We are all born naked but you better believe that we all did not come empty.
A wise man I once listened to said that “every human being is born with gifts, talents and a purpose for which those gifts and talents would be used”. All that is needed is proper grooming and those gifts and talents would begin to express itself in an individual's life and this would ultimately lead such individual to fulfilling purpose on Earth.
*Purpose in a lay man's term would simply be referred to as mission or assignment. There's something we are here to fulfill and when we do fulfill it, we will find fulfilment and lasting peace.
Sometimes, these gifts and talents exhibit themselves from early childhood. For instance, I remember a little boy who was two years old and attending my church with his grandparents. This young chap would find two broom sticks and begin to drum on his chair, wherever the drummer in church was playing.
At first we laughed, thinking that what he was doing was cute but later we realized from his consistency that this was a talent that would help him with his mission on Earth. That boy is ten years old now and he is a good drummer already.
When I was little, I thought that I would become a medical doctor. My parents were very happy. I was happy too because it meant that I would get to save lives and help people. Moreover, I fancied the white lab coats worn by doctors a lot.
Am I a doctor now?
Nope, I didn't end up following that part anymore and it was because I failed my classes or found them too difficult.A lot of things played out that placed me on the right path.
What happened to that dream?
I was a bright and intelligent student back in secondary school. All was set for me to begin achieving my dreams. I sat for the West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and I even wrote the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) examinations and passed it. These examinations were very crucial for my next level and after that would be proper training in a tertiary institution. Things just didn't go according to plans.
The but's that stopped me
It was a few months after I wrote my senior examinations. I decided to travel to Ghana for my tertiary education as I was dissatisfied with the way the academic calendar was run in my country. There were consistent labour strikes which affected many students, causing them to lag behind and so this prompted me to go finish my studies elsewhere but alas! I didn't count the cost.
So finances became the first hurdle. Since my change of plans was unplanned, we had to make many changes in order to accommodate my studying in a foreign country.
The second hurdle was distance. As the eldest child, it was my responsibility to look after my younger ones. The fear of how they would cope without me suffocated my desire to travel for my studies. I kept procrastinating until weeks turned to months and months to years. My mom's passing caused me to be so involved in the affairs of my siblings as I didn't want them to suffer any grievance at all. Hence, my dream remained in the pipes.
Did I stay down?
No way! Even though I didn't get to walk the path of medical services, I realized something and that is the fact that my desire to help the needy, to be there for others and to be a source of hope to others still remained and that desire was channelled into something else which I have found to be worthwhile over the years.
I went to school after many years away from it and began equipping myself for my mission. Looking at things in hindsight, I don't really miss not being a medical doctor at all because I still get to do some of the things they do and even more. The only thing I have not dabbled into is surgery 😂.
With over a decade worth of experience in my current mission field I have come to understand life from several perspectives and also got to nurture young great talents. Perhaps this was always what I was meant to do and I probably labelled it wrongly from the start.
Whichever way it is, I am grateful for where I am at right now. I'm grateful to be fulfilling my purpose and doing exactly what I was born to do, bringing happiness to those who come my way. I am fulfilled not because of the financial aspects but because the smiles of all those that I have impacted are my greatest rewards that no amount can buy.
Thank you all for reading.
Images used are mine.