If Only I Could Reverse the Hand of Time

Photo by Andrey Grushnikov from Pexels

By  Dr Stanley Okugbo 
Yes life is like a journey. Some breeze through it, others enjoy the scenery. We all follow the same path in the end but in different vehicles with different stops and different levels of comfort.

‘If you can look into the sands of time and tell which would grow and which would not then speak to me’ Macbeth


Timing is everything. Without it no vision or dream can materialize; no goal can be achieved! There is a time for everything; a time to get an education and a time to get a vocation. Did you miss that sister that you loved so much while in school? Did you miss that road you wanted to take the turn you wanted to negotiate? When you look at those you started with in life you realize that life is like a race. We are all in this to win! And it does hurt not only to see those you started with ahead of you, but to see how far behind you have gotten. They are married with so many beautiful children. They are in very successful vocations, business and jobs but here you are at mid life making career threatening decisions. You begin to wonder if your life is not there just to give a contrast to the successful. If you are inclined, you wonder if your are cursed or jinxed! Yes timing is everything. When we miss it we miss the end point! Then all the sacrifice seems belated, all the achievements seem antiquated, all the visions seem to be leftovers. It seems that what victories we have has the world in a rewind. Timing is everything. It is one most important feature for success. Yet there is a downturn to it.

The perception of bad timing is one of the great stressors in life. It makes the grass seem greener on the other side. It leads to feelings of depression and when uncontrolled derails the pilgrim. However to sit and look backwards and feel that the last boat has left and we are not on it is to implode! What is to say that we still cannot make it even if we miss our timing? After all who and what determines timing? A rigmarole may actually be a learning curve or training most needed!

Tomorrow belongs to the people who are not afraid to look at the new day as an ally, a friend; those who cherish the thought of new challenges and perish the thought of giving up. 

David was anointed too early? The wilderness experience is the wilderness because we are looking at the road not the journey. The road? Scat! The journey is leading somewhere! Paul said all things walk together for our good! This journey itself is our life! To enjoy it is to enjoy your life and who you are about. When you know that here is not your bus stop then you would realize that you are a pilgrim, a student, a tourist, a visitor, a researcher. You would admire the situation for what it is to you; a part of the landscape for your life; A part of the rich experience of your personality; an experience of the great you. Time and money heals all wounds. That depends on whether we forgive ourselves or constantly dig up the old wound; whether we look forwards with hope or backwards with regret; whether we look inwards to relive the past mistakes or inwards to chart a new course.

Tomorrow belongs to the people who are not afraid to look at the new day as an ally, a friend; those who cherish the thought of new challenges and perish the thought of giving up. When there is hope there is hope there is life. That is why hope is such a great virtue. When hope fails, faith fails! When hope ends love is lost! Hope is the silent important virtue that runs through faith and love. It is the bedrock for any success. The frame work for any dream! The unseen sculpture of every life! It breeds faith. It upholds love. Take away hope and we are of all men most miserable! Yet hope is the most disdained of virtues! The most attacked by the enemy and most mocked by detractors! So you think you can make it? So you think it would work? You see, faith is the substantiating of things hoped for. Even though your faith is weakened, keep hope alive and plant it where it matters most, within your heart and faith would spring forth. Love is at once the greatest of virtues and the worst of them. It’s the greatest when in its proper place, but the worse of virtues and demonic when at its worse.

Sometimes we kill ourselves and dreams because we ‘love’ ourselves too much! We take ourselves too seriously. We must allow our love to be channeled towards a greater good for ourselves mainly towards God! Then we can really truly love ourselves. I love me because he first loved me! That means I see me through his eyes! That means that I don’t see a sinner but a saint. I don’t see a failure but a success. I don’t see a life froth and filled with mistakes but a beautiful painting a mosaic masterpiece for after all I am beautifully and wonderfully made! What is there to hate about me when I see through his eyes! So every day the struggle is to get me to see correctly. To see through his eyes and not through the eyes of the world around us, for they would conform us to their image.

An image whose purpose and meaning is lost. If you want to be all God wants, then see through his eyes. That is the way to understand and follow the choices he places before you. He may be a great God all by himself, but he wishes to be a great Dad and Mum to you.

Yes life is like a journey. Some breeze through it, others enjoy the scenery. We all follow the same path in the end but in different vehicles with different stops and different levels of comfort.

Remember in the old covenant he was known as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. O Jacob the deceitful! Imagine him making that list with the great Abraham and Isaac! Even with his miss steps, his wrong timing failures and selfishness; he still made that list!

Yes life like a race track. Some are running 100m dash, others 200, 400 and 800. Yet still others are there for the long haul. It may seem more glamorous to do the 100m dash but if that is not your race you would be disqualified. In the long haul, speed at the beginning is not that important, actually you can run on the same track! In the long haul the finish is the most important. You must forget the past! And look towards the finish line. Your most important inspiration is the trophy!

Yes life is like a journey. Some breeze through it, others enjoy the scenery. We all follow the same path in the end but in different vehicles with different stops and different levels of comfort. Forgiveness is two ways first accept God’s forgiveness, then forgive yourself! Forgive and forget. That is how it works. No use forgiving without forgetting. Forgetting means not letting the past affect you negatively. To receive forgiveness all God asks is for you to repent (that is turn away from the wrong with His help) and then accept his grace. To forgive yourself means accepting that all things are working for your good even if you are so undeserving!