Some weeks ago, we had what you would call a VIP guest,
somewhat unexpected but not totally. That day I woke up thinking, I'll have my
morning to myself but alas! That was not the issue. My sister informed us that
our guest would arrive in a matter of minutes and she asked me to accompany her
to the market to get a few things. Thank God our house is just a 2 minute walk
to the market or we may not have made it in time.
My sister's plan was to get Catfish. On getting there, we
realized that those selling Catfish only show up towards the evening so we had
to supplement with beef. Getting to the beef seller's stall, after haggling
over prices, my sister decided that Chicken was a better option. On our way to
get Chicken, she recalled out guest was not a fan of Chicken so it was either
go back to the beef seller or check out another beef seller in front. After
another round of haggling over price with the second beef seller, my sister
agreed that the first one was the better choice and off I went to get the beef
from the first stall.
Getting there, I met another buyer and while her beef was
being packaged and all, she brought out a paper and on it was, "List of
things to buy."
When I saw that, I had a flashback and I could find humor
there as that's usually me and most ladies who make periodic trips to the
market.
Let me let you in on a secret. Now, I can't speak for all
ladies but why I make a list is not just to help me remember what I want to buy
but to help me buy what I actually came to buy.
See the market is this big and colorful place where almost
everything edible looks delectable. Dishes you didn't even know you craved
would start coming to you. There's an array of delectable food there and for a
student on a budget, it's a huge huge risk to go to the market without a list.
Take it from me, you'll either end up over spending or not getting the things
you actually came to buy. A list helps you put down your needs in order of
priority which is extremely important.
I recall again sometime in my first year, I was out of
foodstuffs and my plan was to go to the market on a Monday. On Sunday after
service, a couple of friends from church said they were going directly to the
market without making a detour to their hostels and I thought I should seize
the opportunity and go with them especially because as at that time, I wasn't
used to making market runs on my own.
Due to this impromptu decision, I hadn't written a list but I thought to
myself, "I have a mental list so I'm good to go." Oh, the deception!
Anyways, I got to the market and I saw other things I wanted
that wasn't on my list and I just thought I could squeeze it into the budget.
That's how I kept squeezing things and didn't realize my money had run out till
I got to a provision outlet. I asked the sales lady to bring out certain food
items and as she was doing this, I thought I should get my money from my bag so
we didn't waste each other's time as the outlet was a busy one.
I combed through my bag and I couldn't find any money except
the change I had in my palm. Ever heard of, "One chance"? That's the
time I knew I'd carried myself and entered one chance. I checked and checked
and still no money. I even started thinking that perhaps my money had gotten
stolen or fallen out somewhere. Little did I know that I was the thief stealing
my own money, lol.
I, of course, had to apologise to the sales lady and she
took the food items back inside. Mehn, I was embarrassed, maybe that's why I
even started lying to myself and thinking my money had been stolen.
When I got home that day and started calculating, I realized
I had blown through my money with all the other extra things I hadn't planned
on getting that I had decided to squeeze in impromptu. In fact, I was thanking
God that I even had enough change left in my hand that I hadn't put into my
bag, else I may likely not have had enough transport fare to get me home.
By now, you can understand my flashback experience and why
it brought laughter to my heart. I've come to realize that 'penned lists' are
very important. Though mental lists are good but a written one is a lot better.
They help you stay focused and save you from unnecessary detours.
In fact, there was another instance I wanted to treat my
friends to a native dish and I went to the market armed with my list. On
getting there, your dear, "Student on a budget" met varieties of
fruits and all kinds of food. If I had not been with that list, I'm very
certain I would never have made that soup at the end of the day. It really
helped me stay focused.
You know, there's a scripture that says, "Write the
Vision, make it plain upon tables that he may run that readeth it." I've
come to realise that's a saying with profound wisdom. Learn to write your
goals, your objectives and your dreams down. Learn to pen it down where you
know you can see it visually. That's how you find the strength and focus to run
the race set before you.
Even when Jesus came, He had the Old testament scriptures as
a list to guide him and enable him run; it's no wonder you would hear Him quote
certain parts of it when teaching. The Bible puts it this way, "Jesus but
seeing the Glory ahead, endured the Cross, scorned it's suffering and is now
seated at the right hand of the Father."
Whether you believe it to be true or not is up to you.
However, even a figure as renowned as Jesus had a physical to-do-list in doing
the will of the Father and in the end He could boldly say, "It is
finished". The prophecies about Him written in the old testament were his
List and I can imagine he must have picked it up from time to time when He felt
overwhelmed by the world. I can imagine that that 'list' must have helped him
stay on track.
If you don't write it, you can't visualize it and if you
can't see it, you can't run with it.
So today I urge you like the prophet Habakkuk did to write
your vision, your goals and make them plain upon paper, upon a memo or notebook
in your phone, your laptop, your diary somewhere; that you can pursue after
those goals not loosing focus until you achieve them.
Like Jesus, when you see yourself overwhelmed or walking out
of course, you have that list to draw you back to the right track. Your focus
is hinged on the documentation of your goals.
MAIE IT PLAIN UPON TABLES!