I held myself somuch not to write about this, but I had to anyway.
On this very beautiful Saturday morning, as I prepared for the training I was to attend, I had lost interest in the pre planned cloth I was to wear and I was looking out for something that I would be relaxed in for the day, based on my mood. Alas! I saw this over five years short native gown I wear once in a while. That was my comfy outfit according to my mood and I just ironed and rocked it.
Enroute my destination, while I walked down the road, I realized the gown wasn't staying in position. It always shifted away from the regular line, thereby making the dress feel tighter than usual and it made it look hotter too and uncomfortable. I had to make an extra effort to hold a part of the dress firmly while I walked to reduce the rate at which it tightened.
As usual, many cars stopped to either say hello, or attempt to collect number or just slow down, smiled and zoomed off. I'm a very shy person, especially when toomuch attention is on me while walking but I managed through the long frequent walks at different stops.
Few weeks before that day, I wore an above the knee skirt (not necessarily short), and this same occurrence happened and I was wondering why that day. But this gown version brought my attention to my inner wear. One of the tights I bought recently while I was changing the old ones was a material that seemed slippery and of course elastic. The bottom line is that the surface was slippery therefore it affected the outer clothes I wore.
How didn't I take note of this earlier? I asked myself. It just got me thinking about how much we pay attention to the outside of a thing and not pay full attention to the inner. Forgetting the inner can distort the outer at some point.
It's just like painting a house that has damp issues, after a short while, the inner issue (dampness)will surface to the outside and reveal that there is a problem that has not been sorted out inwardly.
Ponder on, and pay attention to those things you know you need to change on the inside. It's not good enough to look all glam, orderly and perfect on the outside whilst your inside is wailing for a change or an adjustment to function better.
If you don't pay attention to what you wear under, your outer wear, though looks perfect now, will shift like the shift dress, and reveal there is something is wrong on the inside.
Nothing is truly hidden under the sun.
A word is enough for the wise.
My Thoughts.
Ala Wilcox.
#alawilcoxblog #shiftdress #innerwear #attention
I woke up some days back feeling a little pissed. I was out of airtime and data and needed to respond to some prospective clients, and I had a deadline for something that was tied to finance but all my plans weren't just making headway.
After our family prayers my mum and sister saw my demeanor and started beckoning to me to be happy and not to worry. This was almost like rubbing salt on injury and I was almost infuriated, but then again, they know how to make me laugh even when I'm upset.😄
At some point, I said I wasn't angry, but I was just a little unsatisfied with the results I'm getting with the kind of work and sacrifice I put in. My dear, I saw myself recalling two or three incidents of why I think God should not let me go through some level of difficulties, then as I was speaking, I heard in my heart, "you are complaining, why not thank me for what you are expecting." My sister now crowned it by saying, 'a thousand years to us is like a second before God.' I just whispered, "Lord I am sorry." As I had my bath, I was intentionally putting words of Thanksgiving in my mouth as my mind was bringing facts to my mind step. It was more like for every fact, I thanked God for the positivity of the situation. As I left the house that day, I felt light.
As I prayed that night while everyone was sleeping, I was thanking God for doing mind blowing things because he does it amazingly, and pictures of testimonies of other people started flooding my mind and mine too. Then there was one that continues to amaze me anytime I remember it.
There was a particular day about 3 years ago, when my family and I had accommodation issues and I had absolutely nothing (no shishi or kobo) on me. It was almost like we had our last supper and were waiting for the day miracle would happen, because it was not like we had enough to eat that day. I personally had to form like I wasn't too hungry to allow mum and sis eat more, then after that meal, I said out loud, "God, You are there in heaven, na your hand I dey, show working o", then I took a shower and prepared to sleep.
I received a call from someone who stayed around where we were holding out and I reluctantly gave my number (I have known him as a person for years but was never close to him). The real Ala would never pick that call up because she has showered and it was to 10 pm but, I had a nudge to take it. We talked for a few minutes and he pleaded with me to come downstairs. I DRAGGED myself into wearing something and going downstairs. He first requested I picked up something to eat from the close by shop, and I said I wasn't hungry, but he insisted I take something at least a pack of juice and fresh bread. I can't even remember if I agreed to. As I mentioned that I needed to go up since it was already late, he put money in my hands. I said thank you and went upstairs, I counted N6,000. Guess what? N3,000 was needed for my sis' school, and I practically had nothing to give her, let alone what we could eat. God eventually made a way through a supposed stranger I never thought or imagined He would use.
This is to you out there who sometimes is likely thinking God has forgotten about you. HE HAS NOT AND HE NEVER WILL. LEARN TO TRUST GOD even when facts tell you otherwise.
2020 will be lit if you learn to trust Him, worship Him, Put Him first, listen and PRAY heartily/sincerely to Him.
Ala O. WILCOX
Remember when you read stories as a little child. There were images on almost every page and it made you imagine and bring the stories to life.
It was always amazing when I read or was told the story of the tortoise climbing down the rope from the food spot high in the sky.😄 The part my aunt who took care of me as a little child used to deceive me was the story of the tortoise not wanting people to ear, so he puts a lot of pepper in the buffet for the feast and tells the other animals not to do 'sssha' or drink water, cause anyone who did wouldn't eat anymore. But he always did what he told them not to do as a reminder, but in actual sense, he was doing it to relieve himself the hotness of the spice.
I loved noodles so much and didn't know how to eat. Eventually, that was the only meal you wouldn't force me to eat. My aunt also loved it, so she always put a lot of pepper and told me the story, and also deceitfully did what the tortoise used to do but me I'll be keeping up the pace without having water or doing 'sssha' till I managed to finish what was on my plate. That was how my love for pepper started.
When I was told these stories, I practically imagined them happening in my mind. It made them real, and it made me relate with the stories better. As a teenager who loved reading, same thing happened with all the books I read.
But I realized that having clear imaginations can be very difficult these days because we have so much noise. This brings me down to when I want to have a quiet time, it used to be smooth, but overtime, I realized that there were lots of distractions. I'm sure I'm not alone on this table.
Have you ever wanted to study your bible with your phone, and you need your data to access some information online, then notifications start beeping in? You ignore for a while then you don't even realise when you decide to read a message while you're still studying? Sometimes you're distracted mentally by your itinerary. 🤦♀️
I struggled with this a while, and I started asking The Holy Spirit to help me. Guess what? I was reminded of making mental images. I did as a child so why can't I now? Trust me, this has helped me a lot since I got this answer.
• Try reading and creating mental images of scriptures you read.
• Try singing and reminding yourself of past victories.
• Mental images are so powerful cause they make things we can't literally feel or see to become real.
I'm taking an instance of scriptures and worship, but it cuts across everything including your dreams.
If you can think it (see it in your mind), you can get it and you can become it.
Let's go back to when worship was without beeps of notifications. Let's go back to how it was before distractions.
My Thoughts.
Ala O. Wilcox.
#alawilcoxblog #beforedistractions #focus #mentalimages #life #solution
