is delaying your answers, be grateful because he is working it out to give you the best and when you don’t seem to get what you want from God, be grateful for the things he didn’t give you. He has your best interests at heart and he won’t do anything to hurt you. Most Importantly, Remember that those times when it seems the pressure is unbearable and it seems you cannot take it any longer, please hang in there because your answer is only a step away. God is faithful, he will never forsake any of his own.

Credits: Bro Wole Olusanya, Coordinator, Family Life Seminar, Akure.