Welcome to the April 4th 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
During a conversation with a friend of mine who had just come back home from a 4-day holiday out of town with his family.
It was not a long trip - just a one and half hour drive out of town.
One of his kids was so excited because of a new experience during the holiday.
The boy held a toad in his hands. The kid was so giddy with excitement telling me about it.
His dad and I smiled at the thought that holding a toad was a unique experience for the boy.
Nowadays, even seeing a live chicken is a unique experience in some cases.
We grew up close to nature so these experiences were commonplace to us.
I remember collecting toad eggs, watch them grow into tadpoles, and eventually transform into toads ready to discover the world on their own.
Just one of the nature-based activities I got to do as a kid.
But it's not just about the now.
I recall an event during my national service in the northern part of Nigeria. A fellow corper (that's what we were called) had gone bonkers when he arrived and saw a donkey.
He said he thought they were extinct.
Thought to be extinct for the guy living in the south of Nigeria but commonplace for the guy living in the north of Nigeria.
And this is how we miss out on the wonder of simple everyday things. Until someone with another view of life reminds us.
I got a reminder from my friend's family trip.
Things I Learnt
1-Always Remembering the way Gone by: My wife decided to make us a special Easter meal. One of the ways, she is showing us that is on the road to recovery.
Well, she decided to make fried rice. After a lot of effort, the meal is ready.
The only problem - our son said he did not want to eat yellow rice, he preferred red rice (aka jollof rice).
During the whole negotiation phase, I told my wife that I remember having the same dislike for fried rice when I was a kid.
Fried rice came few and far between but I didn't like eating it. A meal that included liver, which was on my not-to-eat list, was never going to get good reviews from me.
I could relate to my son's situation because I remembered being in the same situation.
And this is one thing I remind myself to do when I see Christians making some of the same mistakes I made when I started my walk.
It's given me perspective and the ability to show grace.
Something I try to do often. I hope I do it as much as God would want.
By the way, fun fact, because I also know that I used to like pillow fights as a kid, I do pillow fights with my kid.
Sometimes, remembering can also be fun.
2-Where God's Work is: During a conversation with a missionary couple who are friends of mine this week, they told me about a new transition they were making.
They had served in multiple different countries with multiple different languages to navigate.
They were now leaving their latest country.
The reasons were twofold. I won't talk about their first reason
But the second reason caught my attention.
Their children adjusted better in their previous country compared to the latest one.
They chose to serve God better by serving their children's interests better.
They understood that their choice today could help their children appreciate the gospel and follow after God better.
It brings to my mind Ephesians 6:4
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Children can have a view, voice, or vote in our family decisions. It takes wise parenting to know what to ask for per time.
And listening to them.
Postscript
May the message of resurrection stir up faith in your heart so you bring any aspect of your life needing renewal to the cross. The resurrection power will make all things new. Amen
Tata,
Tola
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