CHAI, THERE IS GOD!

I just was wondering why the above statement became such a big hit in the social media following the First Lady's reactions on the Chibok girls saga.  Does it have anything to do with the personality that made the utterance? or has it anything to do with the way and manner it was said? Am asking these questions because, here in Nigeria, the phrase 'there is God' is common place. In fact, it has become a cliché among Christians. We often make statements like: 'There is a God that rules in the affairs of men', 'I tell you, if you try me, you'll know that I serve a living God',  'friend, in all you do, just know that there is God', etc.

Granted, our First Lady may not have the gift of the garb. She may not have been proficient in her communication skills, but assuredly, she has a lot of strength and courage to her credit. If you ask me, I'll tell you that she is a very wise woman too. I arrived at this conclusions after studying the Book of Psalms 14:1. My findings point to the fact that the distinguished First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a Super wise woman.

The Holy scripture stated it in very clear terms that it is only a fool that says in his heart that there is no God. Here, Mrs. Jonathan did not only conceived it in her heart that there is God, she  declared it to the whole  world in tears that there is God. If you ask me, I'll say it takes not only a wise woman but a brave one to declare the supremacy of God in the midst of seemingly daunting challenges. I pray that the same God will show Himself strong in our lives and situation as a country. Beauty will come out of this mess, I pray. Very soon it will all make sense.

If there be any emotion I feel for Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan, it is that of admiration. She is a very brave woman and has a lot of courage. It amazes me that amidst all the jesting, mockery and the truck loads of degrading statements that follow any of her outings, she still rises to the occasion when ever another opportunity presents itself. That for me is amazing. If most of us have this quality, we would long have left the place we are today. For self pity and the fear of failure has kept us at a spot for so long a time now. It's time to learn from Madam First Lady and move on. Don't let yesterday's mess rob you of tomorrow's greatness. Courage in the midst of daunting circumstances is a very rare quality. It is exclusively reserved for heroes and amazons. It is the distinguishing factor between achievers and mediocre.

Many individuals with mastery in the use of words and command of the English language will not withstand half of what our first lady has had cause to endure. She will go down in history as the First Lady that earned herself the highest criticisms, but that doesn't seem to bother her, for she has taken it in her stride. I remember how bad I felt one day after a ministration, and a very close friend came to me and pointed out gray areas; where I did not use the right tenses or where I pronounced the words wrongly. It affected me greatly, so much that I drifted into melancholy.  Another incident happened when from the blues, a lady in church came to me and told me straight to my face that I am  the worst Sunday School Teacher she'd ever seen. Now, that hurts! You know why? It hurts because I started teaching Bible Studies from Secondary School Days. I've gotten  gifts and commendations as a Super gifted teacher and now, here's this lady destroying all the self worth  and credentials I've built for myself over the years. It was hard for me to take in, I must confess, but I dealt with it with the help of counseling and self development. Am telling you all these stories to let you know that I know exactly what it feels like to be under fire and be criticized, whether constructively or destructively. I did not quit teaching or ministering but it stirred a passion inside of me to become a better person. Do I still make mistakes? Yes! am  I learning from them? Yes! will I still make mistakes? sure thing but not with my eyes open.

Next time, just before  you start criticizing others or when you engage in name calling, take a moment and ask yourself, if I face the same situation  where folks call me names and criticize me for the things I don't do right, would I find it very entertaining? Would I still be that calm and collected Dude or Babe? Would I Still posses the courage to face life and its attendant challenges? If you answer in the negative, then my dear, you have no right whatsoever to make another person a laughing stock no matter who that person is. I make bold to say therefore that it is only a fool that says in his heart that there is no God. So friends, I don't want to be labeled a 21st century fool. So I shout it to high heavens that THERE IS GOD OOOH!!!

#LegallyBlunt