Does God make a way....?

I sat close to them, so I couldn’t help overhearing. I swear I wasn’t eavesdropping.

From their conversation, that beautiful young lady was a Nigerian graduate awaiting her call to serve her nation. An elderly man engaged her in a conversation, he asked where she would like to be posted for her youth service and she enthusiastically replied "LAGOS!!!”  ‘Why Lagos, what do you hope to do there, where would you like to work, do you have any specific place in mind’? . These were his questions and mine too. She said she will get a job somewhere, I think the man was as shocked as I was or even more, he further asked paraphrased " just like that?, don’t you have plans, who is supporting you?, maybe you must have something or someone you are hoping on” her reply was " I believe when I get there, God will make a way."

Really! Does God make a way? Did I hear her right? I bet this story is familiar, have u heard it before? are you guilty of playing a part in this story at one point in your life or the other? I bet most of us are members of the 'LEFT AM FOR GOD' group.

Does God truly pave your way without your will; will he make your way without a direction?

I think this question is based on rhetoric.

Our lives may belong to our creator, but he has given it to us to make use of it judiciously, we should be in control of our lives, we should have a lifetime plan. It is your destiny, take charge of it. Let’s not live as victims of circumstances. Some people say we should have plan A, B and even C, and I think you should go along with that though I only make substitutes when d original falters. Keep planning. I know when Peter Marshal prayed that we should have something to stand for lest we fall for anything, he may not have had this scenario in mind, but I think its applicable here. When you don’t know where you are headed, the winds of life sway you to any direction of its choice and you follow it. When you know what you want out of life and the storms come, you get back on track, maybe not so easily or fast, but you eventually recuperate.

These tips have guided me thus far and I hope they become as useful to you as they have been to me:

 1. Make an appraisal of your life, look at where you were, where you are, see how you’ve come and think about where you want to be. Dreaming is healthy as long as u wake up early enough to live your dream

2.  Make a list of your positives, what is your selling point?  What are you good at, what are u talented in? Try to link these to your dreams and aspirations. They should go hand in hand cos one who has no teeth cannot dream of cracking bones.

3. Break down your aspirations into steps, these steps are your goals, and these goals should be grouped into long term and short term. Every long term goal should also have short term plans. If you aim to get a degree in 4 years time, your short term plans may include scouting for your choice course and school, getting an application, preparing for your exams, writing entrance exams etc.

4. Set a deadline for all your goals, it’s called self discipline. When you attach a time frame to your plans, you are well guided and more able to achieve them at a faster rate.

5. Reward yourself. When you achieve a goal, you deserve a reward, no matter how little- a bottle of champagne, a new book, a funfair treat, vacation, name it. I once got myself a set of contact lens as a treat.

6. Don’t stop there, the reward for hard work is more work. Don’t feel you’ve arrived yet. Keep dreaming and keep planning. The world is awaiting a successful you.

Cheers.

DRIVING LESSONS

A popular rule says "dont overtake Unless you have a clear view of any approaching traffic and you can complete the manoeuvre safely.
While the overtaking precautions say u should not overtake till the coast is clear, I will say keep moving, in this case, I wont call it overtaking cos in life everyone should move at his own pace irrespective of those on the road with you.
Moving ahead in life should be constant, the law of inertia( inability to stop while in motion) is a law of nature that should be applicable in our daily lives. If we all wait for all the lines to fall in place before begining a new project or completing an existing one, then we can't get much done. There are no free zones in life, some roads have potholes, others are bumpy, a tree could fall on the road, or a big vehicle may stop functioning, it could be the traffic or the speed limit, could also be a pedestrain crossing, there's always something ahead.
Don't wait till the view is clear before you take the right steps, the road doesnt have to be devoid of obstacles before you head towards ur direction, all you need is a destination and your wheels, your will is your wheel and you are behind it to steer you towards your destination.

Wishing you a happy ride

Memoirs......

It was the eve of February 14- feast of St. Valentine, We were ushered into the sitting room, eleven of us, students at that moment, I looked around, on the wall hung religious portraits of Jesus and Mary as is seen in the homes of many Catholics, my attention was caught by a huge television, the biggest screen I have ever seen, coming from an average background, such wasn’t found in my home, the television was showing one of the channels from the Multichoice satellite, but no one was around to watch. Few minutes later, the man we were waiting for arrived, he brought a keg of foreign wine and asked for cups to go round we all partook in it, sweetest wine I’ve ever tasted, the wine confirmed the saying that old wine tastes better cos it was aged 30 years. We were engaged in a chitchat and told of how lively and fun filled romance was in the generation before us, of course we knew that times had changed and things that matter most have been replaced by frivolities. He called our love mechanical, I don’t know what triggered the choice of words, but I tried to understand if it was devoid of the practicals mechanical engineering students are known for or if the practicals have replaced the theoretical aspect- all shows no words or all words no shows, but I knew a balance had to be reached somehow for all to be smooth.

We were taken back to the days when lovers held hands while walking round the gardens and wrote notes to express their love. I came to realize that what we have today is a mockery of love, most times spent in the confines of the room, holding more than hand and speaking words that can’t be written down….(story for another day)

In the midst of all these my mind and imaginations travelled to places, many sought to watch TV but had none at their disposal, here there was one with a full subscription and no one to savour that opportunity. We were in the home of a man who had so many achievements to his name, and he couldn’t find time to relax. I came to one conclusion- THERE IS NO END TO STRUGGLING IN LIFE, the higher you go, the more responsibilities you acquire and lesser time to spare on rest and sleep

We were in the home of late Prof COE Onwuliri. Today marks the 3^rd year since he journeyed to higher grounds, and his life and lessons still linger. Eternal rest grant unto him oh Lord.