Welcome to the October 17th edition of Faith & Life Lessons.
You will see this email full of tidbits from my week. My goal is simple. I hope that from how I live my life, you can find a thing or two that helps you as you try to live a life that matters. I am always trying to do one thing - make Christ-focused decisions in love, work, and life. And this was my week.
The Story of My Week
This week had a high.
I signed off on the final payment for a transaction that we had been on for about 7 months.
This was a transaction that I discovered that I had grown in learning the lessons of acting and trusting.
I pursued the funding needed to close the transaction from all quarters but I also rested in the assurance that it is God that gives the increase.
This was a transaction that we originally had a 2-month deadline.
I recall as we neared the first deadline, during one of my community group (aka Cell Group) meetings, I told the other members an update on it.
I said this was a transaction I really wanted to close because it would have a positive impact on the business.
I was committed to doing everything necessary but I was going to rest in God for the outcomes.
God gave us favour because the other partner decided to stick with us - ever when she got higher offers than what we were offering.
We didn’t have a history with her - this was our first transaction together.
But God held the door for us and we got the time extension that we needed to raise the funds to close the transaction.
I am grateful Lord.
Things I Learnt
1-Parenting by Keeping Your Word: I read the biographical account of Daymond John, the founder of FUBU.
He recalls an event during his childhood that had a huge impact on him.
His parents had just divorced.
As his 7th-grade exam drew near, he came up with a plan to bring his parents together.
He would fail his exams.
He figured the school would have to invite both parents to discuss his grades with them.
The first part of the plan worked to perfection - he scored 35%.
But the school did call both parents - they called his mother.
It was a catholic school. The principal was sympathetic. The school said they understood that he must be going through emotional challenges as a result of the divorce.
They told the mum that they were willing to let him move to the next class because of this.
She responded “no”. She said she preferred that he retook the 7th grade.
When they got home, the mum told him that she was withdrawing him from the catholic school and moving him to the public school.
Furthermore, he was grounded for the summer.
He didn’t think his mum would do that.
The second one seemed impossible to execute. She worked two jobs and was not always at home. He could put the phone off the hook so that it was engaged. That way she could not confirm if he was home or not if when she was at work.
It shocked him when his mum got a third job so she could afford a sitter who stayed at home with him through the summer. He really was grounded.
And true to her words, she moved him to the public school to retake his 7th grade the next session.
The whole experience gave a clear sense that he is meant to take responsibility for the fallout of any action from that moment on.
He also saw how much his mother went through to keep her word to him, she got a third job to make sure he was grounded.
Years later, his mum would go out and mortgage her house for $100,000 so FUBU could have capital.
She could also keep her word to make him better.
2-Marriage is Making a new Culture: I did some thinking about the culture for a couple I came across.
They had a practice that was common in their culture.
The only problem is that it is creating a lot is stress for one of the spouses.
A part of me thinks this is one of the situations when culture is conflicting with scripture.
I’m learning from their example.
If any part of my culture does not serve the best interest of the kind of scripture-based marriage that God expects for my family, I am singing "let it go" to it.
I came to a conviction that the scripture-based marriage serves the best interest of every member of our family. We will all become the best of who we are made to be through it if we serve each other as it expects of to.
And this is what I want to live by.
Everyday.
Postscript
May you have the courage to live a life that is defined by scripture and not by culture. And may the peace of God guard and protect your heart at all times and in every season. Amen
Tata,
Tola - The Everyday Disciple
I help Christians like you who want to live intentional lives incorporate their faith into everyday life so they can make Christ focused decisions in all areas of life and truly live to make an impact and make God happy.
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