EVERYWHERE STEW

 

I was thinking this morning..... as the first half of the year ends today, I reflect on a number of recent incidents. Tomato, the edible berry of the plant Solanum lycopersicum, has, from time immemorial, been an indispensable ingredient in making our Nigerian stew. It is also a basic ingredient in a large variety of raw, cooked, or processed foods, including our signature Nigerian jollof rice.

In recent weeks, however, tomatoes have become like gold. Scarce, expensive and out of the reach of ordinary citizens. In order to keep enjoying our traditional rice and stew, Nigerians have creatively resorted to cucumber and watermelon stews. The truth be told, without fresh tomatoes, stew no fit be stew.

'Everywhere Stew' is a deliciously inane Nigeria phrase that means something that is masterfully prepared and high quality. For lovers and fans of Nigerian music star, David Adedeji Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, you will no doubt agree that his June 25th glamorous wedding tagged Chivido'24 cannot be more succinctly described than to say 'Everywhere Stew.' There is only one thing that made it happen. Tomatoes were not in short supply. Without tomatoes, everywhere can not stew.

Ironically and sadly, on the same day everywhere was stewing at Harbour Point in VI, Lagos, just a stone throw away, 45 year old Nick Imudia, the former chief executive officer of Konga and CEO of D.light, a leading innovator in residential solar energy solutions, was tired of life and decided to end it by jumping from his residential storey building at Lekki. Nick had all the money to buy tomatoes, but he couldn't make everywhere stew.

Just like stew without fresh tomatoes is putty, living without the tomatoes of life is torture. While some may rely on money to buy the tomatoes for their stew, others simply just sow the tomatoes they need. Self-love, peace, and a renewed mind are the tomatoes of the stew of life. Cultivate the tomatoes of life and then you will be sure everywhere will be stew around you. No wonder Romans 12:2 says, 'And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.'

My prayer for you is that as we get into the second half of this year, everywhere will be stew around you. You will not lack physical tomatoes nor the tomatoes of life.

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

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