Cheers!

I’m writing this as I’m having brunch alone in the middle of town on a Thursday. No, solo dates are not my thing. I’d rather be locked up in my room and having a homemade meal. No, it’s not a case of being stood up by a date either. None of those. I’m here because I missed my photoshoot appointment. I also don’t do that… And by ‘that’ I mean: photoshoots and missing appointments… But let’s talk about the latter first…

I woke up at 4:30 a.m. The night prior I had done all my time estimations: a one hour devotion and then there’s the showering but most importantly, the hair. The hair! Ah, if you know, you know. I even accounted for metro queues and traffic… What I didn’t remember is this is graduation season. There was traffic nearly to a standstill…But I’m just a girl. I tried my best, I promise.

Suffice it to say, I couldn’t make it. I was almost an hour late. My contact person from the studio requested to reschedule to 2:30 p.m. This is after I was 400m to the place. I took a cab back to town and resolved to go home after.

You see, back to my first point, photoshoots aren’t exactly my thing. This wasn’t my idea. It also isn’t on my bill. My friend insisted I do it and paid for it. But even after that, I had to call up another friend to convince me to book the session last night. The resolve to go home is easy for me. I’m not even that upset about the deposit I already paid. And don’t get me wrong; I respect my friend’s money, perhaps even more than mine. But I want to go home.

All this hullabaloo is over graduation. Yes, my folks are going to be part of the reason for the added traffic I was complaining about. My friends are excited about me graduating. My mom? Ecstatic. And she’s travelling six hours to see it.

Me on the other hand… Well, I’m not ungrateful. It’s more of relief than excitement for me honestly…mixed with a little bit of good riddance. School has been like a really long rolercoster ride. It’s fun at first and then at some point, you feel like you’re going to throw up and begging that it stops.

This graduation should have been two years ago. Methinks that’s why everyone is excited that it has finally come to pass. But it’s the same reason why I am not. Interesting how the same thing can illicit polar-opposite reactions.

But I’ll tell you what, I concede. I give in to this weird excitement around me. That’s why I’m seated in this restaurant  eating awkwardly slowly. I’m waiting for 2:30 p.m. I’ll go back to that studio. I’ll take the photos. If not for anything, then for my happy community. They have prayed with me. They have cried with me. How could I not allow them to be happy? Will the devil surely steal everything from us?

And I’ll make that my last point. The devil wasn’t trying to steal my degree. He doesn’t need it. He was after my faith. But here I am. I’m still standing. My faith? Stronger than ever. And there’s no crazy, big job and salary waiting for me. There are no eloquent, 10 point answers on why things have had to be this way. But I’ve got God. I’m good.

After this hard and protracted season, I’m not proud to have gained a degree. I’m proud of a faith that has grown, a community that’s fireproof and a closer walk with God. So yes, let’s celebrate. Cheers!

KJV Romans 5
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.