UNASHAMEDLY CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH (EVIDENCE).
Hello everyone! It’s been a really tough week for me, sincerely. Thank God for friends like Brother Frank and meetings like Team 101 that can set one’s gaze in order.
You know that song that we like screaming very well: “There ain’t no graveeeee” etcetera etcetera. There’s a part I never really paid attention to: “Shame is a robber “ Omo, I paid attention to it this week o.
Let me give you people a premium gist; please gather around. As you all know, I’m an Entrepreneur. I make beautiful and classy footwear (handmade), and my business is still budding.
So, I crossed paths with my old classmate returning from buying foodstuffs in the market. We studied law together at the University. She was driving one car like this. The car is fine, but I’m not really stressed about looking at things I cannot afford for now, lest covetousness hold the reins of my heart, so I don’t know the name of the car’s model.
From the way she put the windows slowly down, to her glittering earrings (not all that glitter is gold, but I’m sure those earrings are real gold), to the make-up on fleek, to the fragrance of her perfume that subtly found way into my nostrils like the smell of party jollof rice and chicken, then the accent that came out of her mouth as she spoke to me, I felt like the ground should open and swallow me up because what is this now ehn??
She pulled up and called my name. Sincerely, I couldn’t recognise her at first. This Lagos that, people like to ask for directions, and anyone can stop their car to ask questions. Anyway, I’ll spare you the details. I found myself inside her car a few minutes later, as she offered to give me a ride.
We got into a conversation, and she was telling me of all her achievements. Then she asked me what I was up to. The first time I spoke with tongues, I didn’t even stutter that much. My mind was already constructing how I would arrange things, which were, of course, not lies but were not necessary as I was just vaunting myself.
I started explaining what I wasn’t sent to. “I am an Entrepreneur. You know, with the way the 9 to 5 system is, anything can disrupt it; look at COVID, for example. So, I am just trying to build an “empire” of footwear. It’s not so big yet, but I have the mission, vision and plan all set-out.” I even showed her my Instagram page; I used brethren to bluff. I was like, “I’m quite popular in a certain community of people, but God will enlarge my coast soon; there is publicity. I’m preparing for that”.
She was so proud of me. She said the world needs people like me that can think forward. Immediately, she mentioned “the world”, and I just realised “shame just robbed me”. All the preaching of Pastor Tayo Fasan last week started coming back.
To cut a long story short, she dropped me in front of my house, and I realised I had missed an opportunity to defeat sin (the understanding that desires to save face). I spoke to Brother Frank, and he had to remind me of repentance. That conversation I put up stinks to me, honestly. I felt like rewinding time. But I also used the opportunity to learn how to repent. I told the Lord how I felt and how what I did was the real Shame on His face; I told Him I was sorry. I could not represent Him well by showing that nothing was wrong with not knowing what was next. I know many other opportunities will come, and I trust Him to UNASHAMEDLY CONTEND FOR THE FAITH (EVIDENCE) BY TRAPPING LIFE IN MY SOUL THROUGH OBEDIENCE TO HIS THOUGHTS AND BEING A LIGHT TO OTHERS.
May Shame not Rob us this week!
Your Sister, Tamara
