Hello,
I am in your mailbox this Sunday😉 and I am happy to write to you again. How are you doing? How did your week go? You can tell me all about it, I would love to hear it.
Before I tell you about how I've been, I want to say a big thank you for all your responses to my last letter. Tbh, my heart is full. I am grateful you are in my space.
On my end, I am fine. God has been helping me. These days, I am seeking to know Abba more. It is like there is a deep longing I want and I know Abba wants to fill my whole heart with it. I am yearning to know him. Yes! to know him fully. To discover him like the true treasure he is. Fr, he keeps saying I will find him and I know he will help me find him.
Also, I am taking the time to develop myself. I am working on my skills in design. I am learning. I made some designs. Fr, I don't know, I still have a lot to do. My eyes hurt from the many YouTube videos I have been watching. Omo, I just can't wait to be good already. But these things take time. Yes, I am willing to go through the process. Just the same way I am willing to climb all the mountains there is to know my Abba.
So so so so, this sums up my answer to 'How am I doing?'. Let's dive into the gist I have for you today😊
Since the strike started, I have thought of the impact it has caused both negatively and positively. For the negative aspect, the academic lives of students have been on hold for about 5 months. This matter gets painful when you know you ought to graduate in this set in 2022 or move to another level but this is likely not going to happen due to the insensitive nature of both the government and the lecturers. It is annoying. Beyond this, the uncertainty as to when we will return to school is there. Honestly, I miss school so much and I am hoping soon this matter will be settled.
Equally, a negative aspect of the strike is the tenancy issues for students living off campus. I got a new place in school last year September. I have spent roughly 6 months in this place. Even though we are not in school presently, my things are there. I know I have to pay when it expires.
However, some landlords have decided to take advantage of this situation. Imagine a landlord increasing the house rent to a ridiculously expensive amount and still threatening to throw your things out if you don't pay the rent on the exact day it expires. Sick abi? Now, imagine still having to go ahead to throw the items of that student outside and rent the house to someone else. Then I began to wonder why somebody can behave that way? Knowing fully well the strike is not a fault of the students. How about reaching a middle ground? What about extending the date of payment in case such a tenant intends to renew his/her rent bearing in mind the prevailing economic situation? What about arriving at a compromise especially now that the time students will be called back to school is still unknown? Why do humans want to seek their interests even if it is at the detriment of others?
As I mused on these things, I began to realize some things. Whenever people are in a position of power, they try to prove the extent of what their power can do even if it means hurting or trampling on the interest of others. It is disturbing that people are ready to do anything to get what they want. Some people believe that when they attain a privileged position, it is the time to take advantage of others, humiliate them or show they have arrived. Sadly, it points to one factor you are not walking in love. When you love you don't seek your means all the time especially when the other party will be negatively affected by your actions. Love is kind, patient, and not puffed up (power drunk).
I have also realized that there is a mindset— the need to always please ourselves first in all things. What this mindset does is that it makes us self-absorbed. The world does not revolve around you.
There is a reason why we are on this earth together. You are not an island, so if at every point you think of your gain and you don't see anything bad when you begin to seek the downfall of others, then you need to check your heart. Are you walking in love?
Furthermore, it is easy to say that you love people. But if your love stops only when you say 'I love my neighbors' then you have not truly loved. Love spoken in words must always be demonstrated by actions. It is in doing that you can fully come to the knowledge of love. I remember recently when Abba led me to read scriptures and then I saw 'love: the more excellent way'. I quizzed myself on why love is an excellent way and I realized that there are so many ways we can structure relationships with people. But building and keeping your relationship in love is the more excellent way. Here, you are not self-seeking but considerate, kind, and patient.
Furthermore, there are times your flesh tells you to behave a certain way even when you know that it is not right. Hence, you must come to God always to help your heart to love right. I do this and cry about it because I know that sometimes I fall short of exhibiting the full traits of love listed in 1Corinthians 13. But Abba is helping. He is big time.
In this new week, I want you to know that no matter the position God takes you, don't use it to seek your means alone to the detriment of others. You know your heavenly father proved his love to you by not keeping His only son, Jesus to himself but giving Him to us to die in place of our sins. Therefore, you must represent the Father's love to people as he did for you.
I leave you with these words for this week:
1. ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ Mark 29:31
2. Loving others always cost us something, and requires effort. And you have to decide to do it on purpose - Joyce Meyer.
Have a great weak.✨
All my love + everything nice💜
The Purple Girl.