DILO BEFORE YOU JUDGE

I was thinking this morning..... As part of our year end Family Safety Campaign, we had an event tagged 'Day in the life of (DILO) a working parent, where we arranged for families to visit their Daddy or Mummy in the office. This was to afford the children and spouses the opportunity to not only see where daddy or mummy works but to also give them an idea and first hand experience about the kind of job they do to put food on the table daily.

It's so easy to assume you understand someone without really taking time to walk in their shoes. Some men go out all day in search of daily bread for the family but when things don't work out as expected, they are called lazy. Take a day out to shadow him, then you will truly understand he is doing his best.

So many men do not appreciate what their wives go through juggling both work and home front. If you DILO your wife, you will never disrespect her again.

I believe the reason many of our political leaders lack empathy for the poor is because they can't appreciate what the poor pass through daily. If only, every aspiring leader will be made to truly spend a full day or week living the life of the very poor, they will take decisions that will be people oriented. Eating corn on the streets with the masses as election photo op is not DILO.

Before you judge or condemn anyone for not delivering, make sure you've at least DILOed him or her. Even God sent his only Son to have a DILO of man, so he could save us. Hebrews 4:15 'For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.'

Don't be in a hurry to judge. First seek to understand. Plan a DILO today.

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday.

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

MUMMY, TERRIBLE SANDWICH BY THE WAY

 

I was thinking this morning.....  I recently saw a video of a little boy aged about 3 or 4 years returning from his first day at kindergarten. He got off the school bus to the welcome of his excited mum saying 'Hehehe.. you did it.' The little boy's immediate response as he looked the mum straight in the face was 'Mummy, terrible sandwich by the way.' And the mum responded 'Thanks for letting me know.' As the video went viral on Tik Tok, the mother defended the son by writing 'I am a terrible sandwich Mum. Not my kid going viral for roasting me.'

I am sure you are thinking that this cannot be an African mother and son. Of course, they are not African. African kids know better. I imagined telling my mama in those days 'mama, your soup no sweet.' There will be instant retribution, the best of which will be a horn-producing 'konk' and the worst, 'go and look for your mama that will cook for you henceforth.'

African mothers take no nonsense. One can even say, on the issues of discipline and morals, they take no prisoners. To the extent that there is a pidgin English adage that says 'No pikin go say im mama soup no sweet.' E get why.

The world today is completely different. Where do we draw the line between encouraging our kids to speak up and deliver negative feedbacks and the demands of respect? In the world of Lai Mohammed what that little boy told the mum is nothing but Kindergarten hate speech.

We must train our kids to be respectful in words and deeds particularly if they must give a feedback that is negative. Life and everything that comes with it is a gift and should be appreciated. A son that cannot see the blessing of having a mum that makes a sandwich for him and calls the sandwich terrible, will likely end up being a husband that will never appreciate the wife. He will probably not appreciate God for giving him a Mercedes instead of Rolls-Royce Boat Tail.

The world is in need of grateful adults and not critical ingrates. 1st Thessalonians 5:18 says 'In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.'

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday.

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

WHO'S PLAYING THE MUSIC?

 

I was thinking this morning..... the 11.8km long Third Mainland bridge over the Lagos lagoon, has become an altar of sacrifice of sort having witnessed a series of suicide cases in the last four months. Every of such incident I read reminds me of how I dreaded some rivers in Warri those days because of the sacrifices we see traditional worshippers do by the riverside.

Just last Thursday 10th November, a young lady with Department of State Services (DSS), alighted from a Uber taxi car on the Third Mainland bridge and plunged into the lagoon to her death. What was shocking to everyone as information started coming out was that this lady seemingly had a good job, was recently proposed to by her fiance and just a few months ago received a letter of commendation from the Director General of DSS as the best-unarmed combat operative in her set.

As many wondered how and why someone so blessed would kill herself, concluding that mental health challenges are real, I remembered the quote by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche 'And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.'

There is no doubt that those that are suicidal are dancing to some music others can't hear. We have interrogated why such persons dance to the music and how we can prevent them from dancing. However, no one is asking 'who's playing the music?'

You may be a driven supervisor that crushes anything and anyone on your way to achieving a goal. If your actions are weighing down a colleague, then you are playing the music. A girl named Ruth may have disappointed you in the past. Today, you are ruthless and brash to ladies without recognizing the emotional damage you are causing. Should any of the ladies decide to dance to the music and commit suicide, be aware that you were one of those that played the music.

Be intentional about how you treat people. People are going through internal conflicts, don't add to it. Show empathy. Speak kind words. Luke 17:1 says 'Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come.'

Stay hopeful. God's got your back.

Happy Sunday.

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

THIS LIFE NO BALANCE

 

I was thinking this morning..... I was going through Facebook days ago when I saw the following words on a friend's wall: 'We cry for the dead, keep malice with the living, envy the successful and avoid the poor. This life shaa no balance at all.'

But is it true that this life is not balanced? Think about it. Anyone that read the news of how Femi Otedola rented a super luxury yacht for N2.2 billion to celebrate his 60th birthday in a country where civil servants retire at 60 with N2 million gratuity that may not be paid, will conclude that this life no balance at all.

I know of a very successful, God-loving man who has been believing God for a child for over 20 years, that has a mean domestic staff that can't afford to care for his wife, yet has 10 children. Chai! One will say, truly this life no balance.

We live in a country where political thugs are paid millions of naira and politicians earn hundreds of millions of naira, yet school teachers and University lecturers that are supposed to mould future leaders are treated with disdain and paid peanuts. I can hear you say this life no balance.

As I examined life, I discovered that the poor see the rich as thieves while the rich regard the poor as lazy. Truth is, you cannot hold a grudge against a man because he is rich, neither can you judge another for his misfortune . Everyone is absolutely responsible for the outcome of their lives. Because some have and others don't, does not imply life is not balanced. What you are and what you will become are dependent on the choices you made yesterday and are making today.

When you understand that the life of a man does not consist of the abundance of his possession and that the choice of whether to love or hate is in the power of man, then you will agree with my friend that says 'Life balance, na human beings naim no gree stand well.'

If you are standing right in your thoughts and action, you will discover that life is balanced. 1st Corinthians 10:12 says 'Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.' If you feel life is not balanced, I urge you to examine your posture. Na you no balance.

Stay hopeful. God's got your back.

Happy Sunday.

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey