STANDING OVATION

From my primary school  days, to my secondary school years and up to my undergraduate moments, I have seen hard work, excellence and  diligence rewarded; most often at class/department dinners, graduations, and convocations. At such events, outstanding persons in both aptitude and attitude were recognized, celebrated and given standing ovation.

Even now, outside the four corners of the learning institutions, in the organized endeavours of humanity, hard work, diligence,  excellence, and every good and profitable achievements are also recognized and celebrated. Hence, we have globally recognized names and companies today that had been celebrated and are still being celebrated because of their great positive achievements.

Away from the formality of the structured human endeavours and the so called big names we know today, shifting from the status quo of the men and women we are used to celebrating in the society, I sense as a proper way to kick start the year 2019, you as an individual deserve to be recognized, you deserve to be celebrated, you deserve a standing ovation. In the light of this, this piece is all about you, written in a very simple way to give you the reason to live each day of 2019 with vigour, determination, hope and above all sense of purpose.

I started the year 2018 with great expectations and mighty plans; I launched into the year with convincing blueprints of what and how I want my life to look like after all have been said and done. Well, honestly, as I am punching these words right now on my keypad, I cannot say confidently that I have implemented all I had in mind for the year 2018. However, I do have every reason to celebrate and give myself a standing ovation.

So far so good, 2018 has come and gone, leaving behind trails and traces of its complete package; the good, the bad and the ugly. Throughout last year, we have had reasons to smile, to cry, to love and at some point in time, we humanly had every reason to hate and detest some people that by their actions have separated us from our loved ones. The year 2018 helped us fulfilled some of our dreams, swallowed some and gave us new ones as well. What a year!

Therefore, why would you be celebrated and receive a standing ovation? Regardless of all you went through in 2018; the sunshine and the rain, the thick and the thin, the mountain and the valley, the lack and the abundance, the sweet and the bitter; you have had reasons to lose hope, give up and even question the existence of God at some point in time, yet you are still standing tall, walking with your head held high. Bravo to you.

I know you might have encountered trying times, moments that seemed like the whole world was on your shoulder, you felt as if all grounds were sinking and the earth is giving way; yet you stayed through, dogged and resilient, you deserve a standing ovation. The year 2018 and even the previous years might have thrown so many heaps of rubbish on you, damaging every iota of all that is good in you, yet you washed yourself and gave life another shot, you deserve a standing ovation.

You might have failed in some things at some points in 2018, and the world labeled you a failure, but you listened to that still small voice inside of you, encouraged yourself and tried again, you deserve a standing ovation. Yes, I believe you have experienced loss of some kind; loved ones, friends, colleagues, valuables, some amount of money, but you refused to be weighed down, you deserve a standing ovation. Your actions and inactions of yesterday might be laced with pain, shame, scars and regrets, but you left the past in the past and moved on, you deserve a standing ovation.

Again, I am convinced and convicted that in one way or the other you have helped at least a life, lend a helping hand, put a smile on someone’s face, encouraged someone, motivated someone, held someone’s life, stayed with someone in hard times, sacrificed for the sake of others, went an extra miles for the comfort of others, spoke life to a dying soul, listened to a worrying soul, you deserve rounds of applause and a standing ovation.

I am not a prophet or a seer, but by faith and through the confirmation of the Holy Spirit, I know for sure that for all the times you trusted God with many questions in your heart, for all the time you felt like giving up but held on to faith and hope, for all the times you would have joined the rest of the world in questioning God, but against all odds you stood on His word, many times push came to shove yet you never threw in the towel, heaven is giving you a resounding applause and an overwhelming ovation.

As we travel the year 2019, don’t relent, work and walk with your head held high. Stay high when things are rough and be humble when things are smooth for you. Be assured of this; for every step you take and for every move you make, God is right beside you, giving you all the strength you need. The heaven is standing for you. Ride into 2019 with the confident that tough time will past but tough people will last.

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Thank You