Chapter 27

Today, 27 years ago, God brought me into this world. I will never know if it was 36 weeks or 40 weeks of pregnancy, will never know what time it was that I had my first cry in this wide world, will never know what the feeling was like bringing me into this world. All I know is that God gave my mother the grace to go through a terrible period of her life, the second, after my sister’s. It was not easy, she did not abort me, did not even miscarry, but carried me to the very end and that to date, warms my heart.

A few things to share from the 26 chapters come herein. God has given me a chance to taste the bitter and sweet waters. It is a testimony going this far, to see myself the young man I have turned out to be. I do not gloat at that experience, but see through it as something that gives me every reason to hold on to the very chord of life God wants me to be a big part of. Today, I share the amazing grace of God for 26 years, open my world up to the 27th chapter of my life and rest in the care of God’s arms for the next 365 days, without any fear or trembling.

Lessons from a Good Life
Life is for living. That for me is an amazing lesson. I thank God for the times when it was tough in my life: my parents’ deaths, my sad times at high school, the horrible years at university, the kind of sadness at slipping into the world of academia, yes, that was a sad and lonely point many times in the 26 years. I have been able to realise that it is not all bad in life. One needs to stand up and smile through the tempests and be able to live a life. Life is for living and until we are willing to live it, it shall remain one sad absurdist block, something that makes no sense to us even when we want to make sense of it.

Love is the most amazing gift in life. I have had friends in the years that have made me smile, friends that have given me a sense of identity. I love all my friends and that was a tough choice to make, years ago, around 17 or 18 years of age. When you love someone, it does not matter what the world says, you make the final decision to let this person be a part of your life. My friends are not simply chosen, I see a destiny with them in life’s basic pattern. For me, loving people is responsibility because that is what God left me to do. I believe in love, in friendship, in commitment and over the years in the honesty that comes with the expression: I love you. To all reading, from the best of my heart, I LOVE YOU.

My workplace is an amazing thing because of the responses it elicits for me. I have learned to enjoy each aspect of my work. It does not matter how much I am paid, what matters is what change I am making in the lives of people. That is the best satisfaction people can have. My students have called me and called me their dad, yes, that scares, but also builds a sense of responsibility in me. I have seen children make choices that I would never have made and honestly, I feel proud when they make the right choices. I have learnt to work with colleagues, accept them and not let my academic abilities bully them. I treat them with respect and love. I love my boss, my department mates and every one in the system. I have learnt to work without grumbling but to be thankful for each day I have to get to work and be told my job is still there.

Life’s contentment is not in material stuff. I do not let the world know about how far I have come with academics, how much I earn at the end of the month or even what I own in my house. I do not believe such things ever give satisfaction to life. I believe in a higher life, one where I am sure that all things work for the spiritual and edifying. Now, that may be strange, because it seems to be making me a spiritual person. But there is something amazing in knowing that God stays at the top in everything. I never compromise the position I have given Him in life. I am glad He is my friend and has taken the place that most material stuff would have taken. Money, wealth and so many things make us happy. However, we lose the mark when we fail to realise who owns the wealth. We lose everything when we believe that all these things make us the happiest people. God help me not to have His place taken by anything. That to me will be idolatry.

People are an important aspect of our lives. Without them, we lose the essence of our being. People make us realise what kind of relationship we should have with God. People are important for amazing reasons. They talk to us and listen to us. They make us realise that we are not alone. They make life easier because we can be able to seek them out when we need a shoulder to lean on. I have known what talking to people has meant to me over the years and I never advise people to keep what hurts them to themselves. Reach out to the world, open your hands to them, make the world a better place and be remembered as one who touched people for the better. I am glad to have a host of people that talked to me, people that showed me my potential and I am glad to have found friends I cherish and love from the bottom of my heart.

A life without principles and focus is not worth it. That is one of the things that have kept me at the peak. I have made decisions that I look backward and think: WOW! I chose to be a teacher against many people’s will. I chose to do graduate studies in Literature. I have rejected the tide when I do not believe in its flow. I love life to myself and never compromise the standards I have set in life. I am glad I have not had the world sway me here and there. I have seen people lose focus in life and destroy their very fabric of existence. I believe in love, in God, in abstinence, in life, in happiness, in following my dream, in being me and in simplicity. If anyone dares step on those ideals, they will not have any peace with me. I stand by what I believe and never let go of the principles that have made my life worthwhile. I have made mistakes and learnt from them and I am glad I can make the best decisions without any fear of anything that I will regret what I did or said. Focus has kept me going.

Above all, the best lesson in life is that God remains God. That is the toughest, especially when I sometimes think that I have it all, and God brings me to the lowest position. There are times when I have actually told Him off and it has been a painful experience many times. God is amazing. He loves me and I am sure of it each day of my life. He has given me sense of direction, beaten me when I have thought myself better and held me in His everlasting arms of love. I am proud to be one of those that stand up for Him, that stand out for the truth of His love and compassion for me. He has made me glad, given me joy and made me realise, without Him, I am nothing. God has started a great chapter of my life and I am not even thinking of complaining. Through life, he showed me reason to smile through the storm and the best I can do is love Him back and keep Him my all in all.

I look forward to the next 365 days till I make 28. I know 28 will be even more amazing than 27, I AM SURE. I can only thank God for all and ask Him to keep me on His track. I love you all, you’ve been an inspiration. The greatest lesson I have learnt is that, there is even more to learn, and that has made me aware that these will be days of great study and learning.

I officially open a new chapter and a new me, let God write on the sheet and await the greater lessons gearing me to 28

Welcome to Chapter 27, Page 9889, the opening lines must be amazing!!!!!!!!!