GOD BLESS THE BROKEN ROADS

 So many mistakes. So many errors. Too many bad decisions have brought me to this point. And I have many more to make.

Listening to Rascal Flatt's song of same title, I realize the story of humanity is a story of blunders. From the onset, right in the Garden were a few major mistakes viz Eve ate the Forbidden Fruit; Adam ate The Forbidden Fruit; Adam refused to take responsibilty and apologize for eating the Forbidden Fruit and instead passed the buck and said "the woman you gave me..."

And Jacob, in Connivance with his mother chose to take Esau's blessing from Isaac and deceived his own brother with a plate of porridge.

And then Moses. He was already a Prince and had he waited and allowed God plot, he may have ascended the throne and became Pharaoh but instead he chose to take matters in his hands and killed a cruel Egyptian.

Oh David, of all the women in Israel, he chose Uriah's wife and even had Uriah killed. And the Jews chose to kill a man named Jesus who walked on water, healed blind people, raised the dead etc etc BROKEN ROADS.

In our lives, we all have made mistakes of greater or lesser proportions. We label them errors, mistakes, regrets or as we say in Warri "had I known". I call them poetically as "broken roads" because I see life as a path, a road and each of those mistakes, depending on their severity have taken us away from the roads we would have preferred to take. Clear instance of this is Florence that gets pregnant at 16 and stops school for Eguono her baby. She had the intellect that could have made her a doctor or pharmacist but her road was broken and took her down a different path. Or maybe Onos, who was brightest boy in his early university days but because he was bullied by cult boys over a girl in Moremi Hall, he too joins a cult and is expelled... Broken road. Maybe your own case is not as bad. You felt Bayo, your long time boyfriend in the University didn't become rich quick enough so you married Emeka, a much older established guy, but you find that you are unhappy in your marriage. Broken Road. Now take a minute and think of your greatest regret...still thinking?

Now let us look at each mistake from creation. Adam and Eve, they buried a son Abel and perhaps were estranged from another Cain but God gave them others and still they multiplied and populated the earth as God ordered. Their mistake made it tougher as they tilled and toiled but their destiny was fulfilled. As appertains Jacob, he suffered. He served Laban years and years. His favourite child Joseph was torn from him believing him dead, yet today, his descendants Israel is one of the most critical nations on earth and you cannot be president of America without swearing to protect Her and though they dwell in the desert, they export food and flowers because their desert land blossoms unlike their neighbours.
Moses? Yes he suffered through the Wilderness and fought over watering wells. But he fulfilled his destiny and his Red Sea crossing is the singular most amazing visual miracle yet. And yes he freed the Israelites. David? Absolom exacted a revenge on him by sleeping with his wife on rooftop for all Israel to see. However, Uriah's wife bore the child that took over David's throne and who is synonym for wisdom and a large family King Solomon. And for those who killed Jesus, from that "mistake" we have salvation for that ill-treatment meted out to Jesus, he fulfilled Isaiah's prophesy "by his stripes we are healed. That 16 year old girl that gave birth could be Genevieve, Africa's biggest female actress (Aside Charlize Theron) and one acknowledged by Oprah Winfrey. That boy Onos has two degrees in America and has a thriving business.

Yes, the cliché "every disappointment is a blessing" is trite and true. All it takes is for God to bless the broken road. That child you want to abort could be your retirement benefit in old age; That problematic car could be saving you fatal accidents everytime it refuses to start. (Remember Balak's Horse?) That child whose father left you to care for all on your own could be become President as was Obama's case. Maybe God did not want him in the kids life so they could be all they can be (not saying God supports divorce. Just saying it could turn out to be a blessing and a way to fulfil destiny.)

A thing to note from the foregoing, every broken road may lead to toiling and tilling, but that suffering is for a while. As my Big Coz Smart Ofugara told me when I was telling him of a particular struggle, he said something profound "This too shall pass"

Thus I encourage you today to know God never throws away a child and the bathwater. He removes the "dis" from "disappointments". He removes the "r" from "regret" and makes you beautiful as an egret. He removes the "mis" from mistake and indeed we "take".

So as I continue to live and make mistakes as I am sure you do too, I ask that you join me and say "God Bless The Broken Roads. Let them lead me straight to you" Amen

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