Before the last emperor to rule over both the Eastern and the Western halves of the Roman Empire, Ephesus was one of the most lively, free and gracious places to live in. It was a place where both men and women lived with equal rights and opportunities. However, the rule of various conquerors and emperors saw Ephesus gradually transition away from their norm, inculcating the belief and cultural systems of oppressors. Of which the cultural belief system of the Roman Empire had the greatest effect.

In the cultural system of the Roman Empire, hierarchy was a revered system which transcended into their home settings. Where the husband was not just the head but the ruler, just like any emperor. In fact, men in general were superior to women.

Christianity was introduced in Ephesus at about the same time as the Roman Empire had taken over as rulers. It was during the time of Emperor Theodosius. The citizens had little to no choice than to live according to Roman culture and belief systems. This was also due to the fact that Romans had invaded Ephesus and was living with and among the Ephesians. Hence Christians at the time were subject to live according to Roman culture.

Now, as we have already established, men were superior to women in the Roman culture and it transcended into the homes. To keep the peace, there was no way Paul was going to tell them to live in absolute contrast to the culture of their rulers.

But as radical as Paul was, he rather took to challenging the men to live in a way that was not normal to them. Making sure to keep the culture intact. Paul being gifted with the divine wisdom of God, spoke to the Ephesians, who were now used to the Roman way of living to project Christ in their lifestyle. This is evident in all the chapters of Ephesians.

In the whole book of Ephesians, we note that Paul kept admonishing Ephesian Christians (and by extension all of us) who are men, women, children to live godly lives in EVERYTHING including in their various vocations as pastors, prophets, teachers, doctors, lawyers, slaves, husbands, wives, etc.

Ephesians 4:1
I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you therefore to lead a life worthy of the vocation to which you were called.

And yes, to be a husband and/or wife is a vocation or calling to the institution of marriage. This call, just like any other call of ministry is a call made by God.
As much as every vocation has a certain lifestyle that goes with it, so does the vocation of a married couple. (Husband and/or wife).
Thus the need for the outline of responsibilities and roles that married couples must live by.

The role of husband and wife is not to be seen as one of traditional gender roles. It is to be seen as institutional roles similar to that of the roles of leaders and followers in any kind of institution.
For example: the role of a school prefect is not subject to traditional gender roles.

Hence, no woman owes no man who is not her husband any wife roles such as submission and no man owes no woman who is not his wife any husband roles such as protector and provider.

What we do for one another as men and women should not be done as will be done in the confines of marriage but solely on the basis of general love and respect for humanity. Love your neighbour. Also be subject to one another. Because guess what? Whether you're a man or woman, you're going to have to submit to another man or woman once they're in a position of authority. And so don't see yourself as higher than another.

In the book of Ephesians Paul after he has encouraged Christians to show love and be subject to one another, narrows it down to the home. Where to each member of the family gives roles solely intended for the situation they find themselves in.
He begins with 'wives submit to your husbands as unto the lord'
NB: wives not women.


To understand the concept of submission better we must take into consideration etymology and context. The context of which has been introduced in the first paragraphs. So let's look at etymology.
Ephesians was originally written in Greek. The word submission in Greek is υποτάσσομαι (hupotassomai). Comes from two words: τασσο (tasso) a verb, with the prefix υπο (hupo)

Tasso meaning to appoint, to ordain, to station on one's own responsibility or authority.
Hupo meaning under
Hence hupotassomai means to appoint, to ordain or to station on one's own responsibility and authority under another.
Another translation says to abide, to surrender or to knuckle under.

Taking the above into consideration, Paul is saying wives, I know you have authority, (because yeah, when Jesus gave the authority to trample on snakes and powers of darkness, it wasn't given to men only) and the responsibility over yourself (as any normal human being) but as your husband has been appointed as the presiding head (because Christ is the original head) of this institution you have answered yes to, surrender yourself to him on your own accord.

He goes on to say 'husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church' (wish I was holding a mic and preaching right now😂)
This was a very difficult thing to do for the average man in Ephesus, owing to the Roman culture.
He did not stop there. Paul went on to explain what it means to love like Christ loves the church ie: to treat her as you would yourself, feed, cloth, protect, provide, die for her!

This is a very big responsibility for anyone!
Hear me! The call to submission is not one of stupidity, neither is the call to love. For God is of wisdom.

A husband cannot fully perform his role as outlined if the wife will not allow him. Therefore wives must allow their husbands be husbands by first being wives. So must husbands allow wives to be wives by first being husbands.

We must understand that one cannot receive love without surrendering to the giver. That is why Jesus urges us to surrender all our cares unto him. In order that we may receive all he has in store for us. And so when Paul says "so also wives surrender to your husbands as unto Christ", he is talking from the above view point. Knowing that husbands have been called to love their wives as Christ loves the church. (Therefore if you're not loving her like Christ, she cannot submit to you like unto Christ).


Having opened up my heart and mind to learn better the concept of submission according to the mind of God.
I have found out that the confusion and protest against submission is as a result of the evil ways of men. Who from time immemorial have completely taken advantage of what God intended for good. This is largely due to unresolved feelings of frustration and hurt that go way back to the beginning of time. Some men are still hurt over the mistake of Adam and Eve, still holding on to resentment towards Eve and by extension all daughters of Eve.

In effect, they take out their anger and frustrations on women. Especially women they're joined to who have now on their own accord submitted themselves unto them, for the protection that comes from love.
We must note that, as Christians, we're called to love one another as we love ourselves. We cannot love while we're still hurt because hurt people hurt people (read that again, slowly).

Which brings me to the topic of stupidity. (We all know what it truly means)
Women need to realize that the power and will to submit lies in their hands. It is a call they have the choice to answer no to. Before you answer yes to submit to any man (I mean before you say "I do") make sure he is worthy of that. That he emulates Christ in his daily life as is expected of every Christian. That he is a true believer who is healed, restored and continuously seeks the wisdom of God in his everyday decisions.
Such a man will love you as he loves himself. Such a man is the one you're called to submit to.

Wives are called to submit to husbands who are continuously living like Christ, not one who is continuously living on his own wisdom. Any man who believes that men are better than women and women have no place is not of God. Because stupidity is not of God.

I urge women who are Christians and yearn to live godly lives according to the word of God, not our own wisdom, which is mostly of his world to submit to love and wisdom not stupidity and self righteousness.

See you next week, don't forget to always look on the bright side😉

That day was exciting! The morning started slow. I was scraping ginger to grind for my sobolo when i noticed the rain clouds gathering.

I immediately moved to sit in the porch to enjoy the wind. Oh it was refreshing! The wind got stronger, blowing sand into my face but I was loving it.

Few moments later, there was a heavy downpour. I put my bowl of ginger down and started to harvest rain water.

A couple of hours later, I'd filled everything that needed filling. I heated water and went straight to take my bath. Upon getting to my room after bathing, I met the most horrible sight.

My eyes got really clouded. It was their turn to have a downpour but I wasn't going to allow it. So I breathed in for a few times and went over.

My laptop was dead wet! Apparently, my ceiling was leaking. It hadn't happened before so I didn't know it will.
I was in the middle of a lot of things. My final year project and a couple of write ups.

I started wiping the laptop and praying to God to let it work. I said "God I've been a good girl, you can't let this happen to me"
It was at that moment that I had the realization.

I was blackmailing God. That wasn't the first time I was praying like that but it sure was the first time of knowing what exactly I'd been doing.

Trying to force and manipulate God into doing my bidding by referring him to what I have done for him.
And at other times, it gets worse. Like when you add that you'll stop believing if your prayer isn't answered.

Who the hell are you???😂😂😂😂

Do you know God is God without you?
That you're not doing him a favor by believing in him?
That you're not doing him a favor by being good?
Or by worshipping him?

The experience gives a better understanding of James 4:3
Some prayers or requests aren't answered because they're said with the wrong motives. Like with the intention of blackmail

I know I know, what if that's not your intention? Like you didn't know that's what you were doing? But God knows. The true results of our actions may be lost to us but it is never lost to God.

Just like parents know when their children are only trying to blackmail them with tears and tantrums, God also knows.
So there are a few times when you ask God to look back at your good deeds and have mercy on you and your prayer gets answered. And there are those other times when you're clearly blackmailing God.

So after I realized that. I stopped the prayer and said let your will be done. (Who knows? He is probably preparing a new one for me. One I can only receive with empty hands)

God always has better plans for us and he answers prayers according to our eternal needs, not necessarily according to our immediate or temporal wants. (Said a man of God and I agree)

We must learn to pray in a better fashion. No wonder Jesus had to teach us to pray. Take a look at the Lords prayer.
There's not a single form of blackmail. May we be open and sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. To know when we're doing wrong and to know how to be better.

Also remember, to always look on the bright side😉

LONG POST ALERT

I have had my share of failed friendships. I always say that so you've probably heard it from me before.
But I'm saying it again now because I have a different feeling about it. That statement used to come from a place of bitterness and a lot of hurt but not this time.
This time, it is coming from a place of gratitude.

I have a lot, a whole lot, like a whole lot of trauma to heal from. Over time, I've been trying to heal from all of it small small. And one of those traumas is from all the failed friendships I've had. Last night after watching a movie, coming to Facebook to unfollow someone who's attitude keeps me wondering if I did something wrong or if he heard something bad about me, it dawned on me.

See, we used to chat. He would check up on me and I'd do same until it just stopped. He would leave comments a lot and always wanted my opinion on stuff, especially Facebook fights.
But all of a sudden it all just stopped and fearing rejection and the possibility of being ignored, I have also kept to myself.

The story is probably not necessary to this post but it just came along with the flow of this writing so please, spare me.
So after I unfollowed him I realized I always unfollowed people at the slightest thing. Or so it seems. I was thinking about failed friendships prior to this realization so I thought it related. Well it does.

When I look way back to when I was a little girl roaming the GNTC flats opposite the Arab Apex bank and adjacent to the Accra Regional Minister's Residence, I see the mother of my best friend pull her away into their apartment.
The next day, she wouldn't talk or play with me. Her name is Getrude. Getrude stopped playing with me and my twin sister because her mom told her not to. That we weren't good for her.
My mom is a calm woman, she never likes trouble, if she has to apologize for something she didn't do to stop trouble from brewing, she will. So ain't no way my mom had a fight with her mom. But this was the flats, people usually spoke in whispers and low tones. So someone must have whispered something about us we didn't know about.

At about 6 years, I lost my first best friend. I had my first failed relationship and guess what? That picture of our last play together is etched on the walls of my memory house. The dance she danced alone, few meters away from us, so her mom wouldn't think she was playing with us still hangs. How she swayed and how my sister and I sang 'dance tsoobi dance' to give her rhythm hangs too. Yes, we called her tsoobi

I'll tell you what? I have searched for her on Facebook countless times but of what use is a first name without a last? Obviously, I haven't healed from that after all these years. But I have pride in the fact that I try, every single day.

The next failed one was when we changed schools from Adabraka Presby to ICODEHS. Mary Bright. I tried to keep in touch. Sent letters till I gave up hope of ever getting a reply and we moved to a new neighborhood. I guess she didn't want us to be friends anymore. This was a friend we shared our food with, played with, walked around in school with. We were like a clique, you know?

My last memory of her is she dressed up in a traditional attire during a school event. Voici Ma Mais, that was the French poem I think she recited.
For years, I always tried to reconnect every time I got the chance. I will go to her neighborhood, find her and take her contact but it was always one sided. After a long time, your girl gave up, unfollowed. I was only 10 and held on till I was 22. I chased a friendship for 12 years because I thought there was a possibility of it working out.

After her, was Vincent. Oh boy! I was accused of snatching him from his girlfriend. I liked her, she was a nice girl so I broke off the friendship and only took him back as a best friend when he told me they were no more together. We had fun. Great fun. We traveled together, took very long walks, we kept no secrets, he was my best buddy till jealousy set in.

Someone very close to me (don't even think it coz I never dated till I finished shs) got very jealous so I had to like keep a distance. Vincent never gave up. We wrote letters to each other while I was in school and exchanged school souvenirs. Friendship was shaky until one party fell in love with the other and it crumbled... 2 people of the opposite sex cannot remain best friends without anyone catching feelings right?

Now let's talk about Senior high school... Ooohh I almost forgot Annetu, who by the way is married now. When we changed schools to ICODEHS she was our best friend. The most daring girl I ever met for our age.
See, ICODEHS is an Islamic school and Fridays were half days because they had to go to the mosque at 12. Annetu will take us to the mosque, home later to eat and then try to teach us to ride a bike. When my mom found out, we got moved and that ended the friendship. She was afraid we will convert to Islam😂

So back to senior high school, which was the most craziest stage of my schooling...
Wait I didn't talk about Bright and the Biggies from Independence Avenue and Jenifer from Marymount who... But never mind, that will make this longer than it already is. Point is, none of that survived. All failed friendships.

I had very high hopes for each one of those. Wanted them to last a life time so bad. I've talked about sleepovers, pillow fights, our future kids mingling together and other lifetime experiences I wanted to have with each of them but I always got disappointed. Bubbles always got burst for one reason or the other. Unfortunately, I've always held on to the pain of losing each one of those friendships. I remember everyone of them and it hurts real bad. Over time, I have built defenses against getting hurt. And that includes walking away or keeping my distance at the least thing... More like clicking the unfollow button on Facebook.

Until last night I realized I'm not healing because I've been holding on to the wrong things that each one of those friendships came with.
I'll be a white faced broad day light liar if I told you there were no joys, no laugher and no haaa (those deep breaths of satisfaction) moments in each friendship. There were so many of them.

I've been so used to pain and holding on to it that I don't know quite well how to hold on to joy, laughter and good times. But last night, I learned that.
And so although I've had my fair share of failed friendships, I'm grateful that at least I had friends. I had friends at every point of my life. I may not have been able to share with them the deepest scars and nursing wounds of my heart but they made me laugh. They made me dream and gave me the chance to wish for things.

They gave me hope, gave me a future to look forward to. Some people have never had that but I did and I should be grateful, no matter how long or short they lasted. Also it is okay to unfollow. If it bothers me too much and I can do nothing about it, it is okay to leave. But I'll leave with gratitude for all the times it was good not pain or hurt for the fact that it didn't last as long as I hoped or wanted. Because there's always going to be another friend for the one who left. Either for me or for them. So here, I'm grateful for the friends I have now and the moments we share (the coven❤).
You guys give me hope and a future to look forward to, even if that future is the next minute, hour or day.

Thank you for coming to Ted talk. I love you.
And don't forget to always look on the bright side😉

There's a saying that goes like this "don't live by the rules", there's another one that says "Be different" and then there's mine "You don't always have to deal with it, sometimes let the world deal with it" which you might not understand. But wait, I'll explain.

You know, I've realized that people are always looking for the flaw, no matter how insignificant it is, they are just waiting to see it. Just so they can magnify it to cross out any good thing. So you see a beautiful picture of someone in braces and belt and all you think about is, "well, there's a fashion flaw" and irrespective of the fact that it's a minor one, you amplify it and dwell on it.
Yh yh, I know the debate, I know the argument, it's only got to do with functionality and nothing about style or comfort. But do we only wear cloth or accessories because of their functionalities and nothing else?

But well, I'm talking about breaking rules, being different and letting the world deal with it!
Everyone of us has adhered to societal rules and regulations while growing up, without the slightest protest. It is only after we grew up that we realized how unnecessary some of them were and then into the bin they went. Sometimes you think, who made these rules anyway?? And then the answer comes back to society and then down to you, as you're part of the society. If so, then those who made the rules can change it right? That means you can actually rewrite those rules and that's what it means by don't live by the rules.

Now as you begin to rewrite the rules, you become different which society doesn't appreciate much. And then, if you care about your happiness that much, you'll tell the society and by extension the world, to deal with it. And guess what?? It does!

Whatever you do, people will talk about it. People will find something to say about it. Even with the perfect thing, people punch holes till they find a flaw. So while no one really thinks you should wear braces and belt at the same time, here is someone who thinks otherwise. I'm not a big influential fashionista woman but I am one person who believes that if it makes you happy and doesn't hurt anyone, do it! Especially if your skirt or trousers has belt loops.

Even men fear men, who am I not to?

This a thought that has stayed in my mind since the night of 15th January 2020. Everything happened so fast. We had just alighted and were walking on a lonely path that looked unlonely. I mean, there's a pub, houses around, there was a man sitting in front of one of the buildings and then there was us. Afia and myself.

We were engrossed in and with ourselves, chatting away when all of a sudden a motorbike crossed us, there were two men. One had a bandana tied around his mouth and the other was the rider. The one with the bandana shouted in Ga, "kwerh ny3ni ny3 k33 meni eh?" We took few steps back and the next thing I knew, I was running. I run in no particular direction. It was as though something had suddenly possessed me. I didn't know where I was running to. I was just running. I ran and took a left turn into some cars that were packed. I think they were for sale. I got to the end and there was a fence, the next thing that happened shocked me. I swung myself over the fence and almost got into the street but for the moving cars with their headlights flashing in my eyes.

I looked over my shoulder and saw that Afia had gone to the pub to seek refuge. The men had followed her there, by what I saw I realized they needed help. It just her and the woman at the pub. I paced up and down thinking of what to do. My heart was racing mad. Then I walked over to a young man that was standing at the bus stop and spoke to him. I was fumbling but he managed to get what I meant. Told him I needed help and pointed to the pub, that my friend and I were being attacked. He just looked at me, startled, frightened, I couldn't tell which one I couldn't make sense of what he was saying but he obviously didn't want to get involved.

The next thing I knew, the guys rode to the roadside where we stood. The guy with the bandana, which he had now taken off got down, with fury in his eyes, got close to the man I was talking to and said "ibi you wey you want save am eh?" The young man looked at me and "naaaa, i just dey here" Then the bandana man looked at me, I looked back at him and he got back on the bike and told his partner to get them away from there. I turned back and the guy was gone, he probably got on the trotro that stopped at the bus stop.

I started to pace up and down again, my heart still racing. It was getting faster and faster, I started shivering but I took out my phone and made a call for help. Then I felt someone mention Akuvi, I turned, he held me and I collapsed into his arms. I think it was so sudden he couldn't get hold of me, so I ended up on the floor. I couldn't breath, I started to cry, I thought I was going to die. I could hear a voice telling me to hang in there, it was coming from my phone.

I calmed down a bit after sometime and I got up. He told me we had to find Afia. My God, what had happened to her? I started to cry again and felt guilty. Why did I ran without her? I felt I betrayed her, then we saw her sitting down and crying. I started to say sorry. She said sorry too. She felt guilty too, saying if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here in the first place. They took her purse and 2 phones. Everything she had was gone.

A week after the incidence, I was replaying everything in my head again as I had resorted to doing and wishing that it had happened differently. Like we should have shouted or ran in the same direction. I was replaying everything when I got to where I was asking the young man for help to when the guys appeared. Fear was written, drawn and painted all over him. Then I concluded, even men fear men, who am I not to?

This conclusion resounds in my mind uncountable times a day. It's caused me to be extremely alert around men, especially when in town. So yesterday when the vehicle was almost at Nyamekye and I realized the mate didn't seem to call for people and I was alone in the vehicle, I started shouting, telling him I'll get down at the next stop. I was frightened. So when the vehicle stopped, I got down with speed and immediately got into the next vehicle that was almost full.

This is me standing in a bus traveling from Accra to Kakum. After standing for almost 3 hours, I start asking myself, can I really stand through the return journey after having all the fun?? Of course not! So I decided to go back to what should have been a planned and well organized trip to Takoradi, to spend the rest of the weekend and return in grand style. (ie: sitting in my own seat, listening to good music, reading and eating.) Unfortunately, I slept through most of the journey and if my head could fall off, it would have fallen off and rolled everywhere inside the bus. Because I did a great deal of dozing. LOL
PC: Sixtus, CIBT


My stay in, is it the oil city they call it? Was brief. As brief as an orgasm. And like an orgasm, it was exciting! Though I didn't visit any popular landmark. I went to the beach, the harbor view gardens and the Atlantic Hotel.
The journey from Cape Coast to Takoradi was as dark as the battle of Winterfell. There are no street lights and we have past and previous governments to thank. I don't know why there are hardly any street lights on roads that connect one region to the other. *Sigh* it's not as if there are any in the cities and towns anyway. But I managed to catch glimpses of the University of Cape Coast and the beautiful beaches with elegant coconut grooves just before it could get pitch black. Awesome sight to behold!

Saturday night in Takoradi started with a movie premier; Away Bus, at the Atlantic Hotel, situated on a small hill, over looking the ocean. That comedy movie is lit. The actors and actresses were awesome! It started with the same sick mother cliché we see in these local movie storylines. However, the several plot twists made it one of a kind! While you're laughing at John Dumelo for hiding money in his hat, you're shocked at Roselyn Ngissah  for eating banku in the bus, and bored by Akuapem polo for having a bitchy attitude. Daily life bus experiences beautifully and vividly captured. Life lessons such as how the value of friendship, and love for loved ones can drive us to sacrifice and do the unthinkable, just to see our loved ones well and happy. You'll laugh and cry. You'll awww and aaah. And you'll yaaaayy and naaaayyy.

On Sunday, after catching up on all the sleep I couldn't have on Saturday, the beach smelled of me. The very beach close to the Atlantic Hotel. I didn't get the name. The best thing about that beach is the golf course. Yeah right! A beach with a golf course and by the time I realized I was seated in the grass of a golf course, I'd called it a football pitch. Not because it has goal posts, I just thought it must be one. After all, it's all we make noise about in this "awa" "kentry". Apart from that, it's no different from labadi beach in Accra.

We finished the day off at The Harbor Gardens. My! It is a sight to behold. A place you sit and relax as the harbor activities go on before your very eyes. A serene place for writing . One can end up with a book full of hundred poems after spending just a few hours there.

This is just an experience from an impromptu visit. I can't imagine how it would have been if it was well planned and I had a lot of time to visit a lot of places. I'm sure I'd take over a month to write about the experience.
I am super happy I did not get a seat in the bus, all this happiness would have passed me by. Maybe for a better experience but why wait for better when you can have good and better?

Until i travel again, to come your way with #MemoirsOfATraveler, have fun, stay positive, be productive and worry less!

Hey there,
I cannot remember the last time I shared a blog post. It has been a great while. I have been away and doing nothing really except reading so much, school and getting into facebook squabbles(lol). But it is all over now. Time to get back to things that really matter. Aye!

So here is how we are going to start. Here is how we are coming back. As God willed it, my maiden book is almost done and it is titled THE REMINDER. I had a good friend help with the editing and here is a review he wrote. I'd like for you to read it and get to know a little about this book. In the meantime, till i start writing again.


"The book you are about to pay for has a hundred and thirteen pages besides the forward and introduction. It contains a collection of poems, memoirs and narratives from several sources all crafted to tell an elaborate story that is supposed to be a reminder that will strike you to respond to the things we so easily ignore.

Last night I met God. He was just getting off the phone with someone.
"in an hour's time" He said roughly, yet calmly, then he ended the call. I bet it was a prayer he was answering. (Thinking about it, that one hour he said, could mean one year oo)

When I saw him. I just knew he was the one I'd go with. He laughed a lot and for some reasons, I was drawn to him.
So after boo negotiated the fare,  I took my good bye kiss which he always, carefully plants on my forehead in the same way you put an egg down.
"Keep the jacket" he said smiling as I opened the door lazily and sat at the back seat

After sitting, I took a moment to scan the seat, as my ears caught the sound of a favorite gospel song playing and I'd never seen a taxi so dirty like the one I sat in.
"Oh what happened here?" I asked calmly though with displeasure.
"Oh a woman I just dropped off" he replied shrugging his shoulders like he really wasn't bothered about it, no, about anything.

She must have kids I thought and smiled. Looking out the window, I gave boo a wave and settled in. But there was something about this car and the driver. There was a kind of aura I couldn't recognize. It was too calm, too free, too cool, too loving, too graceful, so I decided it was peace. What more could it be?

The whole experience was like the ones I've watched in movies where a character is at a dead end and someone from nowhere which is mostly an angel shows up and they suddenly feel so light and different. But thing is, in my case, we didn't talk except to ask me which way he should take, I answered and that was it.

There was gospel music playing throughout the ride and He sang along so beautifully. I just didn't want this journey to end. At a point, I was lost in thoughts till we got to a place where people were screaming prayers and I thought, aren't they praying to this man here? So I searched his face for a reaction but there was none. I looked away and got lost in thoughts again, by the time I realized, he'd taken the longer route. "Hallelujah" I proclaimed in my heart.

I was enjoying a level of true joy I hadn't felt in a while but soon, I was home and had to get the eff out of the car.

But here's what I want to share with you.
From the beginning of the ride, till the end, through to getting in my bed, all I've felt is the urge to write this experience. I didn't know why but I finally obeyed my urge and here's the why I got as I wrote this down:

FREE WILL


The taxi driver when stopped, was asked if he knew where I was going, to which he responded in the affirmative. So I wondered why he'd ask me which way he should go because he's the driver and he should know the route. But he asked me, I guess because he wanted me to be part of the ride and not just to ride along. Because before I answered, I asked if he didn't know the way and he said, "there are various routes, I just want you to choose which one we should take". So I chose a route. PS: every route comes with its own potholes. Potholes you'll have to endure.

Do you know that the same way the taxi driver allowed me to decide which route we should take, is the same way God allows us to choose which path of life to take? He allows us make choices, not because he has no idea about this life but because he wants us to work with him. And like every route has potholes, so does every decision have consequences.

I tried to imagine how the world would have been without free will and it's one word; robotic! Imagine a path was already laid down for you to follow? No wait, don't imagine it. Think about the child who's born to parents who have already decided what he'll be in future, who he/she will marry, when he/she will start dating etc... What's the one word you'll describe it with? Me, it's "boring" But then, it's the safest way because every wrong choice will be eliminated and most bad experiences wouldn't happen. Thus, no lessons to learn.

SURRENDERING

You know, human beings naturally like to be in charge. When given the opportunity to make decisions, we mostly jump at the prospect of deciding what should be and what shouldn't, so much that often times we fail to realize that, the person asking us to partake in the decision making process could be the best decision maker.

I could have simply said to the taxi driver "oh you decide which route we should take" but I was too much in a hurry to exercise my chance to decide that it didn't come to mind. So I decided. If there had been so many potholes, I'd been angry that the driver wasn't driving well enough to dodge them. Yeah, that's what we do best. Blame the consequences of our decisions on the one who gave us the chance to make a choice. Too often we blame God for the effects of the choices we freely make.
Always screaming; ''why did God have to let this or that happen?'' without realizing that the question we are really asking is ''why did God give me a free will?''

But maybe, we should learn to say "You choose" everytime we get to choose or "You take charge" everything we get to take charge. Because unlike parents who lay down a path and do things their way throughout, hardly caring about the child's feelings towards it, God is different. Even when you've given back your free will to him, he keeps bringing it back to you because he cares about how you feel, because hewants you to work with him, he doesn't want it to be all about him, not when your happiness is involved and so, he still presents you with choices

It doesn't mean that there wouldn't be challenges or consequences because even God's way isn't an easy route. Like I said earlier "EVERY ROUTE HAS ITS OWN POTHOLES"

Happy New week!!