Diary of a Naija Kopa (10)

I think the whole of my service is a play out of “My tomorrow must be greater than today.” There has never been a better yesterday for me, and that alone is something to be grateful for.
July was a very good month for me, but August was even better!

When I was posted to Oyo state, I thought the Lagos-Ibadan expressway was going to be like my backyard; I had serious plans to visit Aunty Esther who stays in Lagos, but I never got the chance to. The year was more busy for me than I ever imagined.

August was that month when I finally got to see my Aunty Esther. I’ll tell you about her here. I first met her during a conference I attended at Jos in 2017.
Our acquaintanceship lasted for about three years, but not without some drama, lol.

Last year, 2020, I got connected with her so deeply that the lines between friends and family blurred; she became both to me. I got to know how amazing, strong, humble, kind, loving and loveable she is. Our relationship has been mutually beneficial. There’s almost nothing that Aunty Esther doesn’t know about me, and she has let me into 99.9% of her life. She has positively affected every area of my life, and I remain thankful to God for making our paths cross. She inspired me to have a prayer diary, helps me do things I feel too weak to do, has taught me to confront situations, and has been a good shoulder to lean on.

On August 5, I set out for Lagos- it was going to be my first time there. Before then, I used to have a phobia for Lagos, mostly because of how it has been stereotyped. In my head, it was a boisterous and noisy place that I often made the statement “I’m too gentle for Lagos.” I however waived all of those opinions and took the dare to go.

The road was traffic-free and I got there quite early. I can’t mention in detail everything that happened during my visit to Estibels, but you can bet that I had the time of my life!

I returned to Oyo the following week. Before going to Lagos, I told The Kunhiyops (whom I met in the shop Diary of a Naija Kopa (8)), that I wanted to spend the August break with them. When I got to Oyo from Lagos, I headed straight to their house and the reception was very warm.
In no time, I loosened up; I felt at home and I related with everyone, just as I would with my own family. One of my foster sisters was going to learn how to sew during the break in the shop where I was also learning; we were together most of the time, and that tightened our bond.

On August 15, I attended the NCCF Sunday service at the family house. After the service, I met Onike who first knew me from a conference I was a part of in 2018 at Abuja. She introduced herself and brought to my memory a few things to help recognize her.

On Monday, August 16, I took one of my biggest leap of faith by purchasing the application form for my postgraduate studies in University of Ibadan. I call it a leap of faith, because even as I write, I don’t have enough money to fund my education. I however remind myself that God is my Source, and He is not limited by my circumstances. I’ve seen Him come through for me in past times; He has proven Himself worthy of my trust.

Towards the end of August, God taught me about faith, and how it must be demonstrated and backed up by works done in the direction of our faith. He helped me see how I can stay empowered by faith even when I have every reason to doubt. I don’t know why God chose to teach me on faith at that time of the year, but it reinforced my conviction that I was going to further my education in the University of Ibadan despite the odds around.

To end today’s story, I’ll be lifting something I wrote in my quiet time journal about faith. It was inspired by what I read in Hebrews 11:22-40 on Friday, August 20; I hope it blesses you:
Faith is active is active, not passive. Faith brings our hopes into reality. It empowers, moves, translates, opens, motivates, operates powerfully, inspires, prompts, enables, stirrs, pulls and provides. Moses’ parents refused to be afraid of the king’s edict. It is a choice to be afraid!

It’s three days to my POP!!💃🤸