growing Up series: Breaking Bad

I’ve always had a sweet tooth as far back as I can remember. I loved anything sweet and detested anything bitter. This means I don’t take bitter lemon, Schweppes, ‘agbo jedi’, beer, kola nut, garden egs et al. As a kid I used to go to the kitchen to take a spoon of sweetened cocoa powder or a cube of sugar every now and then.

This fateful day however, my plan was about to be botched! It was a holiday so I woke up ready to play. We had two very old laundry baskets in a room I shared with my brother and sister. I don’t know why I thought that it was something I could use to play with. I started to bounce on it until I heard a crack! I was scared so I hid it behind the door. Confession was the furthest thing on my mind more so we were supposed to go visit Aunty N that afternoon. No one wanted to miss a visit to Lekki where she lived. So I wore my gown and went a-visiting.

We got home that evening and I happily went to the kitchen for a top up ‘dose’. That day, I didn’t want one cube but two cubes of sugar. I popped them into my mouth happily and started swirling round the kitchen until I heard my name: ‘KC’!

Let me briefly introduce you to the name caller, my mum, fondly called ‘mummy’. My mum is a teacher and a lovely one at that. She also was the disciplinarian while my dad was the cool guy. I happen to be a regular when it comes to defaulting: theft, breaking valuable dishes, wasting food. I was the serial ‘bread peeler'.

At that moment I couldn’t even answer my name because in my beautiful little mouth were two cubes of sugar taking their time to melt. My eyes popped out with dread as I remembered what I did to the laundry baskets. It was so obvious that one of my siblings had ratted me out. I stood before mummy, my eyes counting the spots on the rug. I was in a dilemma.

Do I dare explain myself and plead guilty at the expense of exposing my sweet tooth sugar popping addiction? The cubes just wont melt!

‘Can't you talk? Why did you break the baskets?’ my mum awaited my response. I just couldn’t respond. I feared I would get a double beating for opening my mouth. It wasn’t worth it.

‘KC, talk!’ mummy prodded to no avail. I saw tears drop as she reached out for ‘Mr. do-good’. All the joy I felt at aunty N’s place left me and was replaced with sorrow. I stretched out my hands for two strokes of my not-so-nice acquaintance.

After the rebooting, I went to the toilet to shed the remaining tears. The two cubes of sugar, that I defended didn’t even bother to tell me sorry. They just kept melting at their own pace. I was angrier at them than I was at my mum or at my sibling who ratted me out. But did I spit them out? No. I let them continue at their pace. 

In the toilet. By myself.  Me and my sugar. 

growing Up series

Hi hi,
Good day and happy New year! One of my new year goals is to post more often. After some brainstorming and praying, I came up with posting series on a particular day.
Sundays are for 'Growing up' series. Yay! This will feature Stories about younger me and others...
I'm not too good with introductions so let's get to it...

New Day, New Year?

People think that 2015, a new year, is supposed to confer on them some kind of ability to be different or better. So they say things like 'next year, I'll be this and do this'. They forget that it's really not the new year but a new them that they require. You can choose to see it this way: every day is an opportunity to start afresh. Yes there's something sweet about a new year-change of date, another birthday, a step closer to one's dreams, a new leader- that springs hope.
I'll rather you choose to believe in the power of one. If you can't appreciate one day, you can't appreciate one year. There's even something more powerful than a new year: a new day. I came to appreciate it more when my dad slept. The pain became more bearable as days passed, I began to look forward to the morning. Indeed weeping may endure for a night, but Joy comes in the morning (Psalms 30:5). I thank God he made the evening then the morning, the next day. So as you step into this new year, take it one day at a time. Evaluate life daily, live purpose daily, correct your mistake daily, grow daily, get better daily. Remember that the only thing new about next year is in your hand.

The road to tomorrow

how can i help?

The Book Club started in November, 2012. It was a dream come true for me after so long.
So far:
Since I last wrote it has been a wonderful ride. The students shared ideas on how we can move forward in Nigeria when we talked about the national situation.

may 2014

At the end of 2nd term, we gave gifts to the students who read all the books planned for them before it was due to be submitted.

champions

By 3rd term I tell you those kids had been keeping us on our toes! They wanted more books, more exposure, more work. At the end of the term, those that had to move to the senior school were teary-eyed.

they don't look so teary eyed, do they?

The challenges we have is getting  more people/volunteers to join us. Who am I looking for?
People who love God, love kids, have a bit of time to give us and like the arts.
If you want to be a part of us, send me a mail: kcbabajide@gmail.com

i can do bad all by myself

that kinda food

Tyler Perry really did it with that movie title. It is apt and interesting. What I really wanted to title it was, I can do good all by myself but maybe when you read till the end, you’ll see it’s not exactly true.

So my co-pastor called me a week ago to inform me of a two-day fast towards some things we wanted to agree on as core leaders. I wanted to laugh and weep! Weep, because I had just made a delicious pot of stew and I was already planning the meals I would devour with it mentally. Laugh, because for a while I had been forcing myself to fast.

The bible says that ‘when you fast’ (Matthew 6:17) but there was no mention of how often. Please don’t get me wrong, fasting is good and I’ll advice you check the scriptures for what it says about fasting. This post isn’t about fasting. It’s about me.

You see I began to calculate- how long should I fast? Should I break at all for the whole two days? How long should I pray? I even began to think- ‘KC, you know you have much praying to do! When last did you pray for a stretch of minutes? (laughing out loud at that one!). Oh, it became a messy game of checklists in my head! I was already calculating if my glucose stores were high enough for that kind of marathon fast until I got a Spirit-nudging-hold-on!

"When did it become about you, dear one? When was it about how far, how much or how well you did things that impressed me? What happened to my strength in your weakness? When did my arm become too short to rescue you? When have I not made a way? Have you suddenly become stronger than Me? Are my resources not enough? Have I said it and did not do it? Step back and look (carefully watch, be attentive, see clearly) - anytime any day I am more than enough. If I said my grace is enough, IT IS ENOUGH! Stop trying, start being. Pay attention to my instructions and do them, not with your grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength I give. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking Me who makes you strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that I have for you (Phil.1:11-12 MSG). Will you not enter into my rest?"

My inadequacies began to melt in the presence of His omnipotence. Does it mean I won’t lift a finger? No! But like Paul, I may be able to say:

"I am what I am by the grace of God: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; and I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I but the grace of God which was with me". 1Corinthians 15:10

Now you see why I can't title it “good” but “bad”. Lol.