Paying it forward! my experience so far!!!

I was on a flight from Qatar to Lagos on my way from China in October 2012 after attending a  vendor technology training. I had a comfortable seat & I took along a book to read, this book titled “Choose to Make a Difference” by Seyi Wright was introduced to me during a management training session handled by Mr Wright. I was intrigued by his wealth of knowledge & his charisma in delivering a quality package.

Suffice to say I was hooked on the book & with jazz music in my head phones ( I assimilate more & I’m super creative when I listen to Jazz – another story for another day), I was no longer on that plane but in another world. It was so engaging that I didn’t notice the hostess when she came by to serve my row.

Debra, the hostess came around again & finally caught my attention, so I got my meal, eat it & returned to my reading.

While on a toilet break, Debra was at the mini-bar & she asked if I wanted a drink, so I ordered for an orange juice & we started chatting.

She asked politely what the book was about since she noticed that I was so engrossed in it, I explained that it’s all about a choice to make a difference in this world, having an impact on others. Many people are so focused on themselves alone, listening to WII-FM ( What’s In It For Me) & don’t really look at how they can be a blessing to others considering that God has blessed them with something ( a talent, a gift) for the world. She was so excited about this that she asked if I had seen the movie “Pay It Forward” staring Kevin Spacey & I said no, she quickly gave me a run-down of the movie, related it to the book & asked that I go see it. We finally exchanged pleasantries & I went back to my seat thankful for Debra & the short connection we had.

Back at home, I rushed through & finished the book, I also looked for & watched the movie as Debra recommended. At the end of the movie I remembered what God said to Noah after the flood in Genesis 8:22 (NIV), He said “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” Paying it forward was about sowing good deeds & passing on the torch to another person, ultimately the good deeds come back to you bigger in one form or the other. According to that passage as long as the earth remains, seedtime & harvest will not cease.

This is a concept of general application, some people call it Karma or Luck, but I call it the divine order of God, whatever you sow, you will reap!!!

I have experienced this so far in my life & I would like to share a few of these with you.

Firstly, I grew up in a very abusive home & there was nothing to look forward too at the home front, so I decided to look outside ( in church & the society at large). Any home that had good relationships between husbands & wives, parents & children, caught my attention. I will observe them from afar & if privileged I will get to know them closely & personally.

The youth church pastor had such a family & I got close to him, at the time I had nothing much to give but prayers, lovely thoughts towards them & the willingness to help them if they needed anything, I sowed my service. I got exactly what I sowed & longed for – A beautiful wife, a lovely home!!!

Secondly, I wanted to have 2 kids ( 1 boy & 1 girl, in that order), my wife ( fiancée at the time) also wanted the same thing, so I told her to look out for families that had a good home, fantastic relationships & 2 kids in the order we wanted. A senior colleague had this in her family, 2 kids in that order & a great relationship with her husband. We also met some families that matched that profile.

We got close to them & loved on them, we sowed our good-will & lovely thoughts, we were great uncle & aunty to these kids, we also sowed money to take them out on treats,buy them gifts on their birthdays, e.t.c. A couple of these kids were on our bridal train when we got married in 2005. We were so sure of this principle that we prayed & got the names of our kids before they were born in that order, our boy first & then our girl. Again I got exactly what I sowed & longed for.

I will continue with more examples in future posts, but the crux of the matter is this:

Whatever you sow, you will reap!! Endeavour to sow good deeds, pay if forward & you will get exactly the same back in good measures, pressed down, shaken together & running over.

This is my snippet, I am SHALOMESQ