GIVING OR WASTING

I love to give…now I don’t say this with any sense of pride . I derive genuine joy from seeing a need and being able to meet it. I realised that one of my callings is helping and so I do so…with a lot of joy I might add

Now just the other day, I was planning to do something for a friend and as usual, was discussing the matter with myself (don’t judge, una dey do am too). In the course of my conversation, I said “Afterall, you’d do the same for me…” and then I paused as I realised that as a matter of fact…this friend would not do the same for me…it got me thinking…

What are your motivations for giving? Do you give only as an investment? Expecting returns? Is it ok to give even to people that wouldn’t do the same back for you? Or is it wisdom not to waste a gift on someone who wouldn’t reciprocate?

I spent sometime puzzling this because – as much as I want to give, I don’t want to waste the resources that God gives me to be a blessing with. I am a store keeper and I must manage these resources in such a way that it honours Him…I thought of verses like ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive” I also thought of ‘Do not cast your pearls before swine”

While I acknowledge that I probably need more balance in my approach to giving, I also don’t want to become so calculated in my giving that I need a balance sheet before I do…

So over to you guys? How do you approach giving? What guides your decisions? Would love to hear from you, so share!

THIS IS NOT AN OPEN LETTER!!!

Kai…I’m ashamed…no I’m mortified…is there any word after mortified….*sigh*

I’m not sure how it happened, but life got away from me and before I knew it I hadn’t written in months.

Biko forgive me…I’ve been working harder than I ever have in my entire life…and guys I am a hard worker…however, I am now getting a routine going…finally and so I am back to writing and blogging and all you wonderful people who I unceremoniously abandoned without a word.

So…it’s 2014 o! Like play like play…and I don’t do resolutions (I never keep them) but I have come to the realisation of some things that I want to have achieved or achieved change in by year end.

Lemme share

1. I need to gain weight…guys I don’t know what happened o! I had gained weight, I was getting curvy, I was enjoying my new body and then, Calabar Festival happened and now I look like a toothpick again. So this year, I need to strike the right balance between eating healthy and gaining and keeping weight on. I’m tempted to go all kamikaze on some semo and afang soup but I shall try to exercise restraint (I follow DeLaTerre on Twitter and I dey fear am no be small) and just increase my uptake. Will keep you guys updated on progress.

2. I will write more. I PROMISE!!! Articles, blog posts…all! I’ll even write on facebook more. Writing is my expressive place. My happy, let go place. When I don’t write, I become a grumbly, grouchy, mumbly kinda person, and seriously there’s no space for that in the world.

3. I have reclaimed my praise. Guys ehn, New Year’s Eve at Millemium Park, Calabar, I was dancing and jumping and suddenly I heard a voice in my spirit saying “You have reclaimed your garment of praise”. Guys I didn’t even know I had given it up. I didn’t know. It’s what happens when you get too busy…too caught up in day to day things…*sigh* So I’ve gotten it back. More praise, more of losing myself in just loving on this awesome Abba who loves me more than I could ever understand. The One who holds my heart and my life. Olowo Ori Mi…the one who paid the price on my head. My Hosea. My Friend. The One who sits with me when I can’t sleep and watches over me when I doze off. The One who share my laughter and wipes my tears…naw guys, I owe my Jesus praise this year. Just because.

4. *walks up to mic, taps nervously, stutters “My name is Arit, and I’m a workaholic”. I’ve admitted it guys. Finally I agree. Like my paddy Doris said, I don’t have an Off button. Which is good because I will always be awesome at anything I do. But which is bad because what’s life without balance? 2014, I will have balance. Calabar Rediscovered gets back up to and I will continue to take expeditions around this beautiful city,create a life balance and actually live.

5. But I will also work more. Lemme explain first…I fully look forward to opportunities to express all my gifts, and I think that 2014 will be my year of expression, when I begin to plumb the full depths of what I can do. I look forward to chances to stretch even further, grow even more and just become an all out Rockstar/Diva/Goddess…in other words, I intend to become a full out badt guy.

And there we have it. My 2014 intentions in black and white! It is awesome to be back…!