ONE THING REMAINS

The world may crumble and skies may fall,
The ones I trusted, turn and scorn,
But through life’s chaos, we’d stand strong,
You’re the one thing that’ll always remain.
You, oh Lord, endure forever more.

Or did you think it was you?😏 Hehe. Oops, sorry for the laugh🤭.
Oya oya, don’t be angry, because even me, I won’t be here forever, neither am I always at a particular place. As much as I love and want to be there for the people I care about, it’s never possible. We won’t always be there for each other, and it’s okay. This turned out to be a great aid in getting my heart to a safe space whenever I wanted to make promises to always be there for someone. And it makes me see similar promises from same in a different light, especially when they’re unable to keep those promises. I understand that realistically, they can’t and therefore won’t always be there for me, but bless their kind hearts for those good intentions🥹❤️.
So when someone promises to always be there for me, I interpret it as them saying, “I’ll always try be there for you, as much as I’m able to” because that is in fact what they mean. No need for ambiguous promises. I’m a low maintenance girlie, and I’m not so big on making or recieving promises nowadays.
I do this so that I don’t get upset or disappointed when those people don’t come galloping down from mount Kilimanjaro at my slightest whim or to cater to my every need. I do it also to remind myself that I cannot be the hero I desperately want to be to those I love. In other words, I can’t play God for anyone and vice versa🙂. He is the only one who is, can and will always be there for everyone at any time. Which leads to what I’m trying to say: that nothing—and no one—is a constant in this life.

I was going through my oldest sister’s old blog yesterday and I found it very amusing to see that she’s still the same old person she was seven years ago; same sense of humour and pretty much still has the same spirit. I could see her in her writing; her cheeky smile, her laugh, and all her silly expressions. I could see the stern look she gives me sometimes, too. It was all in there-every expression that must have played across her face as she wrote those pieces. It got me teary-eyed and feeling nostalgic a good half hour into my reading, especially because we’re currently not together. This season of her life has requires her to be someplace else and that’s where she is right now:)
But that was what made me realise that nothing in life is constant, and believe me when I say it hit me like lightning. Is it your siblings? One day you’re growing up together and one day, you’re all married, with your own families. Or you get a job or just something that eventually causes you to be apart from each other. Of course, we have phone calls and technology to be thankful for, but nothing beats physical presence. And what about marriage? Yep, you and your spouse become one, but you’re not always together. And if worst comes to worst, death takes one and leaves the other behind. Same thing with friends, too. And children. Of course, children. They grow up and move out.

At the end of the day, everybody goes on to live his life, being the star of their story. We’re all just minor characters in each others’ lives, waiting backstage until the set time when the things God ordained for us to do in each others’ lives pulls us out of that background space and brings us to the fore to play our part. Then what? You return to the background, to your own spotlight. Because one’s backstage is another’s spotlight.
So yeah, I’m not exaggerating when I say it hit me like lightning strikes a tree that nothing remains forever. Nothing is constant—except God. Not even your shadow—and I don’t even know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing. I mean, when I think of the moments I’ve shared with my friends and family, I just wish it could go on forever but it can’t. And it’s a bittersweet feeling, really, knowing this. That’s why we should enjoy the moments while we still have them. But I think this is so because at the core of every man, God is what his soul needs and yearns for, eternally. We think we need other things but He’s the only thing we truly need. He’s the only one big enough to fill the vacuum inside. To think that this God is closer to me than my shadow is, the one thing that is closest to me, gives me goosebumps. But then, for one whose word separates soul from spirit and bone from marrow, I don’t think sticking closer than one’s shadow would be a hassle. Talk about an amazing God.

Moving on. Unrelated, but, listening to the kids on my street this afternoon playing and making silly noises, saying, “jakulikuli” which means to tickle, and then laughing hysterically together brought a huge, unbidden smile to my face. Their laughter, so pure and innocent, rang with such palpable glee it was impossible not to smile.
Oh, the joys of being a child. Not a single care in the world. It’s good to live like them sometimes. Honestly. A hundred percent refreshing. I should do that more often, and you’re welcome to do so, too🫶🏽.