Painting by Carl Larsson
Sarit is smiling,
She sings in the garden.
A rainbow is born.
I Learnt That:
A- B- U- S- E
So much have gone on about abuse in relationships at all levels, especially marriage. In the light of its reawakening with a devastating incident that sent the world cringing, I learnt the following:
- You can’t change or help people when they are not ready and willing
- People change based on their unmet needs and how they intend to satisfy it
- Seek professional help when you need to
- Close your ears, eyes and mind to what society may say, perceive or think; they are not in your shoes.
- Always important not to ignore your strong convictions, instincts, prompts (Holy Spirit speaks to us)
- By all means let love lead and rule, but apply wisdom: There is the God-factor and the human-factor
- Parents in your bid to make stronger your friendship bonds, do not unequally yoke your children: you won’t be there forever, they are not your pawns
- Growing up together and being groomed together from childhood doesn’t guarantee you are meant to be together or you will have a good marriage.
- Do not compromise on what you cannot manage in a relationship
- Be bold and courageous, trust God to guide and take necessary steps
AfiaLarbi@23.09.20
Chicken Behavior
So true! Make I shine my eyes eeehhh
Dear Nii Kpakpo,
I have developed a new hobby and it’s not like it’s particularly new but this is based on something I read about Stalin’s practical demonstration of political power of keeping the people oppressed and they still keeping you as their savior.
Lemme just gist you the story then I’ll get back to my hobby. So Stalin in trying to demonstrate how to keep the masses oppressed caught a chicken, plucked it’s feathers and beat it up pretty good then let it go lie in a corner. He left it there for a while but when he want back he threw a few grains from his dinner table and left a trail after him as he walked away. The chicken with its feathers plucked and beat-up still followed him for those grains until he got to his seat amongst his council.
Anyemi, this story really got me thinking…
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I Learnt that:
NO SLACKING!
If you are like me, many a times you want to end your day and be sure you are fulfilled or better still spent. You want to be sure you achieved, met a deadline or assure yourself you are on track. Sometimes in such times, consciously or unconsciously, you are sure to be under some level of tension. I give my self time and space to take a breather or celebrate, depending on what has been achieved.
Lately, when i go into the ‘breather’ or ‘celebration mode, I realize that I tend to spend too much time there! Heeey who taught me that?!
But taking heed from my life manual, my Bible, which cautions me to wake up, not to be sluggish, for a little slumber or sleep will cost me! So yes, we ‘breathe’, we ‘break’, we ‘celebrate’; but by all means NO SLACKING!
AfiaLarbi@02.09.2020
GH on Troll
I heard it started with two ladies, of two generations apart; the younger looking older and the older looking younger..waow! Anyway that was barely my business, because I thought, celebrities and their social media issues.
Then suddenly there’s a ‘Papano’, which somehow is being used even as far as Parliament, with people assuming they know who the ‘Papano’ refers to. The next thing, I hear is, ‘Papano vrs Akokorano’, with the ‘Abrantie no’ popping in somewhere there. In all these I only got the gist if it till I listened to a new found sister, Ama Manson! She nailed the issue right on the head about the moral degradation of our society. She managed to set me thinking to when I was younger.
Society was sweet to live in, with the average well meaning person caring for his or her neighbour willing and freely, without fear. I remember growing up, some older men will approach you and tell me how much they admired me for one thing or the other. And most of them genuinely meant it. They were willing to support if they could( they were or did not feel obliged), teach you or tell you about the field of study and work, etc. So for me encountering older men as I grew up was more of a learning process for me.
I remember during my national service, a friend and I used to go the high court to get stories for news casting. The Judge then, called us to his chambers and subsequently after commending us for our initiative, encouraged us to be hardworking. He became a friend who always advised at every turn and was quick to support! And even after I married we kept contact. There were others along the line, but my experiences were hardly anything sexual. Even in that you DARED NOT make it too open, because society could give you thrashing without as much as knowing whether there was sexual relations or not.
But here we are, today even when you get a lift, more often than not, there is a hidden agenda! We have degraded so low, that married men openly and shamelessly ask for relationships with side chics ans vice versa. Ok no problem. I mean who am I am to judge?! But to have both the ‘Papanos’ and ‘side chics’, not respecting themselves and in public too, is NO NO! I mean both factions are just spewing so much immaturity that they are not just washing their dirty linens on international platforms oooo, they have rendered us as a society stark naked! Yes, stark naked!
Who in days or times past will kiss and tell, but today we have no shame whatsoever. Telling and ‘overtelling’ and implicating even those who are minding their business.!
And the ‘Papanos’, if you were not passing these ‘Flavour’s thingy among yourselves your names may not be coming up. But like I said who am I to judge! Let’s go back and clean our mess! Its so so pathetic!
GHnians have respect, let’s do our homework and get it right back. Let’s stop the trolling!
AfiaLarbi@ 18/08/2020
I Learnt that:
THINKING IT IS NOT PRAYING IT
I once heard from a renowned preacher and teacher that, there are times we think about certain things we need or things that bother us, without necessarily praying to God about it, yet we assume just the thought of it means we prayed.
I wondered how possible?!
Lately, a lot of things seem to run through my mind, sometimes I’m talking to God like I’m talking to myself. Suddenly, this morning, this thought shared by the preacher came to mind, and the question I asked myself was:
Am I really thinking the things and not praying about them?
Is talking to God like I am talking to myself pass for a prayer?
Then a word struck, of course God knows our every thought, every need, every sigh and what it means, so obviously whether I think it or talk to God hears, knows and sees. That stopped me from fretting about my prayers.
All the same, not undermining prayer as a deeper communication with God, especially as He taught us to pray; I guess in all the mix He still understands because, His thoughts will always be higher than ours and His ways cannot be our ways.
AfiaLarbi@ 17/08/2020
Unspoken law
True definition of love indeed!
When I say I love you
It means I commit to pray for you
And wish you well on your endeavors
Make your burden mine
Your success my joy
Your anxiety my prayer request
When I say I love you
It means I commit to care for you
Comfort you with my presence
Hear you out and help you out
Whenever you need me to
Receive your affection as I give it right back
When I say I love you
It means I commit to have your back
Defend you in and out your presence
Stand up for you when you feel too weak to do so yourself
Be the steady shoulder you can lean on
Empathize with your fears and not dismiss them
When I say I love you
It means I commit to be true to you
In my counsel, feedback and conversations
Be honest withholding all judgment
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I LEARNT
This is something I wish to start in the form of series, where I will share things I have learnt, learning, gaining knowledge or insight of. It could be just an advice, an encouragement, word of God, my experiences, etc. So do keep an open mind and open heart as you journey with me through. And oh! your comments in whatever form and whatever about are most welcomed! More grace and determination for consistency!
Silence of Heaven
My boss, who happens to be like a friend and elder sister and I usually check on each other now and then. That is to say, outside work, we have personal conversions and update each other about us. It was one of such calls that we were discussing and reflecting on God’s nature as a ‘prayer answering’ God!
We both have been looking forward to answer some key prayers and hearts’ desires for us. While discussing we both came to the realization that indeed God does answer all the time. Human as we are we expect the answer to be the famous YES; but an answer could be no, maybe, wait, etc. In fact, we do know this; very much so, but we seem to need it drummed in now and then! So I ask God healing, but it ended in death, my immediate thought and reaction is that God failed me! He didn’t answer. Yea right! How do you not know, it was an answer to the prayer of the ailing person; or it was the mode for which God wanted to call him to glory!
Having discussed, reflected and reminded ourselves, as such, I later picked my phone to check ‘last batch’ of whatsapp messages before bedtime. I usually receive some devotional messages from a special friend in the evenings, and when I checked, the message was similar to our discussions. Then we went further to mention that even sometimes before God answers the YES to our prayer, thing may take a turn for the worse; what I personally call, ‘the storm before the calm’!
I learnt that in all these:
- We need to remember that unanswered prayer is not an indication of God’s lack of power.
- When he answers, it is done in a way that no one can doubt or deny that he is God over all.
- Whether God’s answers to our prayer is YES, NO or WAIT; His answers are always the perfect expression of his love and power in our lives!
AfiaLarbi@ 13/08/2020
Promise
I
A promise is a promise
A promise to write
A promise to not starve my readers!
What do you say when you have nothing to say
But that is the joy of writing!
II
It’s worth keeping a promise
Even the Good Book says so
I hardly make them
But once made
It is my joy to keep
III
It’s redemption time
So to everyone
In everywhere
In whatever capacity
I made promise
It’s redemption time!
IV
It may take moments
It may take a day
It may even take a year
A seemingly forever
But it sure is redemption time!
So help me GOD!!!
AfiaLarbi@ 11/08/20
Death Sat Close
I
Death they say is inevitable
Sometime we know not the when or how
We all know we will not live forever on this earth
But we believe and hope to make it to the ripe old age!
II
At the end of the year we count our gains and losses
Loss of loved ones
We hope the ensuing year is merciful
And sometimes, are losses are few
III
Sometimes our losses are manageable
‘Cos it was an a granny or an ailed one who wanted relieve
We sure feel the pain, yet bearable
Sometimes Death decides to sit too close
IV
Sometimes Death sits too close too long
Too close home, Death
You have sat too close home this time
Too close for too long
V
Leo, just weeks before your 45th!
Sayibu, you drove to the hospital!
Miguel, you toooo!
Edd! when I was waiting to see you end of July!
Gladys! You cry for your children, yet you didn’t wait for us to graduate
Papa Nico, you orphaned your children!
Peter’s Granny, Mum and Daughter in a week!
VI
Death you have sat too close for long!
Shift! O where is your sting!
My gallant Soldiers have just marched on
Using you as their Transporter
VII
Don’t be excited yet!
Sit if you won’t shift!
But you have sat too close to home too long!
Yet we are victorious!
Afia Larbi@23/07/20
