“No more will anyone call you Rejected, and your country will no more be called Ruined. You’ll be called Hephzibah (My Delight), and your land Beulah (Married), Because GOD delights in you and your land will be like a wedding celebration” (Isaiah 62:4, MSB).
Dear reader, it’s good to have you back here. It’s exactly a week after Valentine’s celebration, and I trust that you had a great time celebrating and spreading love to the significant people in your life. I’ll also not forget to ask how you’ve been coping with these major stressors we’ve been faced with in the country over the past few weeks.
Today, we get to open up this current time we are in with the title “Phases”. In the few years I’ve lived ever since I was born, there have been different phases and periods I’ve witnessed with respect to my country, Nigeria. And for the ones I did not see in person, well, there were stories that explored them in detail.
There have been governments, and there have been governments. We have lived through different seasons in our lives. Often, especially in delicate moments like this election period, our parents would talk about the regimes that existed long before we were born; their experiences, what living in that era felt like, the state of the economy, security issues, the struggles, the victories, the deaths, the survivals; just everything we need to be told.
No matter the experience they passed through in those periods; there is a common ground, which is the fact that they survived to tell the story. It might have been a difficult period, but that phase did not last forever. That’s proof of this statement; phases come and go.
This country has been through different phases and seasons in history, some of which were more pronounced in certain places than others. A weighty example I’ll cite is the era of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic which was even global. We will agree that that was a tough period, one that we never pray to experience ever again.
COVID-19 really came and left, but not without leaving huge impacts behind, both positive and negative. Both categories are still felt even till this time that you are reading this, and every sector got hit. Yeah, some are yet to even find their balance, they are still crumbling under the weight it left behind. That is a phase that has changed the course of some people’s lives forever. This point has a lot of wings, but I won’t spread it beyond this. Feel free to reflect, and be strong while you are at it.
Just when things started to get better and the tension was easing up, the End-SARS protest sneaked in like we never saw it coming. That also had an unforgettable impact on the history of our dear nation. Two big blows in a year, what a year! That’s not to forget the challenges and struggles people faced as individuals, families, and communities.
The next that I’ll emphasize is the 8-month strike of 2022! I can imagine counting a few weeks or months to your final examinations, and then, an unexpected strike struck! Well, that phase also came to an end eventually, but not without leaving an impact behind which again, could be positive or negative.
Finally, here we are in the early days of 2023! Fuel scarcity is not a phenomenon we haven’t heard of before, but naira scarcity? How does it even sound that your money is in your account but you have to wait for days before you can access it? And when you are sometimes privileged to cash out, you have to buy your money with money.
In the past few days, there have been sad news about this current issue. I mean, you hear about some people’s experiences because of this money scarcity, and you just get moved to tears. It’s been really difficult in different homes and cities, and to think that some lives have been lost as a result is even more heartbreaking!
I mentioned something earlier, which I’ll repeat. Seasons have come and gone, but something that is likely to remain is the impact of that phase in time. The periods that were earlier mentioned have gone, but we still refer to them to date. How does that relate to this current phase? We’re coming to that juncture.
Asides from the naira and fuel scarcity, there is a major phase we are in nationwide which I call the DECISION PHASE. Generally, it is referred to as the ELECTION PERIOD. It’s a period we have been through in times past, but it feels different each time. It’s that period that we get to decide what direction we are headed for the next 4 to 8 years. The atmosphere is cloudy with expectations, questions, and hopes. I choose to stick to the positives only.
This present phase is going to become history as well in a few months from now, but what are we going to be talking about? Are we crossing over to the side where the grass is greener, or are we about to move from frying pan to fire?
The answer to that question lies in playing our part by voting for the right candidate(s) in the coming elections, from top to bottom. A major way to show our desire for a better change (since there is also a change for the worst) is to vote. That’s a responsibility we all have to wear. This is not the time to feel unconcerned. Let it be said that we did our own best and we hope for God’s best.
Another answer to this question is to PRAY. We have complained, murmured, and grieved for too long. However, our help only comes from one major source; that Father above. Apart from performing our civic rights, we only have Him to look up to for perfection. He has said that there is a future ahead of us, and our hope will not be disappointed. We can always count on His words because He keeps to them at all times.
Times are quite difficult now, agreed. But there is better news if you are willing to hear it. We can get witness the best of days. We can still tell stories of victory and bountiful harvests. I ask that you see yourself as part of the army that’s going to put out this burning fire. You have been called a problem solver, and you can live by your name.
Thanks for coming to this stop with me. Please, stay safe during this period and avoid getting into unpleasant situations. We are all coming out stronger and better, with God’s help. You are loved.
