Novel by DadaDupeola - You RIP what you sow AT THIRTY ---Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Due to the proximity in age, location and school, Angela and Phillip soon became good friends. She is a little taller than he but Phillip is plump while Angela had a skinny fit. Angela is dark-skinned, and he is fair complexioned; Phillip liked watching horror movies or anything associated with spilling blood while she was a sucker for romance.  Despite their differences, at some point when they both clocked 16years old, they became inseparable and everyone in the neighborhood knew something was peculiar about these two but no one raised an eyebrow because it never seemed harmless. 

Even Angela's mother was okay with her always being around Phillip because after getting to know his parents, she was more than comfortable with them together.

"Mummy rose said Phillip wants to be a doctor just like his father," Angela's mother announced while plaiting Angela's thick black hair in the living room.

Mummy rose is their nosy neighbor and Angela mother's best friend who knew everything about everyone but no one knew a thing about her. Mummy rose was very superstitious, relating every little thing to religion even something as simple as a rat in the house is linked to spirits and bad omens. So Angela has never liked her and the hate feeling just grew worse knowing the woman gossiped about her.

"Don't you want to study medicine too?" Angela's mother continues

Angela rolls her eyes wishing she had her ear piece inside her ear drums, with the thing plugged to her phone and loud music playing in the background.

"Mummy, i am in art class and you have to be in science class to study medicine". Angela responds

Angela's mother holds Angela's hair firm. It is one reason Angela dreaded Sundays as her mother is her hair stylist who always made painful styles on her head leaving her scalp scarred. Angela's mother had used her hair as practice to learn the craft and the whole ordeal is one she will never forget or forgive but it was her mother's painful hairstyles or the barbing salon.

"Y eh! Mummy it's paining me," Angela exclaims

"How wont it pain you? When you wont put your head well" Angela's mother responds but holds the hair less firm as she continues with the weave.

"Then, you should study law, since you are in art class." Angela's mother continues

"Mummy, I told you I want to study art. It is my forte, and that is what i will apply for at the University of Abuja," Angela responds

It is the thousandth time they would have that conversation and every time Angela will have to remind her mummy it is her father paying the school fees not her and she had no say in the matter because her father supports her decision.

Angela's mother will start to murmur something under her breath that Angela won't hear and soon they would both fall silent until Angela's hair is finished and she leaves the room...The matter adjourned till next week Sunday, same place, same ordeal but a different hairstyle and the circle of argument concerning her course of study continues until someone kidnaps Angela or her mother is struck with amnesia...

The thought of her mother having amnesia is so consoling, Angela felt bad she hadn't thought about it earlier and prayed concerning that in the morning while in Church. 

 ..........To be Continued 

  

                        -Pursuit of Success-

                       By Pastor Sam Adeyemi

Success is a word which makes many Christians uncomfortable because nowadays, the word is often used by advocates of self-reliance and self-help. The challenge, however, is that when the church finds that people are going to extremes on a particular subject, it runs away from it. When that happens, Satan moves in, occupies the space, gets people’s attention and influences the culture. Satan manipulates everything God created-money, sex, power and politics. When the church refrained from money, Satan moved in and took control of the economy. Today, money is one thing that control people’s thinking. When Jesus said you cannot serve God and mammon, He placed the demon that controls money on the same pedestal with God. Thankfully, we have recovered that space; even though it looks like we are going to the other extreme. Money is not everything. The church has resources which are more powerful than money (Acts 3:6). Peter healed a lame man without money and Jesus fed the crowd without money. When you have God’s perspective, your emotions will not fluctuate with the availability or non-availability of money.

Success is simply defined as the achievement of goals, objectives and aims. Man was designed to achieve goals- to be fruitful, productive, subdue, have dominion over, and control the earth(genesis 1:26-28). We derive fulfilment from the achievement of goals. When man does not achieve goals, he becomes frustrated. People who have no gaols have no motivation or hope. Not setting goals is like playing soccer match without goal posts. There is power in goal setting. Write down your goals and break them down into simple steps. Jesus told a story about a farmer who was covetous and did not remember God. So, when you are setting goals, you need to define whose goals you are achieving.

You were born for God’s purpose(Romans 8:28). In all your succeeding and endeavours, you need to know what God is saying. There is too much to your life for you to be an accident. Do not make your life an experiment. Read the story of Solomon who experimented with money, 1000 women, sex, power, comedy; he said that he did not deny himself of anything that his eyes loved. Yet, at the end of it all, he summarised all as vanity. Jesus met a woman by the well of Samaria whose longing was marriage. She felt she couldn’t do it without men when, in fact, she just needed God (John 4). Heremiah’s life was determined ahead of time. Since God has designed our lives from the beginning to the end, don’t pursue success with anxiety(Hebrews 4:1-3). When you align with God’s purpose, heaven’s resources are behind you. He declares the end from the beginning and no one can stop it in between. What God has purposed, He, not you, will do it (Isiah 46:9-11). Your purpose is in your design and it is too big to be only about you. Ultimate success is leadership and influence