Sunday 31st July 2022 Devotion
Scripture:- Acts 9:1-38
Topic:- Never Look Down On People
By Onabanjo Angel Michael
I’m Yinka. In the year 2003, my mother forbids my interaction with this young lady I use to know.
Because she was the housemaid of my next-door neighbor then Oke-Ado in Ibadan, Her name was Fadeke.
Maami used to caution me about getting close to this girl because she doesn’t want any entanglement, she would say…
“Olukorede, I have warned you, don’t you ever talk to that maid, you are in 100 level find and relate with your mates, not a house help…”
I use to say, “she is the first human before a maid, I was just kind to her there was nothing between us.”
Then, I just gained admission into the University and she recently finished writing WAEC.
She had to run away from home to Ibadan because after her secondary education her parents wanted to marry her off as a third wife to a rich Cocoa and Produce merchant in their village.
She told me, she would love to become a Computer Scientist but due to extreme poverty, her parents were incapable.
But, wanted her to marry the rich old man to ease the stress.
With the help of a friend’s sister, she came to Ibadan to work as a maid with the mindset that when she gathers enough money from the job, she would sponsor herself through school.
I never listen to my mom because I found her to be very intelligent and saw her as someone who if she has the right resources will do very well in life.
I even asked if my father could help with her education but the man’s resources were barely enough to train his three children, but, my father encouraged me to be kind to her.
When my mother heard, she slapped me and for days we didn’t talk because I dared ask my father for such help.
Later on, the lady developed some strange infection and was falling sick at intervals.
Due to this occurrence, her guardians wanted her to go because they are afraid she might die and they don’t want such a problem since they don’t know her people.
They loved her for she was very hard working.
I used to give her the little I had to assist her then, by the time I came back from the second semester holiday.
I was told she had gone back to her village, there was no way I could trace her.
Then the mobile phone was quite new, the social media was not common.
She didn’t leave any forwarding address and means to contact her, with time I forgot about her and continued living.
About four months ago, the Organization I worked for sent me to represent them at a meeting with a top multinational agency in Lagos that needed the services of our logistics firm to move some goods across the nation.
Has we were having the meeting with the Director of the agency, a lady walked in, and instantly I recognized her, my neighbor’s maid many years back.
The Director said, “Meet Mrs. Fadeke Williams, our head of ICT.
Her department is in charge of the business we wanted to do with your Organization.
If she says you are okay then consider the work done.
She also recognized me and smiled, stretched her hands towards me, and said, “let go to my Office.”
Getting to her office, I asked, “Fadeke how did you do it?”
I was shocked at her positive transformation.
Before my very eyes was a confident woman who knows what she was doing.
She smiled and explained, “When I went back to the village, my parents were happy to see me still I was married off to the old rich man when my WAEC result came out.
I was the best Student in our Local Government but I couldn’t go to School, about a year after my old husband fell sick.
On his death bed, he released me to my parents with a cheque of 5 million naira to cover my education.
His lawyer held the money in trust and became my Guardian.
He gave my parents 2 million Naira.
He said he is doing this because he knew his family will not give a dime after his demise and he realized how much I wanted to go to school.
I cared for him till he breathe his last. All this happened even before I clocked twenty-two years old.
I was supposed to meet him because he was the key to my getting educated.
The irony was I went to Ibadan running away from him.
After his death and mourning, I attended a Private University, read Computer Science, and graduated with a First Class.
And was granted a Scholarship for my Master’s at York University in Canada.
That was where I met Will Williams, my husband.
He is also here as an Expatriate on a World Bank project.
I never forgot your kindness, I searched for you on Facebook but I couldn’t find you. Are you not on Facebook?”
“I am, but, the name is Olu Tokarev.”
“Oh! I see you are part of the people who use an alias on Facebook. Go and use your real name jor”
“How is your mummy, I know, she never thought I was good enough as your friend?”
“She is with her husband both retired, they are living at Ado-Ekiti.”
“Your father was a good man.”
They reminisce on old times, long story cut short, his firm was given a job worth millions of Naira.
With the first rebate on the assignment, he was able to complete his house and he said more are still coming.
He told me this story at the opening of this house.
This is my conclusion.
Past kindness brought him a present reward, don’t ever feel you are better than anyone, and never look down on people because of their present situation.
When things are fine with you, don’t treat others like they are insignificant.
Be kind, and remember, the one you look down on today might be the person you have to look up to tomorrow.
Life goes on and no one can predict the future…
Just be kind, it pays.
Prayer Point:-
Oh Lord God, help me not to look down on people but to be humble henceforth by fire, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Happy Lord’s Day! www.timogundelejesu.com
