BREAK FORTH

I actually did not plan to share this story now, but I sense it will be a suitable backdrop to the central theme of what I will share with you in this piece – ‘Break Forth’; hence I am left with no option. I have friends and brothers in Jenta Mangoro community, Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State of Nigeria. These brothers are breaking forth mightily, reaching out in their own little way to solve the obvious problems in their community. Their community is known by outsiders as a ghetto, where many youths are held captive by many social vices, and one might say nothing good will come out of such place. Trusting God to change this narrative, these guys are breaking forth; they started a “Jenta Reads Community Library” to reignite reading culture not only in the life of their youths in school, but also in the life of those learning skills as well. Again, knowing quite well that water scarcity is a challenge in their community; they also started out Project H₂O, to see that at least water problem is alleviated. (More will come about this subsequently).

I have been thinking a lot recently about doing great things when I am established in life which I hope and pray will come soon. Great things such as making a difference, being the change I desire to see in my world, lending a helping hand to those in need, giving listening ears to those that needed to be heard and be the comforting shoulder someone will lean on. I thought I got it all figured out and hence all I am waiting for is the right time which according to my limited philosophy of life is when I am established (Get a job, earn much money, be comfortable, you know stuffs like that).

However, deep within me I was confronted with what I believe was a divine and timely interruption, it invaded my innermost being and sent chill down my spine with emphasis on now is the time to break forth, now is the time to make a difference, now is the time to reach out and fulfill destiny. . Just like a chick breaking forth after completing the incubation period and like a plant shooting up, so should we break forth in times as this. Haven been invaded and interrupted, it left me with series of thoughts about my life, my time, my generation, and my country. Thus, there wouldn’t be any other appropriate time for me to break forth and share this with you than now

If you are to be given an opportunity to interact with established people in our society that you admire so much about their various fields of endeavours, and how they attend such great feat in life, you will get to realize that they are men and women who were diligent and devoted to their days of little beginning. You will also come to understand that they were men and women of relentless purpose who in their time saw the need to start something great with the little they had. In view of this, I challenge you to scout out successful, responsible, established and above all God fearing persons around you, try to get in touch with them, their gold mine of experience will spark up a great fire in you.

In his book “An enemy called average” John L Mason said: “Start with what you have, not with what you don’t have. Opportunity is always where you are, not where you were”. This gave me much insight about breaking forth and how to go about it. This is simply because great things started out small, proving true what Teddy Roosevelt said: “Do what you can do, with what you have, where you are”. This is because the only way to learn anything thoroughly is by starting at the bottom (except when learning how to swim). Thus, breaking forth is all about using what you have and what you can do where you are.

Enough of grammar; in practical terms, what does it mean to break forth? How can we be like men and women of old that broke forth and left several marks on the sand of time? To break forth is to begin breathing life into those ideas, concepts and burdens God has laid in your heart; they might seem impossible a task to achieve from the start, but God that laid the burdens/ideas in your heart is committed to seeing that they all come to fruition. Who knows, the problem and the challenges in your little corner of endeavour can only be solved with your own God given ideas? Break forth!  

You might be burning with the idea of reaching out to those fast girls and boys in your local area who in ignorance are daily mortgaging their future, break forth, talk to them, in humility, teach them to slow down and learn the basis of purposeful and godly life. You might be indignant at the present decay and moral bankruptcy that has eaten deep into the fibre of every stratum of our society, break forth, you never can tell, the little right you do might be seen as a mustard seed, but the righteous tree it will translate into will shelter all and sundry. Breaking forth means using your God given gift, talents and abilities to solve the immediate challenges within and around you. Break forth!

The bottom line of what I have been trying to say is this, do not despite the days of little beginning because you can make your mistakes anonymously. Do you have a dream, a burden, an idea or a concept you sense God is initiating in your heart? Launch out in faith and start right where you are no matter how small and unrefined it may be; little things pave way for greater ones. Remember; small deeds done are better than great deeds planned. God is counting on you; he has freely given you knowledge and wisdom to lead the way. Ed Howe once said: “People are always neglecting something they can do and trying to do something they can’t do” you will be pathetic if this is your situation.

This piece won’t be complete without sharing the wise words of Hamilton Mabie: “The question for each man to settle is not what he would do if he had the means, time, influence, and education advantages, but what he will do with the things he has”. God will always give us an ability to create what we need from something that is already here. So what are you waiting for? Break forth; you can’t afford to remain in the cocoon of nothingness when there is something you can do. Just like my friends in Jenta Mangoro who have taken this bold step of faith breaking forth, we can also break forth in our own little, different and personal ways to make this world a better place. God is counting on you because all you need to do all you want and desire to do is deposited in you through Christ Jesus.