THE PLUMBLINE

 

One sunny afternoon, shortly after taking a nap, on my soft, silky mattress, I wondered what my next line of action should be, seeing ASUU had refused us entry into classrooms. The incessant strikes were taking their toll on people, with most students gradually falling into a state of despondency. Refusing to wallow in self-pity, I decided to "catch cruise" online. I grabbed my phone and began searching for inspiring YouTube videos.

During this search, I stumbled on a video that featured a famous intellectual, who was both a public speaker and a writer, well-known and respected home and abroad. She was the keynote speaker for the symposium. I was so curious to know what her talk would be about that I glued my eyes to the phone screen. 

Throughout the speech, I didn't realize how swiftly time flew by. I was too busy paying attention to her every move and latching onto the flawless flow of her well-construed sentences. 'This is what I'm interested in anyway' I said to myself.

Sooner than expected, the talk session was over and was followed by a Q&A session. Several persons had questions to ask and this lady answered them all in the most intelligent and insightful way you could think of. I was greatly inspired.

As the session progressed, a question (actually a request) thrown at the speaker drew my attention and I listened aptly for her response. You might also be curious about what this statement was. It read thus: “Your inner joy is so inspiring, please share your secret”.

As I mentioned earlier, this is a woman loved and admired by many. So it was not out of place for people to be so interested in the source of her Joy. However, something in the answer she gave didn't "sit well with me" for the very first time since she began speaking. I will tell you about it soon, but first of all, let me tell you what her answer was.

In answering this well-meaning question, she said, My siblings who have been a huge source of support to me, my close circle of few friends, and my little child who is the light of my life and my best antidepressant medicine. I also suffer from depression, and I say this to de-stigmatise depression.

**************

I have observed an altered ideology a lot of people have of life. It is the belief that you need people to make you happy and complete and a major reason why a lot of people are quick to embrace erroneous assumptions about themselves and others

Wait! Before you crucify me. Building good relationships is vital. Humans are social animals, meaning we cannot survive in isolation. If not for anything else, we must be grateful for the people God has put in our lives, including the material possessions he has given us, and be equally happy to have them around. 

Without these human and material gifts, life would be boring and full of anguish. However, it is "suicidal" to allow them to be the basis of our Joy.

Why? Because life is too ephemeral to be anchored on mundane things. You may be saying,  but I am not putting my life in the hands of anybody.

Do you not know that making a fellow human or any other thing the source of inner Joy is tantamount to putting your life in their hands?

I see people filled with despair at the realization of how uncertain the future looks in a world like ours where death lurks in every space and keeps people anxious and fearful of who could be next?

I see men in agony and unbelief, lamenting "Oh God! Where is your face?", failing to realize that He never exited where he had been since the inception of time.

You can live life to the fullest only if you find its real source, which is nothing earthly, physical, ordinary, and quantifiable. That source is the Creator, the Owner of your life and your soul. The One Who formed and breathed life into you. God is the One Who gives unending inner Joy.

In a gloomy and miserable world like ours, joy easily becomes elusive, especially when we search for it in the wrong places. You may never be able to experience true happiness in life if you are out of the purpose of God for your existence.

You may never find the real essence of your life outside Jesus. If you don't know JESUS, this might be an opportunity to allow Him take the driver's seat of your life.

Someone might be asking, "Is this a health blog?"

Well, here's my response, Sometimes the things we pay the least attention to might be roadblocks to our living healthier lives. 

Thank you for reading.

#Stay Healthy With Goodness