God's Masterpiece

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:8

As me and some friends sat down yesterday eve to recount the year 2007 over kebabs and some of the best roast chicken (thanks Ovie!), words like "blessing", "favor", and "wonderful" were plentiful. We ran out of superlatives to describe God's goodness. Our God has been exceedingly benevolent, surprisingly provident, persistently faithful, a loving teacher.

And as we talked, one thing became clear - in the midst of the greatest trial and difficulty, the best response was to thank God. Without doubt there are several things that have made you, as they have me, feel ungrateful, but then when we take a look at things and see our situation through His eyes, we realize that all things do work together for our good, who have been called according to God's purpose (Romans 8:28).

Some of us look toward 2008 with a sense of apprehension and uncertainty; it's never comfortable not to know what the future holds. For others there is a sense of expectancy and promise as we look towards another year of blessing, favor and wonder. Whichever the case, the best lesson I've learned for 2007 I'll carry over to the next year, and that is - be patient. God is at work and it never did anyone any good to rush Him.

It is so easy to want to handle our own lives, to take the paint brush and finish our own portrait. But as you step forward into the new year, take a step back, remember the mess you have made when you've done it your way, and turn the brush over to the Master. Give him a fresh new canvas to work it. It will take time, and His brushstrokes are not always pleasant, but He works with love and care, and when He has finished His Masterpiece, "you" will have been worth the wait.

God bless you in 2008.

With love, Doosuur.

Celebrate Jesus, Celebrate

Once again the star appeared to them, guiding them to Bethlehem… When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house where the child and his mother, Mary, were, and they fell down before him and worshiped him.

Matthew 2:9-11

I'm not a festive person by any stretch of the imagination, and all the fuss over grumpy old men in red jump suits and glittery Christmas décor can easily be lost on me. Left to me I could go the whole season without putting up a Christmas tree or turning on a decorative light.

But as I meandered slowly home this evening, something caught my eye. Someone had put up a Star of David in bright Christmas lights on the transmission mast of the local TV station. It looked beautiful as it hung there, glowing against the starless sky. I couldn't help going back in my mind to that cold, lonely night so many years ago, when three sages, tired and hungry from a never-ending journey finally came upon their quarry - a little, frail baby in the company of goats and chickens. The rest of the world was unsuspecting. But they knew better. They knew there was reason to celebrate. Their travels must have taken weeks, if not months, but this single moment in time made it all worthwhile. Christ was born! And how they celebrated!

The very word "celebrate" conjures up images of joy, happiness and ecstasy and, get this, action. It is not passive in any way. It is a deliberate effort to rejoice because of something good. I think it's a good thing that the whole world stops, for a few days in December just to celebrate. They may do it for whatever reason, but I think it's healthy.

Perhaps we spend a little too much time sitting in judgment over those who choose to have a good time at Christmas because they do not know "the reason for the season". Imagine if Nigeria won the World Cup and then, all of a sudden the Cameroonians declared a public holiday and thronged the streets to sing songs of joy. What would we do? Fold our hands and ask how dare they celebrate? I think not. No. We would simply go all the way out and out-celebrate them. If they try to crash our party, we'll simply party all the harder.

Think about it. So many people don't get the point. And yet they rejoice. What about you? You have a great reason to celebrate. His name is Jesus! So let it out - sing, shout, dance, have fun. Celebrate Jesus this Christmas. For unto us a Child is born… Oh Yes!

With love, Doosuur.

Are You Ready To Live?

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me.

Philippians 1:21,22

My life flashed before my eyes today when, through a foolishly heroic act, I was exposed to what may be a potentially lethal dose of a deadly virus. For not the first time in my life I was faced with the real possibility of death and I asked myself that all-important question, "are you ready to die?"

I must admit I felt a little smug as I answered myself. Yes I'm ready to meet my Maker. Yes I know where I will go. I may not have lived the most fulfilling life, but yes I am reasonably satisfied. Yes I am ready to die. Perhaps I too, like Paul could proudly say, "for me to live is Christ, to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21) Indeed the thought of dying is scary. But the thought of death, that is, well, almost comforting.

But then as my mind wandered further, I recalled an Easter Sunday sermon in a missionary village several years ago. It was the same village where the white missionaries had come to die after first encountering this virus back in the 60s. In his discourse, the parson narrated how, during his honeymoon he had gallantly told his bride, "I love you so much, I could die for you." She summarily burst his bubble when she replied, "I don't want you to die for me. Dying is easy. I want you to live for me."

Too true. As ironic as it may seem, it is entirely plausible that the single most selfish thing I could do right now is to die. I am not living for myself. I am living for people. And I am living for Christ. It's too easy to focus on the "die is gain" part and neglect the "live is Christ" portion of Paul's earth-moving statement. I have a responsibility to live. A responsibility to my parents. To my family. To my friends. To my children, when indeed I get them. I have a responsibility to tens and hundreds of people I have never met.

And all of a sudden it came to me. God expects of me to do my utmost not to die. So long as I can, I must go on living. To live, that is Christ. No easy way out for me. So, for your information, I'll be around for some while longer. I will live and not die, not just yet.

With love, Doosuur.

Unclean, unclean!

Come, you who are blessed by my Father … For I was hungry, and you fed me... I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me.

Matthew 25:34-36

Working in a hospital can be quite a morbid occupation. I was just now listening to the familiar rattle of the gurney as two morgue attendants pushed on their next patron, once a vivacious tyke, now all wrapped up in the garb of death. A solemn coda for a boisterous existence. He came in with much fanfare, now he leaves all alone. Joy at his entry, pain and bitterness as he leaves.

Working in the infectious diseases unit of the hospital, death has, sadly enough for me, become a very important part of life. The fastest means for any of my patients to leave the hospital is through the very curiously-named Ward Zero. The burden of HIV and AIDS cuts very deeply into the fabric of our society and it is too often ignored. No single ailment cuts down our life expectancy as does AIDS. It is ever present; you probably know someone who has to deal with it on a daily basis. But sadly, we seem to say too little about it and do even less.

Once upon a time, the Jews had such a scourge. They called it leprosy. Those who were so unfortunate as to suffer this skin infection were ostracized. A sign was hung on their necks and they would cry "unclean, unclean" as they walked by so no good Jew would be contaminated by touching them or, perhaps, by staring at them too long. Theirs was a sorry existence, at the mercy of society, of the priest, of God and precious few ever had anything to smile about. They would slowly but surely endure a rash, then lose feeling in their limbs and then watch helplessly as their fingers and toes fell of, one after the other. A gut-wrenching sentence for anyone who first heard the pronouncement, "unclean".

But then, sure as ever, Jesus steps in. The King of Glory comes down and walks among men. And his best friends? Look no further than the very outcasts of society. Do you remember Simon the Leper? Rivaled only by Mary and Martha in his hospitality; perhaps indeed he was their father. Don't now forget those ten men, crying their bothersome refrain at the Samarian border. "Unclean, unclean" they chant, until they meet the Master. And with a look and a word they are clean again.

Today, we have the opportunity to be Jesus to just such as these. People with little to be joyful about. What would Jesus do? He would touch them, he would love them, indeed he would heal them - body and soul. December 1 is World AIDS day. Let us take the opportunity to remind God about those whom society loves to hate, the very people He would love to love.

With love, Doosuur.

Of Shirt Creases and Ironing Boards

"So if you are standing before the altar in the Temple, offering a sacrifice to God, and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there beside the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

Matthew 5: 23, 24

I have a crease in my shirt. And it was brought to my notice in the most embarrassing fashion.

"Chief, my colleagues where laughing at you", my house officer said. "They said you did not iron your shirt."

"But I did!" I protested.

"Well, that line is showing", he said, as he ran his index finger up and down in the direction of the defect. He was referring to that crease my shirt got from hugging the clothesline for one long night as it dried. And sure enough, there it was, smack-dab in the middle of my back. This was definitely not the kind of information I needed since I was already having a bad-clothes-day. I had indeed ironed my shirt, well enough I thought at the time, but this one had escaped the scalding heat of the iron's blade.

I wonder what other creases there are in my life. Everything else may be looking nice and crisp, but when those annoying strips show up, they can cause me such embarrassment and make a mess of everything good I may have done.

What about you? You may have everything nice and straightened out. Your job, straightened out. Your education, straightened out. Your kids, straightened out. Your relationships, straightened out… mostly. But there are often those few creases which we pretend not to notice until they show up and bite us in the bum.

Take a minute to consider now, how are your relationships with the people around? Is there something you need to take care of now? Forgiveness you need to offer? An apology you owe? A word of comfort you have not given?

Here's where to start - on God's own ironing board. Take the matter to God in prayer, then go ahead and do something about it. So long as you ignore it, it will fester and grow and stick out like a sore thumb. Only when we address these issues will they take the back seat so everyone can see how truly lovely is the shirt on our backs.

With love, Doosuur.

My Second Birthday

All the days ordained for me where written in your book before one of them came to be

Psalm 139:16

Today is my "second" birthday. Or maybe I should call it my deathday. You see, today, 14 years ago, I was saved from what could very easily have been a fatal accident. Every year, when November 15 comes around I have opportunity to reflect upon life and what it has come to mean for me.

One thing I have learned is that life must be lived "on purpose". No drifting through, one day after the other. There is a reason why each of us is here and we must, on a daily basis, find it out and live it.

As I celebrate life, let me share with you some of my favorite scriptures and what they mean to me.

He who walks righteously and speaks what is right, who rejects gain from extortion and keeps his hand from accepting bribes, who stops his ears against plots of murder and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil - this is the man who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. His bread will be supplied and water will not fail him.

Isaiah 33:15,16

This scripture first caught my attention while I was reading through the Bible as a teenager. It's promise of security and provision for the man who "walks right" is something to look forward to, a verse to live by.

Your GOD is present among you, a strong Warrior there to save you. Happy to have you back, he'll calm you with his love and delight you with his songs.

Zephaniah 3:17

No verse quite captures God's sense of delight in me as His child as this one does. I can just imagine him singing with joy over me. Quite a comfort.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

There again is that magic word, "purpose". I believe that I have been called "according to God's purpose" which means I'm a part of His plan. Now, because of that, do you know what God is willing to do for me? He will work out all things for my good. All things! All things! There are no superlatives to describe how I feel when the truth of this promise grabs ahold of me.

Join me to celebrate God's gift of life today.

With love, Doosuur

What is in a Name?

I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.

Revelations 2:17

My name is Doosuur.

"Why did you give me a girl's name?" I remember asking Mom as a wide-eyed school-aged kid back in Kaduna.

"It's not a girl's name," she answered. "It's unisex."

Dad said the same thing when I asked him later. It was obvious they had rehearsed their lines specifically for this moment. A unisex name. Yeah, right!

But then it has never bothered me that much. Not many people share my name (even if all the others are girls), so I find it unique, even nice. No one seems to judge me when I introduce myself.

No one, that is, until I meet the next Tiv person. I remember telling an old friend of Dad's recently, "my name is Doosuur."

He cocked an eyebrow to the left and looked at me queerly as if I were to blame for my effeminate moniker. "Why do you have a girl's name?" he asked.

What'ya asking me for? I thought. Ask them, this one looking at dad. But I sympathize with the man when I realize I might as well have just said "my name is Susan."

But beyond all the hullabaloo surrounding the name, it has come to be one of the things I like most about myself. Here's what it means:

It is good to depend on the Lord

No better testimony I tell you. I am proud of the way my people name their children. Every Tiv name has a story and some history behind it. The prevailing circumstances at the time of a person's birth usually have a lot to do with what he will be called. We probably borrow heavily from the Jewish way of naming their wards. Throughout scripture it is obvious that there is great significance attached to a name. A sampling:

… she shall be called 'woman' for she was taken out of man (Genesis 2:23)

Adam named his wife Eve [living] because she would become the mother of all the living (Genesis 3:20)

"Your name will be Abraham [father of many], for I have made you a father of many nations (Genesis 17:5)

Then there is Sarah [princess], Isaac [he laughs], Esau [hairy], Jacob [he deceives], Judah [praise], Israel [he struggles with God], Moses [draw out].

The list is endless.

Let us not now forget Jabez [Oh the pain!] who didn't want his name to follow him and prayed famously, "Oh, that you would bless me and extend my lands! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!"

Each time God gave His friends a new name, it meant for them, and for Him a new level of relationship. When Solomon was born, God considered him so special, He sent the prophet to give him an affectionate pet name, Jedidiah [beloved of the Lord]. Perhaps even more precious to us are the pet names given to us by those close to our heart: "Munchkin", "Honey", "Poffin", "Pumpkin".

Whatever is your name, here's a thought for you. God has a name for you. A name for just the two of you. And you are the only two who will ever know it. Just the two of you. It's your very own pet name.

With love, Doosuur.

The Nice, The Important, The Necessary

If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever.

1 Corinthians 13:2,3

A man just died. On my watch. A young man, all of 25 years, and with his life before him. He was suffering from a rapidly-deteriorating liver disease when he came to the hospital and I did everything I could think of to help him. It is a busy day but I've tried to remain on top of my game and I thought I was doing well enough. But then he died, and only at the moment of his demise did I realize something - I had failed to measure his blood sugar. I had thought of it but had relegated it as less important in the light of his emergency but now, in retrospect, it seems all important. The most distressing thought of all is that I don't know and will never know his blood sugar. That little piece of information would have cost little and could well have saved his life.

Could have … but not now. Not ever. The uncertainty is eating at me...

We all have regrets, hopefully yours are not a matter of life and death. Truth is you can probably think of one earth-shattering mistake, some wrong decision that went a long way to determine your, or someone else's, life. And there's nothing that gnaws at your spirit so much as the feeling that comes with not knowing what could have been. It's a torture of humanity that we can scarce escape since we are faced with decisions every day of our lives, choices that determine the course we will take and the consequences we will face.

Regrets are a part of life, but whatever you regret, you will be fine, so long as you do not regret the things that matter. Things like family, love and God. Perhaps, like me, you are keeping yourself busy with the nice and important things to the neglect of the necessary things. Did you get that?

One man of God said recently, some things are nice; they can be done. Some things are important; they should be done. Some things are necessary; they must be done. My dad says the good is often the enemy of the best. Can you see how perhaps the nice things are keeping you from doing the important things and the important things could stop you from doing the necessary things? Go ahead and regret not indulging in the nice things. Chew your fingers a little for not doing the important. But never, ever, regret missing out on the necessary things. And I think you know which things I am talking about … faith, hope, love.

With love, Doosuur.

One of Them Days

I have traveled many weary miles. I have faced danger from … robbers … I have lived with weariness and pain and sleepless nights … Often I have shivered with cold … If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am.

2 Corinthians 11:26,27,30

You know those days when it seems all but the worst has happened … and then the worst happens? When it seems it's just you against the world? You've passed through several by now, no doubt and I'm sure you recognize them pretty early on. If you don't, let me help you.

You know you're having one of 'em days when ...

… you wake up 30 minutes earlier than usual and realize it is September the 22nd

… you remember in the same thought, you've got to go pick dad from Abuja Airport and

… it's your friend Mike's wedding day, so you think

… I've got to be snappy because if I miss his day,

Mike's going to kill me.

And so...

… you go to the bathroom and turn the faucet but cold water gushes out

… you wonder why you switched off the water heater last night

… you manage a quick shower and dress up but

… you cannot find the car documents

… and when you start the car, the tank is empty

… but thankfully a petrol attendant is awake and you think

… perhaps I can make it to Abuja and back,

So Mike won't have to kill me.

But then…

… dad's plane is 20 minutes late

… dad's luggage is 45 minutes later

… a Mack truck carrying a huge earth-mover rams into the vehicle behind you

… it takes the grace of God and quick reflexes and you escape by the skin of your teeth,

… and it's just noon, so you think

… Mike should have seen this,

Perhaps Mike will let me live.

Now wait a minute because …

… the tire blows out

… the tire jack is too tall

… the spare is bad and you can only wobble along at 30kph

… the next town is Keffi

… again, the next town is Keffi

… you wonder why they bother calling it a town anyhow

… you have no money!!!

… it is Saturday and the young men who's help you seek have never heard of an ATM machine

… Diamond Bank shows up from nowhere, the ATM actually works!

… the tire is fixed but you are 2 hours behind schedule and now you know,

Mike is going to kill me.

So…

… you make it home

… you are grateful you are in one piece

… a phone call confirms you are too late, but yet

… you thank God that at least you still have life

… but that may not matter in a little while because …

… Mike is definitely going to kill me.

With love, Doosuur

Flat-faced on the Floor

Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again…

Proverbs 24:16

Don't you just hate it when your piece of toast falls to the kitchen floor with the buttered side down? It happened to me yesterday morning. This time it was my favorite toothbrush, facedown on the bathroom floor. Yuk!!! Well I had to brush my teeth so I did the logical thing...

It has happened to you too. Remember that time many Christmases ago when you were running in the yard with that savory piece of fried goat that aunty had just given you? You hit your foot against a rock and were sent sprawling along the ground, your cherished piece of meat flying out of your hand and hitting the dirt. I saw you when you picked it up, completely unconcerned that you had soiled your Christmas best. You dusted it off and popped it into your mouth, savoring the sweet juices. Don't worry, I would have done the same thing (or perhaps I have done!)

And I'm thinking that perhaps we sometimes feel like that piece of toast, that yellow toothbrush, that cube of fried meat. We are like that when we soil ourselves in the dirt, when we wallow in our sin, unconcerned that Someone cared enough for us to butter us, to lather us, to hold us carefully in his hands. But then all of a sudden we realize what has happened and how far we have fallen and we long again for His touch.

We lie forlorn, helpless and hopeless on the floor, wondering if He would bother once again to pick us up. After all this is not the first time, not the second time, not the third time either. We would be forgiven for thinking we had exhausted grace and He had run out of mercy.

But thank God we are not God. Each time, every time, He picks us up, dusts us off and savors us once again. And then He makes us right, crediting our account with His own righteousness (Romans 4:24). We may have to endure a few slaps of His hand as He shakes the dust free of us but just the touch of His finger is healing enough. We are never too far gone, never down and out, never too dirty to be picked up, cleaned and brought back home. Like the Prodigal son, let us come to our senses, pick up our baggages and go back home. The Father is waiting.

With love, Doosuur.

What Do You See?

What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." … Immediately he received his sight…

Mark 10:51,52

What do you see? I mean, really? We're all looking at the same things every day but chances are what each of us sees is very different from the next person.

When I was a house officer, an intern at the teaching hospital, I saw veins. Lots and lots of veins. My job description involved, to a large extent, taking blood samples from patients, and like a rapacious leech, when I saw someone, my eyes would track downwards ever so subtly to their arms, looking for the biggest, juiciest vessels suitable for bloodletting. Now, as an aspiring clinician, when I see people I'm always on the look out for "signs" - white nails, yellow eyes, lilting gaits - anything that would suggest a disease process. But then it's not just me.

When I'm with Flensted or Shola, they always seem to see buildings and structures. They are always talking with great gusto about what is wrong with the architecture of this residence or that high rise and on the rare occasion tipping their hats in honor of some builder's exploits. Can't blame them though - they're architects.

And then there is Austine. He sees poles. I don't know how he does it, but he's constantly analyzing sizes, heights and construction of telephone poles, pylons and electrical lines along the highway. And he doesn't get tired, not once.

But let us not forget mom. Like the good mother she is, she's always doing a mental cleanup when she's around me, picking up clothes, rearranging papers and digging up the weed patch, all with her eyes. I don't seem to notice how unkempt my surroundings are until she comes around. She sees things that I don't.

Can you remember when Jesus asked someone this same question, "What do you see?" In Mark 8 he was talking to a blind man at Bethsaida and he had just spit into the man's eyes. The man answered, "I see people; they look like trees walking around." But after a second touch from the Lord the Bible says he "saw everything in bright, twenty-twenty focus".

So I ask you again, what do you see? When we look at people, do we see them hurting and lost and in need of a friend? Do we see the pain of unfulfilled desires and the distress of unsolicited trouble? Let me show you what Jesus saw when he looked at people. "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." (Matthew 9:36)

If only we would open our eyes to the world around us, perhaps we would begin to see the sorry state of our world. There really are people in need around us, people we could genuinely help. So why not go ahead and ask Jesus to open your eyes. It may take a little spit in the eyes, but then, that never hurt nobody.

With love, Doosuur.

Beggars In Bakeries

He saved us not because of righteous things we had done but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Titus 3:5

I went to Oasis Bakery, a local patisserie that specializes in assorted breads, cakes and other pastries, last night to get the family's "daily bread" - a fluffy, brown loaf of our favorite Big Coconut Bread. As I stood at the counter waiting to be served, I noticed a particularly filthy-looking boy in the bread shop, talking to a couple of the store attendants. "How did he get in here?" I thought as I looked him over. The plastic bowl he held in his hand identified him as an Almajiri, a member of an antiquated, and now abused, Islamic system of apprenticeship for boys and young men that emphasizes servitude and self-denigration. These lads are set apart by the way they look, always dirty, unkempt and decidedly indigent, dressed in rags and carrying around their begging bowls looking for handouts of money, food and any scraps society may throw their way.

This young boy looked very out of place in the clean and sophisticated insides of the bakery and I paid closer attention to see what this might be about. As I watched, one of the attendants went to the shelf behind her and picked out a nice loaf of bread and gave it to the boy. That's when it hit me - he wasn't here begging for food or looking for scraps. He was here for the same reason as me - to buy bread. I watched him as he walked to the counter to pay for his prize. His gait was timid and his bearing nervous, if not fearful, and I could see why. He was in unfamiliar territory. Such was his bashfulness that he shyly curtsied like a girl when he gave the salesgirl his money.

But for all this, no-one could take anything away from him - he had the right to be there. He was here not because of the state of the clothes on his back but because of the color of the paper in his hand. He may have lived as a mendicant on the fringes of society all his life but here and now, he could stand with me because the money in his hand said he could. His cash was his key, it spoke for him.

Now we are not so far removed from this poor boy as we might think. Aren't we ourselves beggars, too unworthy to even ask for a part in eternity? Don't we know just how filthy and undeserving of a place in God's house we are? After all, our best attires the Bible summarily dismisses as "filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). Like the Prodigal Son we all cry, "I am no longer worthy to be your child" (Luke 15:21). However we view ourselves - evil, bad, good or very good - all that counts for nothing. All that matters is where we stand with God and what Christ does for us. Don't you just love that verse - "… while we were still sinners Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Wonderfully good news! My salvation has nothing to do with how good I am. It has everything to do with how generous He is.

And all of a sudden, the beggar deserves to be in the presence of the King. I deserve to be in heaven. What a wonderful statement. I deserve it because Christ speaks for me and He says so. Period.

With love, Doosuur.

Serendipity

For the Lord your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will exult over you by singing a happy song.

Zephaniah 3:17

ser·en·dip·i·ty [sèrrən díppətee]

noun

1. discovery of something fortunate: the accidental discovery of something pleasant, valuable, or useful
2. gift for discovery: a natural gift for making pleasant, valuable, or useful discoveries by accident*

It's my all-time favorite word, serendipity. I really don't know why. Maybe it's the way it sounds, the way it rings as it rolls off your tongue: "Serendipity". Maybe it's because it starts with serene and elicits feelings of peacefulness and calm. Maybe it's the child in me that enjoys unwrapping gifts to find out what I got for my birthday. I guess it's in all of us, the desire to discover something pleasant, something valuable, something useful.

Now imagine the thrill I got when I first read Zephaniah 3:17, "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Oh what beauty! Solomon, for all his lyrical prowess, could not nearly elicit such feelings of love and affection as this verse does. God, THE CREATOR-GOD HIMSELF, takes great delight in me, calms my deep concerns with his love, and sings, actually sings! because of me. What breath-taking wonder!

Now take a step back and try to capture the moment, the emotion behind these words. Remember that time when you fell in love with that special person. Remember the thoughts? the feelings? the butterflies in your stomach? Remember the exhilaration you experienced at the mention of her name? Can you still feel the titillating sensations provoked by the lightest brush of his hand against yours? Their simplest smile brought out the poet in you. Their mildest hurt became your personal pain. Their joys made you dance. Is it then so hard to imagine why someone would so delight in you as to sing a song in your name and give you a loving hug to make you feel safe? Love made you do it and love makes Him to do it.

You see, unlike us, God doesn't get tired of loving. The honeymoon is never over so far as He's concerned. He's just as ready to get up and dance, to take up the guitar and serenade you. He's crazy about you! Yes, there's no greater discovery than to understand God's love. What joy! What beauty! What serendipity!

With love, Doosuur.

*Source: Microsoft® Encarta® 2007. © 1993-2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

We must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Acts 20:35

Rain, Rain, go away, come again another day.

That's exactly how I felt this afternoon as I stood on the hospital walkway, staring at the gloomy skies and sodden earth, listening to the rain pitter-patter on the tin canopy. I was tired, hungry and more than a little miffed. The driver had gone for his Friday prayers and, while waiting for him, it had begun to rain. And the rain refused to let up. A full one-and-a-half hours it poured, perhaps more rain than Gumel has experienced so far this year.

So I just stood there, knotted brow and all, my hands folded in annoyance across my chest, staring into space and wondering what in the world I was going to do. I was a full two hours drive away from my destination and the day was wearing on minute after slow minute. It had been a very busy day and all I wanted was a hot meal and a cold shower.

I was in such a huff I hardly noticed the sick young boy, bundled up in a wrapper, lying on the bench on the causeway right next to me. His middle-aged mother tried to help him up and I thought she was going to take him back into the ward but when he finally managed to stand up she turned towards me and asked me to have a seat. I was amazed! Why would she put her sick son to such trouble just to make me feel comfortable? Had she somehow noticed my frustration or was she just being nice and respectful. My face broke into a smile and I could feel my heart thaw as warmth flooded over me. I politely declined her offer and as I walked away I couldn't help blessing her for her kindness.

All of a sudden I felt like inconsiderate Jonah outside of Nineveh, unhappy at God's gift of kindness (this time in the form of rain) just because it put me at some discomfort. And here was an aging woman and her sick son shaming me by their selflessness. Both of them were weaker than me but they chose to serve me by making me comfortable. What's more, I believe they would have done the same thing any day of the week to just about anyone. What blessedness!

For all their kindness, I could not think another unkind thought all day, so long as I remembered them. And now I'm indebted. I must find someone else to infect with this kindness. The contented smile on their face told me that they were more blessed when they gave to me than I could ever be by receiving their gift. Yes, they got the better deal!

With love, Doosuur.

Learning the Roads of Kano, Part 2

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

1 Peter 3:15

In my previous write-up I emphasized how we must focus on what we know, rather than on what we can remember. "But," you say, "how can one know anything without first learning it? And how can one learn something without first committing it to memory?" Good point. I didn't always know how to navigate Kano, no sir.

I remember when, as a rookie corper, I was dropped off in the middle of Kano's business district during rush-hour. I felt like that yellow circle in the 1980's classic computer game, Pac-Man, trapped in an elaborate labyrinth, with careening motorbikes and speeding cars converging on me like alien monsters. Driving in Kano was an ordeal, indeed it still is. They seem to have their own Driving Code and it has one rule only: Don't Die. Anything else is permissible. It was hard enough trying to stay alive, let alone learning how to navigate the maze of human and vehicular traffic to get to my destination. Add to that the fact that just about every road in Kano starts and ends in a roundabout and, worst of all, they all seem to look the same.

With time, I began to learn the way around some particular place of interest: this is how to get to the restaurant; take this road to church; this street leads to the hospital. I learned my way around little sections of the city at a time and gradually I would come to some intersection at the boundary of a particular quarter and, voila, there was something I recognized - a traffic light, a billboard or, yes, a roundabout. "Oh, so this is where I am!" I would exclaim as realization flooded over me. So, my knowledge of the greater part of Kano came from connecting my knowledge of the different sectors of the city together like the pieces of a giant jigsaw puzzle. That's one way to do it.

And then there's Abuja. You know the motif - wide roads, beautiful landscape, picturesque high rise buildings. The good news is that, unlike Kano, the roundabouts are kept to a respectable number. The bad news is that everything else looks exactly the same. I recently shared my concerns about getting round Abuja with a friend and he in turn related how another friend gets around his quandary. He has a "spot" in Abuja from where he can find just about anywhere else. It's like the center of a big spider's web. Whenever he cannot find his way, he heads back to that spot and starts out from there.

So there you have it. One method focuses on putting the puzzle together one piece at a time. Another bases it's success on working from the center, the hub if you like, outward. The common denominator, however, is that both begin with what is known, whether it is the puzzle piece (that neighborhood of Kano) or the center of the web (that spot in Abuja).

So then, I ask you. What do you know? What truth do you hold as of highest importance in your mind. What is that belief that no one can take away from you? It is important that you settle these things between yourself and God because there will be times of testing - a questioning colleague, an unexpected illness, a troubled spouse - that will push your faith to the limit. When those times come, connect the pieces, head for the hub, fall back to what you know and let God help you find your way back to faith and trust.

With love, Doosuur.

Learning the Roads of Kano, Part 1

For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts … They can clearly see his invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.

Romans 1:19,20

It's a good thing I served in Kano state. You should have seen me today as I directed my driver through the streets of the ancient city as if I had drawn the map myself. I was pretty proud of myself, I must say, giving directions to a seasoned driver in a foreign city. His knowledge went only so far as the boundaries of Jigawa state, and Kano city, for him, was uncharted territory. So, naturally, I became his guide: "Go straight at the intersection … take a right here … slow down, you'll soon turn … can you see that green signboard?" I was in my element.

The good thing about it is that giving the directions came naturally for me. I didn't have to think hard or make any calculations. I didn't wonder, should we take this road or that? It all came to me without effort. Why? Because I remembered the way? No, not because I remembered but because I knew the way. Same difference you say? Well the distinction may be very subtle but sometimes it can mean a lot. Let me explain.

If you ask me my sister's name, I don't have to think about it. Her name is Nguavese and I can bet my life on it. I don't remember that it is her name. I know it for a fact. But then ask me who's that guy Austine just introduced me to. "Uhh, Obiora" I answer, because I remember when he said, "meet my friend Obiora." But I won't stake anything on it. For one thing, he may have said "Obioha" and I just didn't hear right, or maybe he told an untruth, or maybe Austine wasn't sure himself.

Do you see my point? Knowledge is so far superior to memory. Any good student will tell you that. It's so much easier to pass an exam when you actually know what you're writing about rather than just gushing out hastily-crammed snippets of information. Knowledge is indisputable. If you know something, you know it, period. Your memory on the other hand could easily be flawed.

So here's what I've learned. As a young, growing Christian, it is essential that I focus on what I know because that is what will see me through when the going gets tough. And it does get tough. Which of us has not struggled with questions of faith. Who can say he has not at some point been confused on some point of theology or other. Some of us have faced such difficulties on a larger and more staggering scale than others, but my advice is the same to everyone, regardless: Ask whatever question you will, search wherever you will, but when all is said and done, focus on what you know and have become convinced of because what you know for a fact will not be taken from you.

I may learn the fine points, but when my faith is challenged, trying to remember that verse or that quotation could easily be counterproductive. I must not ask myself, "Doosuur what can you remember?" If I start from what I know, I believe the rest will follow.

And here is what I know: "The Lord is God, and the Lord is good." And that will have to do.

With love, Doosuur.

Don't miss the second part, next.

A Little Bird Told Me

We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us…

Romans 5:3-5

These last several days I've been woken up in the morning by the insistent tapping of a little bird on my window. I wish I knew Morse Code so I could interpret what secrets little birdie is trying to tell me. He is a study in persistence as he pecks the window, hops around a little and returns to peck the same spot, over and over again. I wonder what this is all about. Is he trying to get through the window to the other side? Or is this perhaps some part of an elaborate mating ritual? Or maybe he's just having some morning exercise. I don't know. But this I do know: as insistent and unflinching as he may be, barring a major miracle, he's never going to get through the thick glass.

In Jesus' Parable of the Persistent Widow, Luke 18, he tells of a woman who got justice for herself and her family by her insistence. Luke starts his narrative this way, "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up." There is a lot of value in the teaching of this passage - that we must be persistent and insistent, even in prayer, and we will get what we ask for. But through our own experience we know that we do not always get what we desire. Sometimes we find ourselves up against a thick glass wall, pecking away with no help in sight. What do we do then?

I've learned two things from little birdie. First of all, keep trying. The thing about life that we must keep in mind is that it is not a destination. Life is a journey and getting where we are going is only a little part of it. The trials and testings we face are what make life what it is. So, to the extent that we can, we ought to bask in the sunlight of our testing. The thing about perseverance is that it builds in us character: traits such as hope, resilience and patience. We may not get to the destination, but like the heroes of faith (Hebrews 11:39&40) that may be because there is something much better in store.

The other thing I've come to understand from watching my feathery friend is to take a break. He doesn't pound on the window for too long at a time. Like I said, he pauses between glass-pecking sessions to hop around a bit, and once the morning session is over, he flies away till the next day. In our endless drive to succeed we must learn the value of taking a step back to evaluate what it is we are about. Remember what James said, "And even when you do ask, you don’t get it because your whole motive is wrong..." (James 4:3) When we take a break, aside from giving us a chance for much-needed rest it enables us to look at things critically and, perhaps objectively, and decide whether our pursuits are really worth running after.

By the way, I finally deciphered what little birdie was trying to tell me all along. It's quite simple really: "Wake up oh sleeper! Rise … and … shine." (Ephesians 5:14)

With love, Doosuur.

True Confessions

… You are a slave to whatever controls you.

2 Peter 2:19

I have an addiction. Actually, it seems I always have done.

It happens at different periods of my life, my obsession with something. It just captivates me and seems to take up just about all my time. Sometimes it's constructive, sometimes it's just wasteful. At one time it was keyboards, then chess, then the internet. Lately, it's been this football management game on my laptop. Testing my skills against the likes of a virtual Mourinho and Ferguson has been pretty exhilarating. I return to it moment after moment to get my own little "high".

Like all true addictions, it started pretty insidiously and gradually grew on me. At the beginning, it was just an interesting way to pass time while waiting for this or that. But then it slowly became something to look forward to. I no longer used it to pass time. I made time to indulge myself. Sad huh?

Now recognizing that it had become an addiction was not really that hard to do. I mean, it was staring me in the face. There was no "moment" when I said to myself, "Okay, you're in some trouble here." I just kind of knew that if one single thing was taking so much of my time then it was pretty dangerous.

Now here's where it gets interesting. I thought all I needed to do to get over it was to delete it from my computer. Nothing could be further from the truth. You should see the flourish with which I hit the uninstall button and my pride as I watched the laptop go through the motions of taking Football Manager out of my life. "There, I've done it" I announced to myself with pride. But that was only the beginning. The hard part was still to come. You see, deleting the program could not cure my addiction any more than throwing away a pack of cigarettes can curb a nicotine dependency. The problem is not the object of the addiction but the craving. While the desire remains it is intensely difficult to get on with anything else and you look for ways to satisfy yourself.

So here I was, no Football Manager to play with and bored stiff with nothing to do. I've learned, more from theory than experience, that the best way to get rid of an addiction is to turn to something else. Thankfully, I could turn back to my laptop and tell you all this story and hope that by sharing this somebody out there might hold me accountable. I'm sharing this also for the few of you that struggle with similar problems in your life. For one thing, know that you are not alone. And what's more, you can have victory! I'm working towards mine.

With love, Doosuur.

A Day in the Sahel

Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? … It is God who sits above the circle of the earth … He is the one who spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them … “To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One.

Isaiah 40:12,22,25

My travels today took me to Maigatari, a town at the extreme north of this country, one kilometer from the Nigeria-Niger border. The topography, climate, vegetation and people of this area are, to say the least, intriguing. As we started on our trip, about 20 minutes out of Dutse, Jigawa state capital, we came across a caravan of a dozen camels led by a young boy, perhaps about 10 years old. The beastly animals were strolling casually, moving north at a leisurely pace. We quickly passed them and proceeded to our destination.

The first thing anyone would notice about this place is the heat. It is, in a word, unbearable. The only thing worse than the blazing sun is the breeze. Yes, the breeze. The air itself was so hot that we had to wind up our car windows and endure the oven-like conditions of a closed car rather than be exposed to the blast of hot air.

As we approached Maigatari, the vegetation became noticeably sparer until only the occasional shrub showed up. Tumbleweed punctuated the highway every few kilometers, like a Clint Eastwood western. The terrain was so spare and flat that it was possible to take in all God's earth for miles around in every direction, right up to the horizon. Everything was covered in a sea of brown with only the occasional island of green where a particularly hardy breed of shrub was still kicking strong despite the harsh dryness.

As if we needed any confirmation that we were on the borders of the Sahara, our hired vehicle got caught in the loose sand. As we stepped out of the car to help push it free I inadvertently lost a slipper and stepped on the sand. It was so hot, I promise I could have fried an egg, sunny-side-up, had I a frying-pan to hand. How some kids could play around barefooted in this sand was quite beyond me.

Our wilderness experience wouldn't have been complete without, of course, the occasional mirage. Add to that a true mini-sandstorm. Okay, in truth, it was just a whirlwind, but it painted everything around in a coat of brown and made the end-of-day shower that much more refreshing.

As we made the trip back to Dutse, a full six hours after we first left, we came across the same camel caravan. The camels were regal in their bearing, tall, brown and fearless. It would seem they had not stopped for a moment's rest and they could have carried on another full day. We stopped to take pictures but the caravan leader jumped down and ran towards us, shouting. He insisted that we not take pictures unless we gave them some money. When we said we had none to give, he dipped his hand in his own pocket saying, "Well, if you don't have then I will give you my money!" Amazing!

I learned that even in the driest, hottest, most arid parts of this earth, God's creation still retains it's great, if enigmatic, beauty. Praise God for the Sahel!

With love, Doosuur.

If you find the time, please read Isaiah 40 and worship our creative God with me.

Why did the Goat Cross the Road?

How is it, Maecenas, that no one lives contented with his lot, whether he has planned it for himself or fate has flung him into it, but yet he praises those who follow different paths?

Horace (65-8 BC), Roman poet

The Myth of the Greener Grass.

I remember once, travelling by road somewhere in the West, a trio of young goats ran across the road in front of our commercial car, causing the driver to hit the brakes and swerve to avoid hitting them.

"What are they looking for on that side of the road that is not on this side?" one passenger remarked. A pretty astute observation, I think. Perhaps the goats assumed that the grass on the other side was sweeter, or at least greener.

Maybe it's the same reason why you think her dress is prettier than yours, his wife is more beautiful than yours or their son is smarter and more responsible than yours. The same reason why your neighbor's lawn looks that particular shade of green. It's the Myth of the Greener Grass. It's premise is that the grass is always greener on the other side. We all fall victim to this belief at one time or the other. Think about it. How many times have you compared yourself with someone else and come up short? How often do you think things would be different and better if you found yourself in someone else's shoes? Psychologists suggest that this is why many men suffer the mid-life crisis. All of a sudden they wake up and realize that the life they've been living could be better. It certainly looks better on others.

Well there's news for you. It may not be particularly good news, but it's true. The grass is just as green on the other side. Now it may be true that our circumstances are dependent on what "fate" (if you will allow it) has thrown our way. But to the larger extent, it's less about what comes your way and more about what you do with it. It's our prerogative to make the most of the life we've been given to live and, when we've done that, to find contentment with our lot in life. The other guy may be looking over into your own yard and envying your lawn. It works both ways.

When we go chasing shadows we hurt others who depend upon us for stability and love. Find satisfaction in your life and enjoy your patch of grass to the fullest. At least it is yours and no-one will take that from you.

With love, Doosuur.

Why did the Sheep Cross the Road?

… A doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea ... People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can't make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do.

James 1:6-8

Here's a question for you. Which animal is smarter? More intelligent? Sheep or goats? You probably answer "Goats", right? Everyone knows sheep are stupid, dumb animals. But then consider this: How come it is that goats are so much more likely to be roadkill than sheep? I remember only a couple of times seeing a dead sheep by the roadside. But goats? More than I can count. Perhaps the reason is that by nature goats are more likely to graze by the roadside while sheep are more domesticated and stay at home. Be that as it may, I believe there is another important reason: Goats are too smart for their own good.

The thing about sheep is that they're mostly predictable - it's quite easy for the driver of a car to know what the sheep will do. It usually has one mind - it's instinct and natural urge to follow. They will probably cross the road in a column, behind their leader, and once they've started across, they are unlikely to turn round or make sudden moves. Once they head off, they will get to their destination at the same pace. The driver is thus able to make a good judgment to either speed up, slow down or steer clear to avoid the sheep.

Goats for their part are considerably less predictable. In a moment of crisis they are likely to be caught in two minds - their instinct versus their unfortunately smart brain. It is difficult for them to condense all the information in an instant - survival instinct, distance across the road in either direction, speed of the car, their own speed, etc - and so they make sudden, unexpected and poorly informed moves that often result in accident and death. Their own wisdom may be superior to that of sheep but, because it is incomplete, it is their undoing.

Perhaps now it is easier to see why Jesus would use sheep to represent the good guys in his parable of Matthew 25. I will not go so far as to suggest that God will have us be unthinking individuals with no personal opinion but, like sheep, it will do us a world of good if our principal sentiment is to follow in the steps of our leader, even when trouble is coming our way. That way we will remain safe.

The goats which, according to the parable, are sorted to the left side of the shepherd represent those destined for eternal punishment. Perhaps we act like goats when we let conflicting emotions - emotions like doubt, pride, lust, greed and malice - cloud our judgment and leave us in two minds. The result is the same - Death.

So, for once, I'd much rather be a stupid sheep than a wise goat.

With love, Doosuur.

Independence Day

A Learner's Dilemma

People-Watching

At the Dentist

... Though I have received wonderful revelations from God, ... to keep me from getting puffed up, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from getting proud.

2 Corinthians 12:7

So I finally made it to the dentist to have my tooth checked out. As he examined me he discovered that it was my last molar, upper left, that was giving me such trouble. Interestingly, the dentist noted, the last molars are indeed the most useless and, at the same time, the most troublesome teeth. You could lose all four of your last molars, he informed me, and still retain 99% of your chewing capacity. On the other hand, because of their reclusive location and their proximity to the buccal folds, food tends to get trapped nearby, serving as a nidus for infection and decay.

So useless, so troublesome. A terrible combination. It's as though this tooth causes trouble just to get your attention. Since it's apparently so useless, it has to do something to get noticed.

I can imagine that Paul debated this very matter with himself when he talked about the nature of the Body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12, comparing it to the human body. He opines, "God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other equally. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad."

Yes, who would ever notice that poor old tooth if it didn't give me trouble. Is there a lesson in there somewhere? I think so. If you ask yourself, critically, when you're most likely to pray, you'd probably answer when you're in trouble. We tend to give priority in prayer and concern to the troublesome areas of our lives, and rightfully so. Sometimes, perhaps, it might be God's way of drawing our attention to certain areas of our lives that need prayer and action. Perhaps, too, that is why Paul was given his "thorn in the flesh" (2 Corinthians 12), to draw his attention to the problem of pride.

So when next I suffer such pain, physical or emotional, I have to take pause and think, "Is God trying to get my attention?"

With love, Doosuur.

Born Again

And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.

Ephesians 3:18

I was having lunch yesterday when an old classmate of mine popped in. I had not seen him since before National Service so, naturally I was glad. The rendezvous was made all the more pleasant by some great news he had to give me.

You see, this friend of mine has been a Muslim for as long as I have known him, some ten years. Perhaps you, like me, have long desired the salvation of an associate or friend. We even feel guilty because it may seem that we want them saved more than others. You think about your friend, "She's so nice, so friendly, so … everything. If only she were a Christian." That's exactly the way I felt about this guy. He appears so complete in other areas of his life that it was that much more painful to see him heading the wrong way, so far as God is concerned.

But yesterday, he had good news for me. "I am now 'born again'" he said to me, quite matter-of-factly.

I felt a flush over my face as I was momentarily silent. It took a moment for that simple statement to sink in. My first response was disbelief. "Please stop joking," I said. "You shouldn't joke about things like that." But as he persisted and another friend confirmed it, I could see that he was actually serious.

"Why?", "How?", "When?", the questions started pouring in as my excitement grew. Apparently, he had considered it for awhile. He remembered the long-term prayers of his aunt (over a period of about 12 years) and, in his estimation, this was the single most important factor. Then there was the influence of friends and some Christian family members. But he made the final decision in the quiet of his room. "If anyone really wants to see the truth," he said, "it is quite obvious to see."

Many people contributed to this young man's transformation but the work was all that of the Holy Spirit. Whether tilling his heart, planting the seed or watering, it all served a single purpose. And thank God for that.

I just want to join the angels of heaven and God's congregation to rejoice in the salvation of this brother.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Sule Ibrahim Jibrin is saved!

With love, Doosuur.

Please join me and pray Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3 on his behalf.

A Toothache

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

John 16:33

If you've ever experienced a toothache you will know just how excruciating the pain can become. It's so uncomfortable because you feel so helpless. You touch the offending tooth and think up ways to stop the pain but to no avail. Until you have the tooth removed, the pain persists.

I'm suffering from toothache right now. Last night I slept fitfully and woke up often to take pain medication. But this morning it became much worse. Just now, I was dancing around because of the pain and could have just about burst into tears, quite literally, when the pain disappeared. I mean it simply vanished. I cannot explain it in the least. All I know is that one moment I was experiencing some of the most intense pain of my life and the next moment it was gone. Wow! If you ever needed proof that miracles still happen…

The significance of my sudden relief is not lost on me. It's the kind of "twinkling of an eye" event that scripture talks about. In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul tells us that these earthly, corruptible bodies will be exchanged for heavenly, immortal bodies in the twinkling of an eye. Just like that. One moment this, the next moment that.

"Our bodies now disappoint us," he says, "but when they are raised, they will be full of glory. They are weak now, but when they are raised, they will be full of power." What a momentous occasion, I can hardly wait.

In developing his argument, Paul uses the analogy of a seed sown into soil. It's planted in one form and grows into another. But before it can become a fruiting plant the seed must die, change form, be watered, and endure the scorching sun, the relentless rain and the blistering cold until it reaches maturity. It must go through a lot of pain before it can become what it was meant to be all along. But in the end, the entire process is worth it. What a sweet relief!

The same applies to us. In this world we will experience suffering, hardships and, yes, toothaches, but in the end it will all be gone, in the twinkling of an eye. And it will all be worth it.

With love, Doosuur.

The Waiting Game

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27:13,14

Traffic in Jos is at a standstill. I was on my way to pick my younger brother from school when I met a traffic hold-up. After sitting still a short while, I walked up to the junction to find out what might be the problem. "We're waiting for the chief," one person volunteered. "The number one." I soon found out that he was referring to President Obasanjo and his entourage making the political rounds in Jos.

Good enough, I thought, as I sat down to wait. But slowly one minute turned into five, into ten and still no sign of any let up. I sat back in my chair and dug into a Reader's Digest to help pass the time but my patience quickly turned to exasperation as the hour-mark approached. The most frustrating thing about my predicament is that in Jos there are precious few alternative routes to take you anywhere. I soon left to seek another path but the second and third options were clogged with other people thinking like me. Finally, after about an hour and a half I got to my destination.

I'm not sure any of us likes waiting, particularly not for other people. The analytical side of me wonders why thousands of man-hours should be spent waiting, in vain no less, for a single individual.

But the experience reminds me of the heroes of scripture. They very often were made to wait patiently for the Lord. Joseph endured oppression and incarceration while awaiting his elevation. Hannah endured barrenness and taunting while waiting for her child. David endured hunger and the harsh wilderness while waiting for his kingdom. The list goes on and on. But in each case they eventually received what had been promised.

This lesson is significant for me as much as for anyone, because I find myself at a stage in life where I have to do a lot of waiting. It's the crossroads that we all come to at one point or the other where life-changing decisions have to be made. You'll agree with me that it's never easy to wait expectantly when answers seem far off, but I'm learning that the prize is always worth the wait. So I'll keep waiting.

With love, Doosuur

I would cherish your thoughts, whether you're at the crossroads, been there & done that or are yet to get there.