THE RIVER OF LIFE!!!!

The very first call I received today was a frantic one from a woman who was crying because she was having problems paying her rent. In my state of semi slumber, I told her I would call her back once I was fully awake and able to give her my full attention. I showered,said my prayers and meditated on the day at hand.

I returned the panicked caller’s call and asked her to recount the reason she disturbed my sleep earlier. She said she needed advice because her rent was increased and she feared she wouldn’t be able to afford it and will have to pack up once more and make an  exodus.

As she spoke, I inhaled deeply and went silent for a moment, as I reflected on this woman’s life. I knew that she had recently received a huge blessing from God, along with her ancestors and her astral mates. Therefore, I saw no reason why she was in a frenzied state.
Let me give you a little insight on this woman’s recent moment of serendipity. She has received blessings so huge that there is no denying that the hand of God was steering her towards greatness. Like Job, she had gone through turbulent times such as:

1.having a former lover steal her house and to have it done again by another lover a couple of years after that.

2.Then AGAIN by her own daughter.

By the grace of God and a fortified spirit, she was able to work and save enough money  to purchase another property that she put in her daughter’s name, because by this time her credit was not the best. Some years pass,only to have the daughter move her boyfriend into the house and demanded the mother move into the basement. Naturally when the mother protested the daughter along with the boyfriend beat her very badly and then had her arrested, telling the police that SHE assaulted them, which was not true. Through sheer determination,despite all she had been through she didn’t curl up and die. Instead, she got up (once again) dusted her self off and downscaled to a rented apartment. She struggled to make ends meet by working in various hair salons because that was her profession. I will skip the other trials and tribulations that came her way because they were many. One day after much disappointments she was given a gift suddenly by the Universe, a hairdressing shop already with twenty-five styling chairs, along with hair dryers and washing sinks, all for a very low monthly rent and three months free to work before paying the first month rent.  Ase O! The shop was beautiful and in a central location so customers flooded the place, she stumbled onto this place by…” chance”….(read the post titled chance, search the archives)

Up until this sudden phone call that morning we were celebrating her new-found happiness, and blessings. I understood her worries, but I had to bring her back to focus and said to her, “why are you worrying about things that you cannot change?…… so the management company has raised your rent and it is too much for you, what are the options before you” I asked her,”it’s either you move or you make up your mind to stay . She was quiet as I spoke to her. I told her to consider the blessings that God had just given to her, everything happens for a reason and if we just learn to trust a little more we would see the reasoning of God and grasp the lessons being taught. “YOU HAVE TO FLOW WITH THE RIVER OF LIFE” I told her, and as soon as those words were uttered she said, “thank you Obara, I got it.” She continued to say, “Obara you have always prayed with me and encouraged me to focus my mind on positive thoughts so even if things like these come at odd times to distract me, I should not allow it to weaken me because I know the power in words and the thoughts that I have put out in the universe and I should expect to receive nothing less than what I deserve or delivered to me as a lesson, warning, or “energy” or to make me stronger. EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON!” I was happy to see that she had realized the true meaning of life, and had began to calm down.

Life is like a river, we have to learn to go along with the flow because we cannot swim against the currents. Sometimes the river gets turbulent but if you do not panic you will be able to handle it. Lest we not forget that prayers and personal sacrifices help us to maneuver ourselves as we flow along our path. We should strive for good character despite of your upbringing, environment, peers or social pressures.

Respect the laws of nature and everything within, apply logic and wisdom onto whatever you do, correct your mistakes, and make amends with those you have offended, love yourself and pray for your neighbors, honor your parents whether they were good or bad, honor your elders, be kind to children and animals, give what you can if it is even knowledge, be joyful for one another’s accomplishments, embrace God, remember your ancestors-those you know and those who you don’t know but their blood runs through your veins; the universe and all therein, be the best human being you can possible be and your journey on earth will be richly rewarded.

 “When one is taking a chicken from its roost, the hen is bound to attack with at least its claws”…Yoruba  Proverb.