Motivational Speaker2: The Lost Ring

By Tilawan

Inspiring, entertaining, intriguing, and thrilling.
He had a smooth and great command of the English language that left one in no doubt of the type of education
he had. I was not particularly elated about getting a male caller.
The men have a way of drawing you to their problems, which often had to do with their business deals or financial difficulties, and you would end up giving the same advice all over again, and thus turning the show to be a boring repetition of talks. But with the ladies, you are sure to bounce on an interesting topic that reveals a lot of a sleazy life history. It was not that the men had no history of scandals of theirs to reveal, but it was the ladies that normally were more imminent on their life stories.
Hello, DJ SST! he said.
He was definitely not a regular caller, probably not even a first caller. My buddies on the show were all used to calling me with just SST!
Yeah, you are welcome to the motivation dance club on Peoples FM, and what dance steps do you have for us today? I asked in my usual polite and rehearsed manner of speaking to a new caller.
Really, sir, this is my first time, he said rather apologetically.
I was right. He was a first-time caller!
And he was coming with this sir stuff that I haven't heard on the show for such a long time. Since I became a buddy and household name to my callers in Lagos, everybody was quick to address me just as SST. There was no sir or Mr. for me now! For a caller not to call me with my familiar initials could imply he was a new person on the sho' as I call it. And nobody wants to be seen as a new person on the show in Lagos!
Anyway, I think I like the guy. He sounded a little cultured and might even turn out to be a gentleman!
A gentleman in Lagos? Well, why not? You never know as they say!
OK, you are welcome to the motivation dance club, and as you know, I am DJ SST, and we dont need introduction on the motivation dance club in Lagos. We just need more people to move on to our dance floor and show us their dancing steps! I was trying to loosen the tension that he exhibited in his voice.
Yes, thanks, sir! he said.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Jul 19, 2012
• ISBN: 9781468585919

Tilawan

Suleiman Tilawan is the writer of The New Adventures of SST and the Motivational Speaker: The Game Planner.

Book preview

MOTIVATIONAL

SPEAKER 2

The Lost Ring

Tilawan

US%26UKLogoB%26Wnew.ai

AuthorHouse™

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: [phone]

© 2012 by Tilawan. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 07/13/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4685-8590-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4685-8589-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4685-8591-9 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

DEDICATION

. . . . IN MEMORY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

EPILOGUE

Dedication

To people who experience tremendous changes by imbibing

the teachings of the motivational speaker into their lives

. . . . In Memory

Of my dear mother, Mrs Alice Tilawan (1938-2010)

About The Author

Tilawan Suleiman Saidu Tilawan, known to friends by his initials, SST, is the writer of the bestselling motivational book on power intrigues; The Laws of the Bosses. Along with, "Motivational Speaker—The Game Planner", which is sequel to the Motivational Speaker 2.

". . . . seek ye the kingdom of Heaven"

Prologue

Beginning of My Story

My name is Sawuntungo Sasukito Talungo. However, my friends find it hard to pronounce, and so preferred to call me by my initials, SST. I understand their difficulties; really I do because sometimes I have problems pronouncing it myself! Anyway, I have long accepted this convoluted mixture of African and Asian intones and come to see it as the consequence of a mix heritage.

This book is sequel to my earlier account of several strange and interesting events that revolved around me in the city of Lagos, in Nigeria, when I relocated from Abuja, the nation’s political capital, to Lagos, the commercial city in 2009.

On arrival in Lagos, I moved in with a friend at his home located at the highbrow district of Ikeja which is the heartland of the city. The city that its inhabitants prefer to call the commercial capital of Nigeria ever since it lost its status as the nation’s political capital. Lagos is a coastal city, and was the nation’s political administrative capital at independence. It retained the status of being the centre of administration for over three decades, before losing it to the city of Abuja which is located in the centre of the country. Unlike Lagos, Abuja was able to align geography with politics.

When Lagos was the nation’s political capital, it attracted great commercial and economic privileges. More so, being located at the coast and blessed with a rapidly growing population, it was not hard for it to quickly evolve to a big commercial city.

When the machinery of government was moved from Lagos to the city of Abuja by a wave of executive feat, it was however realised that moving the commercial assets wasn’t going to be that easy, and so Lagos was left to retained its commercial status.

Lagos is a bustling and highly congested city. It represents both what is good and bad about Nigeria. It is believed that all sections of Nigeria and indeed West Africa, and maybe even a large part of Africa are fully represented in Lagos; the city that started as a habitat of a few fishermen.

From its humble beginning, the city has indeed grown to quite a big commercial centre, having large industries and shopping outlets straddling its whole length. And being a mega city, the most populous city in Africa after Cairo in Egypt, Lagos is indeed a very interesting place to be.

This is not an autobiography but a comprehensive recollection of the challenges of a young sojourner in a complex city.

Scrapping only a little from my early years, I will like to say that after serving in the army for about five years, I decided to take a bow and move to a civilian job in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. Many were surprised at my leaving the military in preference to a civilian job. The army is quite an interesting job in Nigeria. It is a job that is well sought after; maybe for no more reason than Nigerians love for violating laws, preferring nothing more than being in a profession that guarantees them greater impunity to doing that. It was obviously the reason that made some of my friends to wonder when I abandoned the secured fortress of the military to the vulnerable sections of civilian life.

Well, with glittering medals and shiny boots, I have had enough of the army after just being there for only five years! And what seemed to be against the good advice of close friends. I left the army to secure a job at a civil security firm in Abuja.

The firm was one out of several of such that were springing up in every part of the country to fill the vacuum created by the prevailing corruption and inefficiency in the police force.

After a short stint working at the head office in Abuja, I was transferred to Lagos, where my security firm was opening a new branch to cash on the increasing demand for private security operators in the mega city.

This book is about my experiences in Lagos, and on how I was drawn to its deceitful way of life, in order to survive. It is said that everybody in Lagos is an ‘actor’. You just could not trust anyone, as most were out living a make believe life aimed at deceiving one another. In this book, I took out accounts of different challenging situations that I went through in Lagos, and presented them in interesting contexts.

On arrival in Lagos, I found myself overwhelmingly enveloped by the deceitful life of the city, and before I knew it I was becoming an ‘actor’ myself. But all that stopped when I had a powerful dream, where I saw myself being cautioned and empowered by the Almighty to impact positively on the lives of millions of people who are struggling to survive in the city. It was the day I knew I was imparted with the skills of inspiration! From that day on, my life underwent a complete transformation, as I started to have a rethink on how I go about life. At first, I combined both jobs but later, I left the job at the security firm, and moved to work at a radio station, the Static FM 111 where I started a radio broadcasting show known as the Motivation Dance Club, with me posing as DJ SST. The radio programme was a motivational talk show, and targeted at positively inspiring the people of Lagos to overcoming difficult challenges in their lives. I was able to do that by drawing references to life teaching lessons, and experiences of other persons, that I read as narratives to encourage my listeners.

This book is really about the power of inspiration through motivational talks on the lives of individuals.

The accounts as contained in this book were compiled from my personal encounters, and lessons taken from other people’s experiences, which were read to listeners by me, posing as DJ SST of the Motivation Dance Club, in the show. In the arrangement of my presentations on the show, I called on listeners to ‘dance on the floor’ of the motivation dance club with their problems, while waiting for an inspiring response from the DJ SST, who puts on the music (inspiring talks) that suit to their dance! In reality, it was just a motivational talk show!

However, not too long strange things started happening to me at Static FM, as my life got entangled in a spectre of treachery, intrigues, and suspense that culminated in murder and high-level betrayal. I was overshadowed by events that were far beyond what I would ever have imagined when I decided to feature as a motivational speaker. The above was what was recollected in my earlier book the motivational speaker: The game planner.

After I was rescued from the strange happenings at Static FM, I decided to turn to a freelance presenter. This book is the continuation of my experiences as a freelance motivational show presenter.

CHAPTER ONE

God Has a Great Future for You

It wasn’t hard finding my way to the station. I had the description of the area with me, and moreover, I was no more a newcomer to the city of Lagos. It was therefore no problem for me getting to the place. I was able to find myself at the location without stopping intermittently like the case with most new comers to the city of Lagos. I mean stopping on the way, here and there, to ask for the direction to follow from a pedestrian as one struggles to find one’s way around the bustling mega city.

I checked my wrist watch when I realised I was getting nearer to the area. I was a little late for the scheduled program.

Ever, since I became a freelance presenter of my radio show, the motivation dance club, I had been getting a lot of requests from the radio stations in Lagos. It had not been easy meeting up to the varied requests whose schedules sometimes clash with each other. However, I still tried to do the best I could in meeting up to my appointments. There is nothing so important in business than credibility. Once you lack credibility, it won’t matter how good you are in what you do, people just won’t patronize you, especially in the broadcasting business where keeping programming schedule matters a lot. If they can’t trust you, they won’t hire you!

I had no idea of how late I was until I entered the station complex. I could see a well-built medium height man dressed in open—necked blue suit shirt standing by the gate. The person I recognized to be Jack Kunle, the studio producer. He was pacing impatiently looking at the road as he held on to the iron railings supporting the building. The short stocky man was clearly looking out for me. I picked up my handset that I always keep by the empty front seat beside me. The handset was placed on silent mode whenever I am on the road.

There were three missed calls registered, and all came from Kunle! I understood he must really have been very worried. I was scheduled to be on the show at the station and he had informed his listeners a day earlier; on the time of my broadcast. If I did not show up, it would not only put him on the wrong side with the listeners, but more importantly paint him badly in the eyes of his employers. I understand his concerns. No young rising producer in the heavily competitive broadcasting industry wants to appear inept before his employers.

My being late to the station wasn’t my fault too. It was just that I couldn’t help being late sometimes. Kunle was not the only radio studio producer booking for my services in Lagos. I had to do a recording broadcast at another station before rushing to his studio. I expected he should envisage such, as it was the practice of all freelance presenters to move from one station to the other in fulfilling their agreement. As I move nearer to where he was standing, I was quietly looking out for his expression and hoping that Kunle would understand with that.

From the look on his face, it appeared he didn’t!

The young man was looking a little bit annoyed and inpatient as I came into the complex. He quickly rushed to my car door even before I could the park car properly under the small Cool Cover car design shed–located at an open and partial covered stand by the side of the two storey building that houses the radio station. I nearly pushed him over as I opened the car door. He gathered himself together, shifting aside to make way for me and at the same time stretching forward his hands to assist me with the small suitcase I was holding that was containing the narratives that I carry around wherever I go.

Hey, SST, you nearly gave me a heart attack. I have been calling your line. I thought you had an accident on the way or something. He was almost shouting.

He sounded a little too hasty and apologetic, not exactly the annoyed feature he depicted.

I could see he was trying to force a smile on his face. I knew he didn’t want his countenance to appear as if he was pushing me hard or disappointed in me. His feelings didn’t bother me much really, after all, he was told I had other engagements and I had to squeeze in the time to be at his studio. Kunle was one of those upcoming young and ambitious producers found in the media houses that are crawling over each other to get in a good program on air in the fast expanding and competitive radio business in Lagos. It was understandably he should be uneasy.

The uneasiness he displayed in performing his assignment at the station also had to do with his background. Kunle had a degree in Mass Communication and did the normal long years of job searching of young university graduates before landing this job. The job search took him three years, no more a rare happening, something that had now become an accepted norm amongst young graduates looking out for a job after leaving the university. One was bound to spend years on the street looking for a job after graduating, except you have a godfather to link up with a job as soon as you graduate.

In the case of Kunle, he was lucky to spend only three years before getting the job at SURE FM. Still, he wasn’t about to joke with the job he landed after years of searching from one place to another dropping his applications for a job. His career at SURE FM started with a good leap in the circumstances he found himself. He was with the station for just a year when he was elevated to the post of a producer of social and inspirational shows. That was a quick jump up the ladder, because in most radio stations one gets to work for at least five years as a presenter before rising to the post of a producer. But SURE FM was new and was struggling to go up the ladder quickly. And so they pushed all up the ladder fast too.

SURE FM was also not buoyant enough, that would have enable it poach experienced producers from other studios as some newcomers in the industry do. They were left with little option but to elevate the young ones with the right talent amongst them. Driving them up fast and dropping them in the top seat. In most cases elevating such new starters up was financial good for the station, as they get to be producers in all but in their take home pay. Kunle was still being paid the salary of a junior presenter while he cum as a producer. He was placed on what they called a ‘probation period’ that affords him all the challenges but not the remuneration of his position—something that served the interests of the management well.

I met Kunle first at a social gathering through one of my friends in the media industry. At our first meeting, he gave me the usual ‘just wanting to be friends’ talk. But I had been with many of such ambitious young men like Kunle in the industry long ago to know that he would soon come out with his hat in the hand asking for one favour.

And that favour would be to do a show or two of my popular motivation dance club in his studio. And of course as a ‘friend’, he would expect I give him a low charge on a long show time. My radio show had become a popular pastime with Lagos listeners and any studio that gets to air it also gets to improve its ratings amongst listeners.

The show had become something of a hot cake amongst listeners in Lagos. That was amongst the reasons I decided to leave STATIC FM where I was and become a freelance presenter. And instead of being tied to an employer I was now going about the radio stations in the city on hire and presenting my show to my listeners.

As I remembered STATIC FM, my veins jolted. It wasn’t really about the good prospects outside for me as a freelance presenter alone; there were other sinister reasons, which forced me out of STATIC FM.

I quickly adjusted my white T-Shirt as I came out of the car quickly and shook Kunle’s eager hands.

Sorry bros, I got caught up in the traffic. I said as I tried putting across a brief apology. That seemed not to be the best excuse for the occasion. Blaming it on the chaotic traffic in the city was the most over flogged refrain with people of Lagos, and no one expects you to use that as a reason for being tardy for an assignment. Everybody gets caught up in the traffic in Lagos, that’s the reality of the city. To get where you are going in good time, you need to fathom in the long hours to spend in the traffic in your schedule.

Yes, SST, I know, thanks for coming anyway. He said.

I was always taken in when a man takes the load upon himself and gets the apology across.

Hope I am not so late? I asked unnecessarily.

I looked intensely at my wristwatch as if aware of its existence for the first time. It wasn’t long when I started using one. Some weeks ago I was also like the millions of people who discarded their wristwatches once the Cell phone came in with all its digital side shows.

But I later realised, as I interact with higher society, that there were some gatherings you just have to leave your handset behind or turn it off. And in such cases you need a wristwatch! Not to mention that the supercilious gentlemen that I had soon started having as friends when my rating in the industry soared, expect you to wear a wristwatch, without which you are seen not to be a gentleman.

No, SST of course not! He said. But I was not taken in by the pains he was putting across not to appear too demanding. I could feel the anxiety in his voice.

We are already ready for you. You will be on air in the next . . . He paused as he checked his wristwatch as if not sure of the time he planned to bring me up on air. I was certain Kunle’s mind had been singing of the time for my show all the while he had been standing by the gate looking across the road for me. But as I said, he was new to the post at the station and understandably was eager to do a good job. He couldn’t afford to start his career by getting the people important to his ambition unhappy! And so he didn’t want me to feel as if I had created a little inconvenience around.

We will have you in the next ten minutes. He said and then added, . . . after the musical interlude. He said the words softly.

But I heard them the loudest!

It was clear—if not for the musical interlude; I should be on air by now.

To say it in another term—I was late.

Oh that’s ok; I will be ready by then. I replied.

We walked towards the door chatting noisily as I followed by his side. I knew we were heading straight to the studio room. There was no time for the customary small talks over a cup of tea in the producer’s office while a presenter waits in the waiting room for his time to come on air.

It suits my style.

I always preferred not being early, and wasting time in an office lobbing over a cup of tea as I had other schedules to attend to in the city. As we entered the studio room, I could see it was a small studio, by the standard of the ones I been to in Lagos since I started moving from one station to another to present my radio show.

The presenter’s seat was settled at the middle of the room facing a table on which were two table microphones on a stand. I could see the set engineer seated before an array of equipment covered under a wooden confinement. The studio was playing the musical interlude. I waved the set engineer and he signalled back with a raise of his left thumb and then winked with his eyes towards the presenter’s seat. It was time for me to get on air. I sat and adjusted myself in the seat. I could feel the usual excitement running through me.

It was time to get on the show once again!

I adjusted the microphone, and then started speaking as soon as the musical interlude stopped playing.

Good day to all my listeners this evening on the motivation dance club show on SURE FM! This is your in house DJ SST, waiting to take you to the dance floor.

I knew I had to put in some good words as usual to stir the participation of my audience before I start receiving the normal listeners’ calls.

I am sure there are a lot of my good listeners out there that have a lot of nice steps to show us all on your favourite inspirational radio show—the motivation dance club! I paused a little as I normally do whenever I get to mention the name of my show.

I want you all out there to know that whatever you are engaged in, whatever you are looking for and whatever has got you praying all the time, I want you to know that it is going to be alright because God has a great future designed for you! I love to start on a line of motivation that would stir a good discussion

God is not a respecter of persons, and so He has a great future for all his children. He had a great future for Esther. He had a great future for Joseph. He had a great future for David. He had a great future for Mandela, and He also has a great future for you! But before ushering you into His plan for your life, He would test you first! He will test you by delays first. I paused a bit at the end. I always love to draw the interest of my listeners to an area that stirs their imaginations.

Here I go again!

You know what a delay is when you see good things coming to others and is not coming to you! And you know what a delay is when you see yourself praying in earnest and there seemed to be no solution. You know what a delay is when the world has declared your case hopeless but God has not finished with your life yet. Because as long as God is keeping you alive, He has a plan for you, and as long as you are calling on Him, He is listening to you! He is listening but He is not answering yet because He is testing you! He is testing your faith by delay! Because your faith is His joy, your faith is His fulfilment, and without faith you cannot please him. And so he will test your faith by allowing delays in your life! It is your season of delay that ushers in your season of breakthrough.

I have started fully now.

"But you must be careful what you do in your season of delay! Because it is how you handle your season of delay that ushers you into your season of breakthrough! It is what you do in your season of delay that will usher you to your season of victory! Esther kept her virginity in righteousness during the period of her delay! Mandela remained faithful to the struggle in the period of his delay!

David refrained from holding grudge against Saul in the season of his delay. Joseph was serving faithfully and happily in prison in spite of his innocence in the season of his delay!

So my friends, are you keeping to righteousness in your season of delay? Are you keeping to faithfulness in your season of delay? Are you denying the devil the joy of seeing you sad and worried in the season of your delay? Are you giving God the glory by putting your trust in Him or are you emboldening the devil by seeking for other means to solve your problems in the season of your delay?

Are you being faithful in the season of your financial delay; marriage delay, promotion delay, appointment delay, child birth delay, business delay, fame delay, or of your healing delay? If not, then you need to do so quickly in order to bring in your time! God has your turn but only your faith can bring in your time!" I pronounced the words forcefully over the airwaves before pausing shortly again.

I wanted the last words to sink in the minds of my listeners before I continue.

"A season of delay is not a season of apportioning blames to friends and relations for one’s misfortunes. It isn’t a time of pointing fingers at one imaginary old woman somewhere or a long-time rival, or a time of regrets for bad decisions and poor choices! A season of delay is a time of moving closer to God!

A season of delay should find you taking comfort and solace in the bosom of the Almighty, and not running around looking for whom to blame for your misfortunes! You cannot be in the bosom of a lion and be pointing fingers at the actions of a dog! Whatever your season of delay brings to your life—whatever failure—financial loss, promotion loss, health challenges, the loss of loved ones, whatever! It is not a time for harbouring bitterness or accumulating regrets. But it is the time for joyful celebration and putting your trust in God for finding you worthy to be tested in the period of your delay! The higher your class, the tougher your questions would be in an examination!"

I then moved my exhortations from the essence to the specifics.

"A season of marital delay is not a period of running from one man’s bed to another; but it is a period of self-chastisement for a great union! A season of financial delay is not a period of receiving bribe or engaging in corrupt practices to make ends meet, or a period of super human belt tightening measures, but it is a period for putting a complete trust in God’s power to sustain you even without any substance of sustenance in your hands! The greater your trust in God’s promises, the greater would be your faithfulness in your season of delay, and the greater is your reward! You need to carry out your season of delay righteously!

A season of delay that is executed righteously puts you on God’s special list! And when you are on God’s special list, He doesn’t come to you when people would say . . . oh; we know you can do it! Oh, we know it’s possible! Or they would say—Oh; we thank God for that big man that lifted him up! But God comes to your situation when everybody would shout . . . can you believe that? Is it really that person in that office? Is it really that lady surrounded by such grown beautiful children? Is it really that man living in that house? Then it must be God! Because when you are on God’s special list, you are His special advertisement, and He would want the world to know that despite all you have been through, despite all the negative judgments passed on your case by experts and men in authority, despite all obvious conclusions on your case, it all had amounted to nothing against you because there is a God in Heaven who rules in the affairs of men!

So my friend, please relax! That your problem that seemed to defy solution is on God’s special list! Your problem might be making news now but your breakthrough will make the headlines tomorrow!"

I said loudly, allowing a little pause I was use to observing, after a long talk.

"It does not matter how many times you are faced with defeats in your life. A baby attempting to walk will fall many times, but before it reaches the ground, its mother’s hands will rush to cover it!

It does not matter how many times you are going to fall before you start to walk, because God will not allow you to reach the ground. He will not allow your career to reach the ground. He will not allow your health to reach the ground. He will not allow your marriage to reach the ground. He will not allow your business to reach the ground. He will not allow your hope in life to reach the ground! And as long as the devil cannot wrestle your marriage, your career, your health, or your hope to the ground, he cannot defeat you!

And always remember, you have a share in God’s portion for your life and nobody in life can devour your share in life because you have a Heavenly father watching over for you!"

I quickly introduced the line that would give me the opportunity to move to one of my narratives for the day.

"Your share in life is ever safe in the hands of God! Nobody can devour your share! In the traditional African society that I grew in, kids were trained to build a bond amongst them by eating together. I mean sharing the same plate. You have to be around when it was time for meal or your siblings would eat your share. We eat together from the same bowl until we grew up and get our separate plates at about the age of eight.

And as a little boy, whenever I go out to play and return late to the house, I always discover that the family had finished eating the meal and my siblings would have finished the meal including my share! Such behaviour by my siblings was accepted in my culture as a deserving action to serve as a lesson to the truant. And as if that was not enough they get to scold you if they are older than you. I was the youngest amongst the boys. They were a lot of boys in the household; blood brothers, cousins, close relatives—we were all brothers of equal status in the house, born by my parents or not, and being an extended family, we sure had some number of brothers!

But I was never worried whenever I returned from my plays and meet an empty plate waiting for me because I knew my mother will hide a greater share for me! I will quietly avoid my father and brothers’ rebukes and move quietly to the room to meet my mother. She will feign a frown as always, but will always bring out a good measure with a big meat from where she had hidden it from everybody’s notice!

My mother would prefer to sleep hungry than to watch me go hungry. She won’t eat till I was back, and just in case I, the truant, comes back late. And no matter what happens, my mother would not allow anyone to devour my share! If my mother could do that for me, how much more our creator! You are worried today in life, maybe because you are still in the field of your trials and others are eating in the house of victory! But God will not allow them to devour your share in life!

It did not matter to me which young bully was beating me up and throwing me in the mud in the play ground while my brothers were eating my share in the house. I knew when I return, I will still get a bigger share waiting for me! And I want you too, to know that it doesn’t matter where the devil is throwing you in the dirt of life today, when you come out of it, you will still meet your share waiting for you! It did not matter what my brothers said to me as I returned dirty from the playground, I knew my mother would still give me my share! It doesn’t matter what people say about you in your days of troubles and trials in the field of life because God will still have your share waiting for you when you return.

It does not matter how dirty I returned home, my mother would not only wash me up but also give me my share! It does not matter how dirty the life you return to God with is, God will not only wash you up but also give you what is your share in life! It might look late to everyone in the house for me to expect my dinner. The time for my dinner might have passed but my mother would still have my share waiting for me!

It does not matter what they say is late in your marriage, in your career, in your business, in your body, or in any area of your life! Is it childbirth, promotion, or wealth? It doesn’t matter! When you return back from your field of trials, God will have your share waiting for you! It did not matter how good my brothers had it while eating my share, my mother would still keep a greater meat waiting for me when I return!

It does not matter what the people might have thought they had enjoyed by eating your share when you were in your field of struggles in life, because when you come back to God, He will have a greater share waiting for you! Just as no matter how late I come back home, my mother had my share always waiting for me! That is how no matter how late in life you return to God; your share would be waiting for you!

When my brothers were eating my share, they thought I was coming home to sleep hungry. But they never knew my mother had kept a bigger share for me! When my brothers were happily devouring my meat, they never knew the biggest piece is reserved somewhere for me! When I return it didn’t matter to me just how much they scolded and mocked me, saying that I will sleep hungry?

I knew it was empty threats because my mother will keep my share for me! Whatever people scold you for your failure, whatever mockery people are heaping on you for what you are lacking; it is just empty threats because a greater share is waiting for you!

When my brothers were devouring my share in my absence, it did not bother me, because I knew when my mother gives me my share, I will not miss what they had taken from me!

Whatever the devil might think he has denied you now, whatever is yours that the devil has taken from you now, whatever reward of yours that the devil is stealing from your sweat now, when God brings your share to your life, you will not miss what the devil had taken from you!

The next day, when I saw the bully who always kept me going home late, I just smiled. I was not bitter that his delay cost me my meal because it had also brought me to a greater share from my mother! Whosoever is withholding your blessings, whosoever the devil is using to steal your entitlements, one day you will look at them without bitterness because it was their actions that brought you to a greater share in life, it was their denials that gave you a greater share of the portion! My siblings were seeing my share in front of them; they didn’t know there was a bigger share for me that only my mother knew of! The world might be seeing your share that they are denying you today, your share that they are devouring today, your share that they are stealing from you today, but they are not aware of the greater share God has kept waiting for you!

However, I also realised that having my share waiting for me is not enough for me to have it, because having my share also carried a requirement! I also had a part to play in having my share—the food was bought and brought to the house—that was not my part! The food was cooked to satisfaction—that was not my part! My mother hid my share in a safe place—that was not my part to play! It was a free share; it was in the hands of one that loved me! But no matter how much my mother loved me I still needed to return home to get my share—that was my part to play in receiving my share. No matter how big my share was, no matter how hungry I was, my mother won’t allow me to have my share until I wash myself of the dirt I picked on the street!

And I want you to know that God has your share waiting for you but He still requires you to play your part to access it! God will not give you your share except you return home to Him! God will not hand over your share until you leave behind all what is keeping you in the mud outside and return home. And when you return home, He will still need you to wash away your dirt, returning home alone does not guarantee you your share except your dirt is washed away—the dirt you picked on the streets of life, the dirt you picked when you were away from the presence of your father, the dirt you picked when you were playing all sorts of games in the mud of life! The dirt you picked when you were playing games with the devil.

And last year at this period when I buried my mother, I knew where she is now, she will always ensure my share is waiting for me!"

Even as I said the words I could still feel the pains of the loss of my mother that I was yet to get over with. It was getting to a year since the event happened. It was unfortunate that she didn’t live long to see how I was now doing well at my new job in the broadcasting industry since I left my vocation with the army. It was not an easy choice to make at the time. The people around were not happy when I left the army and later went into presenting a radio show but my mum stood by him all through my hassles, but didn’t live long to see what I was to make out of it.

The phone on my table was ringing, I quickly picked the call. It came just at the time I was finding it hard to continue as I was getting choked with emotions.

Good day SST! The caller said.

Good day sir; and you are welcome to the motivation dance club show. I replied.

Sorry to hear about your mum, SST. Why? You never mentioned it before; you didn’t tell us when it happened. The man on the line said.

You didn’t even know me a year ago and won’t have cared if I lost my whole pedigree; I wasn’t the popular presenter of the motivational show on radio by then!

Thanks brother! I said nicely.

I didn’t want him to go into that line of consolation that is traditionally time consuming and, so I quickly dragged him back to the discussion at hand.

My friend, you are once again welcome to the motivational dance club and what dance steps do you have for us this morning?

Yeah SST, just want to know how you felt about the loss of your mother when I heard you mentioned it. I also lost not only a wife but my business last year and from then, I had been thrown to a deep anguish that sometimes I feel as if I should take my life or God should take over the knowledge of feelings from me. I often feel like giving up completely on life. He said in a voice that started choking with tears as he speaks. He must have had his pains reopened by the feelings brought about by our discussion.

My brother, I know how it feels, but you need to be strong. It is time to stand and overcome the challenges facing your life. Do not give up! Even if you are passing through fire now, it would only make you come out pure as gold at the end. Hold on to the promises of the Lord over your life, it is not over with your life. My voice was coming out stronger now as I started on a line of encouragement.

"Sometimes, we all ask ourselves why things always go wrong in our lives? Sometimes, we ask ourselves if there is anything right that can happen to us. Sometimes, we ask ourselves if we can ever get over the trials in our lives. Sometimes, it looks as if the situation will never get better with us. Sometimes, it looks as if things will never improve in our lives. Sometimes, we feel we should not have a feeling over the situations tormenting our lives, so that the pains will go, so that the tears will go away . . . !

But I want you to know that whatever the devil had brought against you, whatever loss he might have created around your happy home, God’s love for you supersede all! Whatever frustrating rejections the devil might have brought into your life, God’s fortune of rewards supersedes all, and whatever attacks the devil has attached against your life, God’s supernatural attachment are stronger than that! God can feel your pains, but He wants you to hold on. He can feel your frustrations but He wants you to hold on. He can feel your disappointments, but He wants you to hold on!

You might feel God has given up on you, but He is saying hold on. He has promised He will always be around! He wants you to hold on so that you can fulfil His words that say, your tears might last for the night but your joy comes in the morning. You may start feeling as if God does not care, as if He does not know about you, as if He does not feel your pains, or He does not see your trouble. But He wants you to know that no matter what you see around, it is not that He does not see or feel your pain or does not want to come to your rescue. But it is because He cannot go against His words. And as long as he had planned that the greater your glory, the more He would allow you to be tested and the more your rewards will be when you overcome, nothing can change that! God is not a man that He should lie and as He said it will come to past! Your days of loss might come, your days of failure might come, the devil might have his day in your life, but God’s glory coming to your life supersedes all! And by the time God carries you to His glory; the devil will look up and see that the person he has been tormenting is done with him. The person he has been frustrating for years, is now done with him. The person he has been bringing disappointing delays to his life is done with him, because he will be seeing a new you that he has no more power to torment anymore." I said to him.

He came back on the line—sounding more confident now.

Thanks SST, thanks man! I now know no matter what happens to me, the devil cannot defeat my destiny. It was just that after all the effort I been through I felt as if life had short changed me. His voice dropped low again. He was back to feeling bad.

I tried to bring him back to a cheerful mood. "My friend, nobody can short change your destiny as long as God is on the throne! Joseph was taken away from his father’s side and sold as a slave. He lost the comfort of his home. He was lied upon by his master’s wife and he lost credibility in the eyes of friends. He was thrown into prison, and he lost the freedom of even a slave and was left in frustration. A man he assisted while in prison forgot about him as soon as he was released and Joseph was left disappointed once again. It looked as if disappointments and frustrations would never end in his life. But when God restored him to grace, he realised all the frustrations and disappointments the devil brought along his path did not short changed his destiny! When he looked at himself in glory as the prime minister of Egypt, he realised the devil might have carried him far in frustrations, thrown him deep in disappointments and kicked him hard with betrayals, but God’s one touched of glory surpassed all that the devil did against him, and the devil could not short changed what God has planned for his life!

And looking at the life of King David, after all that David did in helping Saul’s army to victory by killing Goliath, Saul still turned his back against him and sent him into exile. David was denied the comfort of his home and he ran in frustration to the wilderness. He was later kind enough to spare Saul’s life. But Saul once again repaid him evil for good! He was once nearly lynched by his own men for no fault of his. All was going wrong around David, and there seemed no end in view. But when God revealed his destiny to him, and David looked back at the unjustified troubles and frustrations he went through in his life, and when he looked around and saw himself on the throne, he realised the devil could not short changed his destiny after all! For what God had destined must come to pass, the delay only increased the interest God had placed on his destiny!

Today, you may be feeling frustrated and abandoned. Today, you may be feeling unjustifiably victimized and attacked in some areas of your life. Today, you may be feeling betrayed as you go