Happy New Month

Everyday I wake up and remember I've not sent you an email in a while, my heart skips. So I decided to sneak in a little distraction for your busy Monday 😉. 

How have you been, it’s been a minute.

I said see you next week three weeks ago and just went MIA. I’m sorry, a lot has been  happening.  

Lagos has been good to me and I am adjusting quite nicely...I believe.

God knows the kind of daughter he has, so he has positioned help for me left right and center. From accommodation, to ease of movement, to finding my way around the city.

I’ve not had to experience any unnecessary rude shock or hardship in this city and I am immensely grateful for that.

I know It’s just been two months but I think I’m qualified to say Lagos is not really as bad as the media paints it… wait, you know what? Let me rephrase: there are places in Lagos that are not as bad as the media paints it.

I conquered one of my greatest Lagos fears on Saturday—The yellow buses AKA Danfo. Ah, omoo I have heard horror stories of theft and overall ‘jagajaga-ness’ associated with danfo buses. I heard you have to be ready to jump out of the bus when you get to your destination because no driver waits for you. I heard if you can’t speak Yoruba or at least act like you’re loud, they will exploit you. Many storiesss. And if you know me, you’ll know my voice is only loud among people I'm very comfortable with and I generally hate any form of violence. Why must anybody have to shout or be mean to have their wayyyyyy??? Well, what can I say?

Thank God I can’t relate to the hostility of Lagos…yet.

People tell me EVERY SINGLE DAY that Lagos will soon shock me.

In fact, just this afternoon, people told me I just got lucky with the particular Danfo bus I entered.  

I reject hardship in the mighty name of Jesus!!

Wo! Me, my own testimony will continue to be that Lagos is not that bad.

Amen? Amen.

Pardon my manners, Happy new month!

I don’t know if it is me or this year started off slow and suddenly started running the moment we got to the third quarter because tell me how just two weeks we were in August and today is 4th of November. Howwww??

Sometimes, the end of the year comes with this anxiety and sudden realization that this year may not have been your year. You could find yourself counting your losses and slowly focusing on the things you didn’t get this year. If you are not even careful, you start slipping into deep sadness. 

It’s easy to want to give up already and just start waiting for another year.

But you see, as cliche as this may sound, there’s still time. Walahi there is still time.

Do you realize that no matter how many years it’s been since you’ve had to wait for something, it takes only one day, one congratulatory message, one positive feedback, for your whole story to change?... and there is still so much time for this good thing to happen.

2024 can still be your year. Good things can still happen for you. There’s still enough time to have what you have long prayed and asked for… just keep hope alive.

And.. 

Even if 2024 doesn't turn out the way you imagined it would and you have to go back to God with the same prayer points next year, nothing spoil.

If you are privileged to be alive, then there is surely a beautiful twist to your life’s story, waiting to happen.

I heard this line, “if i’m not dead, you’re not done” in a gospel song and it’s stuck since then. Every waking day, is God’s gentle reminder to you that your life’s story isn’t ended and trust me, God writes the most beautiful stories.

So my good sis, hold on and keep hope alive. A lot can happen in a short time.

I love you, you know this. 

See you on Friday.

Love, Alice.