One of the verses of the bible that I found my favorite in my adolescent years was this one, “Great peace have they that love your law, nothing shall offend them”. I used to recite this scripture as an antidote to getting offended by people. I grew up with a grave anger problem, and in my quest to overcome it, this verse was one that proved very useful. Add this to verses like, “be angry, but do not sin”, and “do not let the sun go down on your anger”, I gradually overcame a chronic anger problem before I was 17. A lot has happened to offend me since then, but having learnt to rule my emotions, I have enjoyed great peace.
Towards the end of this year however, I put myself under a lot of pressure to make some people happy, but only a few of them appreciated it. I wondered why this was happening, and I wanted to make some strong resolutions against the new year, about what and what not to ever do again. I wondered why I was so hurt, was it because it wasn’t convenient for me or was my great peace wearing out, due to lack of use? Or was it that I was empowered to see specks because I had a log in my eyes? Yeah, that’s another one, I had grown up assuring myself, that I needed to have a log in my eye to see the speck in another, that what we criticize the most is a tendency that we have capacities to fall into. No sooner after I had felt hurt about people not being appreciative of sacrifices, privileges or gestures, that I realized in reality that I was most guilty of all. I was guilty as sin.
I looked back at the year, and even though in my heart of hearts, I really appreciated God and friends for many things they had done for me in the course of the year going, that appreciation wasn’t being felt, because it wasn’t verbalized. I appreciated, but failed to thank. Here was I, feeling bad that the same thing was happening to me, that I had failed so woefully at. The elders say that he that thinks, will thank. There is so much I’m grateful to God for, and there are so many people I am grateful their paths crossed mine in 2007. I can’t exhaust it, but I can try.
I want to say a big thank you to God for life, love, peace, my wife, my daughter, my son, my parents, my siblings, my colleagues in Generis, my prayer partners, my mentors, my friends, my uncles and aunts, my extended family, my online buddies, my fans, my fellow teenage teachers, my students, sound health, wealth, opportunities, clubfreedom, mlm in general, ecash invest, NNC, favor, our clients, my website, a sound mind, great ideas, journey mercies, food to eat, clothes to wear, protection, grace, NNC, and so much I can’t remember. I publicly confess that it is not my doing, I am what I am, only by God’s grace. How far I have come is not my ingenuity, it’s his help, his confidence and his plan. Where I am going is not by my strategy, it’s by his power. I am not the message, I am a messenger, I am not the messiah, I am the donkey in which he rides, I am not here on my own accord, I am sent. Thank you God, for all you have done for me… you are too much!
And then you, yes you, I want to say a big thank you to you. The fact that you are reading this alone shows that you deserve to be thanked. Why do you come to this site? You don’t have to, why did you inform your friends about me? You didn’t need to, but you did. Why? Because you love me, because you wanted to be a blessing to me, because you wanted to? You deserve my thank you. I can’t exhaust the list of the people whose input into my life in 2007 has added so much colour to my life, I can only try… Temitope, Felix, Ola, Ogho, Kamal, Tola, Yemisi, Abiola2, Seun3, Tiwa, Folayemi, Anu, Charles, Ugo, Joy, Luminus, Pastor Tea, Bukky, Lolu, Bisola, Eolutosin, Dejoski, Sandra, Bolaji, Cliff, Zemanski, Kayode, Ireoluwa, Araoluwa, Awele, Bukky Mtn, delat, Femi3, ‘Gbenga2, Ropo, Kunle, Niyi, Layi, fumosh, Angela, Peter, Joshua, Toun, Layo, Sayo, Feyi, Sade, Korede, Segun2, Emmautomi, Yinka, Titi, Moore, Okocha family, Chiadozie, Mr. Kunle, Busayo, Niyiadesanya, jegzie, Fbanigbe, Isaac, SolaB, Buki, Tunde, Gbolabo, Gbolade, Kolapo, Dipo, Fred, Bimpe, Dotun, Stefan, Dami, Dorothy, Emeka, Nkiru, Tomi, Seyi, Oga Wale, Ijeoma, Maryam, Innocent, Bayo, Catherine, Yemi, Tunde, Tunzie, Jide, Ademiju, Bimpe, Rev Sam, Pst Godman, Pst Williams, Akin, Yemisi,tallest, Steven, Rotimi, Jane, mtn, phcn, Startech, morphet, Gtbank, Oceanic Bank, Promasidor, IMFB Microfinance Bank, Realwoman, Pneuma Bookshop, Celtel, TIEC, 6k4you, Clubfreedom, Ecash-Invest, Eniola, Vivian, Ijeoma, Doyin, TunjiF, Sola, Kunle, Akin, Efe, Femi, Damilade, Lara, Richard, Funmi, Toyosi, Kess, Ayo, Akin, Bernad, Aneto, Peter, Harold, Tunde, Inem, Ehis, Oghale, Deji, Ife, Tomi, Peter, Tony, James, Patutomi, Bussy, Ope, Kolade, Soremi, Nihin, Ireti, Joshua, Ekwu, Rume, Jane, Biodun, and all that fall into any of these categories… my parents, my siblings, my colleagues in Generis, my prayer partners, my mentors, my friends, my uncles and aunts, my extended family, my online buddies, my fans, my fellow teenage teachers, my students, my proteges, our clients and you… yes…YOU!
Thank you! Do think about it… and take out time to say thank you to all truly deserving of it in your life. Don’t just appreciate them, say it.