As the season of paying respect to Madiba is ongoing, one of the remarkable traits that he was known for, was his ability to forgive the people who had wronged him despite the impact of the wrongdoings. So this got me thinking, how was he able to forgive just like that? While thinking along this line, I went down memory lane.

I remembered a certain event that made me understand what forgiveness is. When I was in JSS1, I had just started the secondary school journey in a boarding school far away from home, so no fresh, yummy food like those I had at home neither did I have the luxury of a personal bathroom and all[you know the regular boarding school life. Loved it though] I had ‘Apollo'[Acute Haemorrhagic Conjuctivitis]. This was the first time I had any sickness that had to do with my eyes, even though, the ‘visit’ of chili pepper to my eyes was recurrent, but not Apollo[sorry I enjoy referring to the ‘eye sickness’ as Apollo; bear with me]

The Apollo/AHC worsened; my left eye was swollen and very red [it was one eye, but it felt like it was both]. While battling with AHC and visiting the school’s clinic [aka sickbay] for medication with no sign of improvement, I heard a classmate of mine [She just got infected with AHC] make reference to the fact that ‘She had contracted Apollo/AHC from me’. I was so angry with her [Little girl’s tantrum], I confronted her and she apologized but I did not accept her apology [it was not enough, I wanted something more].

Apology was not accepted, therefore ‘malice mode’ on! While this drama was taking place, someone [I can’t even remember whoever that was] had told me that inserting my early morning urine in the infected eye was going to help in curing the Apollo/AHC [hehehe, I think you know what happened next. I won’t describe the ordeal].

Yes I did it the next morning. And there was no change, if anything, it worsened, and I did not talk to the girl or forgive her either. To cut to the chase, after two days with no improvement, I forgave my classmate; my eye cleared up within the next two days, after being ‘Apollo infested’ for almost two weeks.

So what am I driving at? You may say that my eyes getting better was just a normal occurrence that was inevitable but took a long time; Well! I do not disagree with you or that it was the medication that worked, I do not disagree with you either. But in the midst of all that went on, I learnt that forgiveness does not just do the other person some ‘good’, it does some ‘best’ to the offended party as well.

Forgiveness is not a feeling, it is a choice you make consciously and subsequently with constant practice it gets easier. It is safe to think  that Madiba did not like forgiving his tormentors, but he chose to forgive. Was it an easy decision? No! Did it get easier with time? Probably Yes! I recently stumbled on a tweet by Joyce Meyer, she said “Unforgiveness is like a poison and bitterness in your soul. Your life will always be bitter until you get rid of that poison”. I totally agree.

Don’t get me wrong by thinking that after my ‘ApolloAHC ordeal’, I learnt to forgive immediately, no it did not just stick just at that moment, but it was a significant step, which is why I have not forgotten the lesson even though I’ve forgotten the people involved. Choosing to forgive is an act of humility.
Christ has told us how many times we should carry out this act: 70 x 7 [matt 18:21-22]; I don’t believe anyone will choose to count this, as this was a metaphorical answer; meaning ‘at all times’.

In the present world where we live, people will keep testing our forgiveness but we are to make the choice to forgive, lest we keep ‘poison’ in our soul. Has your forgiveness been tested in a manner that ‘crossed the line’? How did you deal with it? How did you learn to forgive?

P.S And yes! my eye sight is doing just great,thank you. Lol.  Have you ever had a naive experience in which you learnt a lesson from it as well, not necessarily forgiveness, please share!

When I was a little girl [and sometimes now], whenever I am told by my mum that we [the family] are travelling, there’s a regular ‘drama’ that takes place. The night before the intended day of travel, I sleep intermittently; I am asleep for 30minutes and awake for 45minutes, then asleep for 30mins and the cycle continues till it’s time to wake up to prepare for the journey. So what goes on during those hours when I am awake?

“Ah ah what’s the time? is it not daybreak yet? nawa oh” then I fall asleep while grumbling silently. The next time I wake up, I could just take a look at the outfit that has been chosen for the trip and start imagining how I will look when it’s time to wear it; then go back to bed. These are just few of the ‘scenes’ that take place in this ‘drama’. However, something happens when it’s finally time to wake up-my eyes are open but my body is tired due to lack of proper sleep. [Okay! Chinomnso, why the long story?]

It’s the ninth day of December 2013, there could be promises we are waiting on, to manifest [let me put it this way] or maybe there are promises that should have manifested long time from now[early this year], but it seems as if, there’s no ‘green light’ signal, it’s from ‘frying pan to fire’ signals you seem to be getting. Every time you anticipate to see the promises, it’s far from visible.

Okay!From this day, I urge you to grab a ‘truck overflowing with hope’ and smile, because there’s something significant about the promises of God-they always come to pass, it may not be at your ‘own right’ timing; but it will definitely be at the best timing for you. In your own eyes, it may look as if the right time was supposed to be yesterday, the last 11 months or even 2012; but be rest assured that He that keepeth thee, neither sleeps nor slumbers and He makes all things beautiful in His time.

So while you await the manifestation, fix your eyes on Him with joy, knowing that He has your best interest at heart. Also, while you wait, rest [rest?!] Yes, rest! assuming I rested when I was supposed to be resting, I would have been strong for the journey.

Get into the rest area!

In other words, as you wait for the manifestation of the promises, keep your mind at rest by engaging in other positive things and drawing strength from the word of God. Because the more you wait agitatedly, the more you ‘wake up and realize it’s still dark’, and the more you wake up in such a manner, the farther the visibility of manifestation.

You may say 2013 is almost gone and this —— has not happened, and God could be saying: ‘My child, there are 22 days in the year, I can choose any hour or minute in the 528 hours to bring forth the manifestation’ or ‘My child, 2014 is the set time for this not now’.

I do not know why I woke up with a burden to put this post up, but I believe that as simple as these words are; someone is encouraged to rest while waiting.

Have an awesome week!
                       God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his                              mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? Num 23:19
P.S remember to share and leave a comment.

You need to have seen how I was singing and shouting yesterday night as I was overjoyed that I was done with this assignment that wanted my blood.[whew!] I had muted my BBC News, so there was no way I was going to know what was going on with my music on, but trust Facebook [smiles], so I logged on, and there it was, everyone with their tributes to this legend-Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela aka Madiba, Tata. He had passed on.

I tried to recall when I first heard of Madiba, it was sometime in my mid-primary school years when I heard my teacher talk about apartheid, she had brought the ‘Cry Freedom’ movie for us [the students] to watch. Afterwards, she explained what apartheid was, but for the life of me, wrapping my head around the segregation of whites and blacks was something my naive mind saw as being ‘absurd’. We are all human why should an issue arise because of our skin colour? I asked myself. But as I grew older, it became believable and not absurd.

So few months ago, when I heard he was really sick and was admitted to the hospital. My sincere thoughts were: ‘It’s time for Madiba to rest’. So hearing of his death yesterday, I was a tiny, lil bit sad but mostly content as I know and believe he has lived a very good life

As everyone pays tribute to this great man, I choose to press ‘pause’ on my other posts, to take out this time to share some lessons I’ve learnt from Madiba from a distance.

Madiba was a man with a truck load full of perseverance. In his fight for equality and freedom, he was arrested for 27years and even upon his release he carried on. The 27 years imprisonment did not deter him from dismantling the legacy of apartheid. The reward- from prison to presidency [Joseph’s Twin] Persevere!

He was a man of great values. A tireless fighter of justice. Today, everyone sings his praise not for terrorism or murder, but for his great works. This just shows that your good works will always speak for you. Be good!

He was a man with a heart of gold. His forgiveness was indeed precious. A lady on the news last night while paying a tribute to Mandela, said when she heard of his release from prison, she was worried about what was going to happen to the whites as she is one. But to her amazement, Madiba made a speech on peace and working together. Wow! someone who had spent TWENTY SEVEN years in prison. #priceless# If he chose to revenge when he was released from prison, he would have been known as ‘the man that destroyed South Africa’ and not the ‘Pillar of peace’ he was known to be. Forgiveness builds!

He was a man everyone loved to reckon with. From Presidents to a new born baby[Yes!]. Today, everyone has stopped to pay tributes to him, everyone is inspired by him, people want to be like him [without the 27years imprisonment] lol!

Another significant thing I have learnt is that, Madiba made a lot of sacrifices in order to achieve all that he achieved. Just to mention a few-His time, not being a part of his children’s life for the time he was away, his marriages. He was selfless.

He was indeed a great leader, an epitome of humility, justice and peace. He will never be forgotten.

So today I choose to celebrate that a man of such calibre walked on this earth and I knew that he once lived.

Rest well Madiba, the legend, leader and hero of all times!

P.S please share the lessons which you’ve learnt from  Nelson Mandela’s life, in the comments section. And if you’ve not watched the movie ‘Invictus’, please do, it’s a very amazing capture of Madiba’s great work, starred by Morgan Freeman #youwillloveit#. Also look out for ‘Long Walk to freedom’ #cantwait#.

Hello! Hello!! I know you’ve been wondering what’s happening, ‘no post again?’ I am just away for just a day or two, I am being a student squarely,[assignments due soon] but I still long to reach out to you all. I will be back very soon, just close your eyes and open it.

I’ve got loads of posts that I cannot wait to put on the blog, interesting and exciting ones. Yeah! Watch out!

So while I’m away, I have a lil’ something for you. A friend of mine sent me the link and you know what I love to say-‘there’s love in sharing’, so I’ve decided to share the ‘Top 32 quotes every entrepreneur should live by’ compiled by Forbes.

It is my desire that we all become entrepreneurs, I am working towards it, and I know you want to be your own boss too. I know we have some entrepreneurs already, please leave your tips in the comment section, add to the list. So here are the quotes, and let’s not only read, let’s share, leave a comment and also act on them. Enjoy!