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I first understood that we could talk to random strangers about Jesus, from my mom.
We would be stuck in the popular Lagos Traffic she would wind down her window, smile and say ‘hi’ to the hawker.
We would be stuck in the popular Lagos Traffic she would wind down her window, smile and say ‘hi’ to the hawker.
It was always like she was on a daily mission and the conversation usually went like this:
•
Mom: How are you doing today?
Hawker: Fine ma.
Mom: Give me N200 plantain chips
(Hawker packages product)
Mom: You’ve sold a lot today o. Thank God! What’s your name?
•
Mom: How are you doing today?
Hawker: Fine ma.
Mom: Give me N200 plantain chips
(Hawker packages product)
Mom: You’ve sold a lot today o. Thank God! What’s your name?
Hawker: *blushes* Fatima
Mom: Fatima! What a beautiful name. What does it mean?
Hawker: *says what it means*
Mom: That’s so lovely. So Fatima, when will ‘Fatima’ become ‘Faith’?
Mom: Fatima! What a beautiful name. What does it mean?
Hawker: *says what it means*
Mom: That’s so lovely. So Fatima, when will ‘Fatima’ become ‘Faith’?
And then while the hawker is blushing sheepishly, clearly confused about why this woman wants her to change her name, my mom will launch into the Gospel’s message; about why God, not only wants to change the hawker’s name, but more importantly, her life.
I would be seated there in the backseat; watching and learning.
When I grew up and could read, I found a little book in my parents’ room belonging to my mom. It was her prayer diary. Everyday, she’d write what she prayed for and it was extremely baffling to see some of the things she was praying for.
At that time, she was a nurse and so most of her prayers were for her patients. She would write out her patients’ names and their medical conditions and ask God to heal them. She’d pray for her pregnant patients to deliver safely.
She hardly had any personal requests; always praying for other people. One prayer point was even about some co-worker’s tire that had gotten bad because it entered a gutter or something.
My mom remains to be a really good example, even when she is not trying to be. Not only telling me what to do and how to behave, but also showing me.
For those of us who will have the privilege to parent children; biological or otherwise, I pray for God’s wisdom and strength, to be show-ers and tellers. And most importantly, to show the children who the ultimate Example is; Jesus.
Did you also learn something from simply observing a parent or an adult?
