...Discovering Purpose, Fulfilling Destiny

Joggling many balls at the same time is demanding but very interesting because it pushes you beyond your limits (who set the limits by the way?). I was behind on some of my commitments so I decided to spend the night iat the office in a bid to catch up.

As I banged on my keyboard and dragged and clicked on my mouse I listened to soul lifting gospel music from the likes of Darlene Zschech, Donald Lawrence, Byron Cage and Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. I was having such a wonderful time at my work when Power Holding Company of Nigeria decided to withhold power. It was at that point that it occurred to me that I was alone in the office. The whole place was dark. I could not see a thing and the light from my laptop was not helping matters. The first thing I did was to take off my ear plugs so that I could at least hear if something was moving in my direction.This was about 1.15 a.m. It was too late to start heading home so I had to pray that the property managers would put on the power plant to light up the building. Four minutes later power was restored! My mind was now at rest. I knew I could keep working.

As I put back on my ear plugs I remembered that I was alone in this large building in the middle of the night and I was not scared. A few scenes from horror movies I had watched in childhood flashed through my mind. But I still was not scared, I just smiled and continued working thinking to myself how much I must have grown. Just as this thought passed through my mind, I felt my instructor tap me from behind. My heart skipped a beat but I immediately realized he was the one as he called out my name.

“You think you are not scared because you have grown eh?”

 He asked.

“Well…”

I hesitate,

“Take off your ear plugs.”

I obeyed. I put them over my shoulder but I could still hear the vibes coming through the ear phones. I continued working. After a few minutes I began to hear funny noises. First I thought I heard someone call my name. Then it was as if something fell in the office behind me. Next I thought I heard footsteps. Fear began to creep in on me. I had to consciously remind myself that I was alone in the office and so it was either I was imagining things or those sounds were real but not what my mind interpreted them to be.

“Put back on your ear plugs.”

I obeyed. Just about then the song Thou Art A Shield For Me by Byron Cage came up. My confidence was immediately restored.

“Now do you still think you were not scared because you have grown?”

I shook my head.

“The only reason you were not scared was because of what you were listening to. You filled your ears with inspiring and soul lifting music while you focused on your work. Your music was so loud that you could not hear any of the funny sounds you heard from your environment when your ear plugs were off.”

 He continued…

“…What you hear in every situation is very important. Your environment would always speak words that challenge your faith and beliefs. It will always create additional mental hurdles for you to cross in the pursuit of your purpose. Look back at every man who has done great things on earth… he had to keep the Word playing loudly so that he remained focus despite the barrage of comments and advice from his environment, pessimists and the faint hearted. What he heard from God was loudest and constant in his ears. If it were not so, how would you explain how Thomas Edison, having failed close to hundred times at one of his inventions still kept at it till he succeeded. He must have been hearing something that was louder than the failure; Or Abram who left everything and set out in pursuit of a “land that I would show you”, who, despite his wife being beyond he age of child bearing changed his name to Abraham (Father of many nations); Or Jesus who, despite knowing he was going to be killed in the most undignified and brutal way still submitted himself, He must have been hearing something and very loudly too!

I nodded in agreement.

Now son, I need you to understand that it is not enough to hear. You must have observed that I have mentioned the word “loudly” several times… It has to be loud! You must increase the volume till it is the only thing you hear. Keep your ear plugged and let it flow into your soul till it saturates your entire being. Faith can only come by hearing. What you hear also has to be the word of God for you. You have to keep it there always. This can be by confessing it to yourself, listen to music, teachings, reading books, conversing with friends that tell you these things and re-enforce what you have already heard. It is only when are filled to the brim that you can begin to overflow with it. But if you let in a bit of “facts” today, a couple of “truths” tomorrow and a lot of “reality” next tomorrow, when life’s challenges come pressing on you, like a sponge soaked in Vinegar, “facts”, “truth” and a lot of “reality” is what will come out of you. This is the simple reason why many people today never seem to get out that treasure I have deposited in them.”

The last thing I need you to know is that it is not a quick fix. You must be consistent with it. By being consistent you are nuturing the seed which has been planted in you. Failing to be consistent is like planting weeds in the midst of the seeds. You need to be consistent son. Now get back to work.”

“Thank you…”

 I responded.

As I got back to work I thought to myself…

“I am really fortunate to have the Holy Spirit as my personal instructor.”

I hope you have him as your personal friend and instructor too. If you don’t, please stop at nothing till you do. 

 In the meantime, if you don’t have stuff to fill your ears with, ask the Holy Spirit to give you, to speak the word and show you practical steps to take to fill your life with the right word and LOUDLY!

Have a beautiful weekend.

Deji Olatunde