Faith Lesson

My Part 3 in school was the first time I was registered to stay in the great Moremi Hall. This was the best female hostel in school in terms of proximity, neatness, facilities and even prestige. It was therefore not strange that i was excited to move into the hall without any form of lobbying. Moreover, in my sophomore year, students were not allowed to stay in the hostels and going to school from home was one hell of a task!
A good feeling it was therefore to register as a ‘moremite’! Alas! I completed my registration and was given room B204. Hurriedly, I located the B wing and dashed to the second floor. ..I saw room B23, 201, 202,203...but 204, I couldn’t see! Was there a mistake on my slip or on the doors? The first two people I tried to verify from were just as confused as I was. So, down the stairs i walked again to ask the authorities. ‘B204! Oh! That’s the round room on the left of the wing,’ said the porter. My eyes glowed as I heard ‘round-room’! D room must be very special I thought and I ran hurriedly up the stairs to see my special room! To my greatest horror, there were five bunks in it! It was a ten-man room! All the other rooms on that wing were two- and four-man rooms! I was downcast. I sat on one of the bunks and tried to cry...
My attempt to cry was interrupted by the tottering of my roommates as they came in one by one. Unlike me, they seemed to be very happy. ‘Asalamaleykum’, echoed in the room... they were all Muslims (except my bunkmate) and half of them HIJABITES! ( wearing long head coverings in the characteristic Islamic manner). My stomach began to rumble and my joints started to ache. I thought of the various religious crises in various parts of the country, of how dirty, scary and ugly hijabites were perceived to be. I was exasperated.
I managed to get up and greet all my roommates with a smile, I introduced my self and started to ask for their names. ..Basirat, Mujidah, Amina, Aisha, Tohiba...all these names they pronounced with the proper Arabic accent and i knew I was in for it! ‘I’m good with people,’ I said to myself! I’ll be fine!
My friends made matters worse, each time they came to my room, they made cynical and sarcastic remarks that made me hate the room all the more.
However, in retrospect, my stay in B204 was a worthwhile experience. I learnt to tolerate, to love and to be open-minded. I also learnt a lot about the Islamic faith as I was opportuned to listen to their sermons and mini-seminars which they had in front of my room (B204 became the headquarters of Islamic activities in Moremi hall and I named it ‘Islamic Republic’)
I learnt a plethora of lessons from the various incidences that occurred in that room. An unforgettable one was the day one of them came into the room all covered up from head to toe! She had always worn the hijab (or sorry, the ‘maghrib’;the name actually differs depending on the length of the veil) but this time, she had a veil on her face as well! There was a lot of clapping and cheering and shouts of ‘Alhamduliah’ filled the air! I likened the excitement in the air that day to rejoicing in Heaven when a soul is won! Indeed, they were all happy for her and extolled her greatly.
My brain cells also cheered as they cheered. I had too many questions..i was happy and I was sad. Happy because they were happy and sad at what they were happy about. When the cheering subsided, I beckoned on Aisha (the prettiest and most intellectual of them all) to come to my corner.’ Lawyer! she said, what is it again?’ I started reeling out my questions as i always did: Is she married or engaged? What’s the significance of the veil? Could she see through the veil? Was her faculty going to let her write exams with the veil? How is she going to get a husband now that she’s all covered up? Isn’t it uncomfortable?
She listened carefully to my comments and questions and her response till date is my most challenging sermon on faith. ‘Wunmi’, she said, ‘In Islam, we hear and obey; when you obey, Allah will always sort out the rest’. Her words hit me like a time-bomb! She told me of the ridicule and persecution they face from family and friends considering the fact that they were pretty undergraduates (they really were) she went further to explain the difficulties and discomfort they experienced at the beginning of their becoming “hooded”. And of course, she talked of her unwavering faith in Allah who she was sure was going to reward their obedience. She was convinced that Allah who commanded them to cover up will certainly provide them with their rightful husbands! By the time she was done talking, I became unusually speechless and all I could say was: ‘I wish you were a Christian with this much faith’.
This kind of faith reminds me of father Abraham who God told in Genesis 22 to offer his only son for a burnt offering. When his son asked him where the lamb for the offering was, he responded: ‘God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering.’ He was about to slice his son’s throat when he heard the voice of the angel to do contrary! God provided a lamb! The great point of Abraham’s faith was that he was prepared to do anything for God. He was always ready to obey God and God always showed up for him. Always! (see Abraham’s story from Genesis 11.)
Let me add that there’s a thin line between the attitude of faith and the attitude of a fanatic and I’m not sure I want to write about it here but this I’m sure of: when we obey God, He’ll indeed sort out our lives. (See John 9:31) I challenge you today, Dare to obey God and have the Faith that when you obey Him, ‘He’ll sort you out’!
Yours ‘faithfully’,
thesire!

Oranges and Tomatoes

Agricultural Science was a subject I loved in secondary school. It was a girls’ only school and naturally, more girls chose ‘Food and nutrition’ over Agricultural Science which was left for the ‘tom- boys’. Consequently, the ‘Agric. Class’ was usually a smaller class but it was a lot of fun. We had individual farm portions where we could make ridges and plant. We spent lot of time on the fields and in the laboratory; Field work was really exciting...

In planting and growing crops I learnt that all crops were peculiar and unique, having their own seasons. Consequently, that you plant oranges and tomatoes at the same time does not mean they’ll yield fruit at the same time. Oranges will fare better in warm regions than in cold regions. But for tomatoes, any region will be just fine. Though planted at the same time, tomatoes will germinate earlier than oranges. Oranges grow into trees but tomatoes don’t. Although the growing processes and stages of the two plants differ, they both turn out to be juicy, tasty and nutritious in the end! Accordingly, just like fruits and vegetables or plants, we all are unique. Perhaps, I’m an orange and you? A tomato! My seasons are not your seasons and yours not mine. We function better in varying soil types and climates. And even though we are twins, born on the same day, the time for our sprouting differs.

Quit the complaining and comparing dear friend, for where you are now is a stage in your growing process. Because you are so very unique, when God packages even your drilling process it will be customized just for you. He won’t let you to be tempted beyond what you can handle; In fact, it’s because you can handle it that you’re facing it. (1 Cor. 10:13) If another were to be in your shoes, he may have been a dead man! But there you are, crushed down but not destroyed! You’ve been designed to rise above that particular challenge and trust me, you sure will! Hey! I’m not trying to talk you happy; I just got pulled out of a ditch myself. Moreover, God’s word gives me guarantee! Truly friend, you may have cried so much in the secret, But He’s wiping off the tears you’ve cried and He is causing you to laugh out loud! Scriptures say, weeping may endure the night but joy cometh in the morning! Of a truth! Your joy cometh!

I know it’s been crazily frustrating and people are talking and laughing at you. But please, hang on! Don’t give up and don’t give in! Its turning around for your good. God has a time, perfect timing just for you! He’s the potter and you’re the clay. (Isaiah 64:8). He’s mixing, He’s turning and He’s patting, just to bring out a perfect design.

For me, it was all so scary, disheartening and frustrating. Amidst the dark clouds, I question God, His existence, His love, His words and staying away from Him seems all so reasonable. But as cynical and as ambivalent as I can be, I KNOW that I NEED to always abide in Him, (John 15:7-11) love Him, obey Him, serve Him and just stick to Him no matter what. I’ve found that without Him, it’s only worse; I’m lost, empty and sad...When I’m mad at Him, I try to run away from him, i stop praying and fellowshipping, I turn my back and binge on food, movies, music, books or anything at all but it still doesn’t get better.

Whether I like it or not, He’s the pillar that holds my life! It’s in Him I live; I move and have my being. He’s my master, saviour and friend and I’d love Him to be yours too. Honestly, you need a relationship with God to pull through. You need to experience Jesus to overcome and if like me, you’ve turned your back or you are running, you have to stop running and return to Him...Yes! Stop there and look up! He’s waiting for you with a big smile and outstretched arms. Go on dearie, curl into his embrace and you’ll do just fine. (James 4:8)

So tomato (or orange), relax and surrender to the farmer, for your season of harvest is here!

Together in His farm,

thesire!