Steady and Storms of 2024.

The year 2024 has been one year that has many faces. In the early part of the year, things were looking very beautiful and I had hoped that it would be a good season for me. After the first month this hope became bleak as a negative uprising started. The first thing I witnessed was that it was too long for the month to end because I had a lot of expenses to run. When the month eventually ended my salary was not enough to run my expenses so I was very very sad and I started looking elsewhere for how I could raise some funds to clear my head.

At some point it felt like my whole world was crumbling on me. I just summoned courage to continue. In the middle of the second month I had a terrible dream that my source of income had broken down. On the 8th day of the month the unexpected happened and this unexpected changed the nerative of the year for me. I received a sack letter in the early part of the year when I ought to be recovering from the expenses of the yuletide. I couldn't fight back. All I did was take all my belongings and went on my way home. When I reached the house I slept and went out in the evening. This was the beginning of another phase for me, a phas that brought a new me to the fore.

My colleagues put a lot of calls across to me to find out how I was fairing. To the best of my ability I tried not to regret or feel pain from the sack. The first step I took was to venture into farming, I planted cassava and vegetables. Soon, as expected the vegetables got matured and ready for sales. I sold the whole lot and realized much more than I would have been paid at my place of work. This gladdens my heart to know that there are other sources of income which I have not considered because I had a job. Now that I know, I started doing more on the farm, I planted pineapples even though I knew that it would take three years to bear fruit, it was the right direction for me. This nightmare ended after 2 weeks because I got a call for a better jobthat came with a lot of benefits. I could not reject it so I jumped at it because it has been my kind of dream job.

So if you ask me how has the year has been for me, I'll simply tell you that the first phase of the year was not too pleasant but with God nothing shall be impossible. That has been my story and I'm very grateful to the almighty God who sees my weaknesses and comes through for me. The job I got was not because I merited it, but because God showed me mercy.

So when I started farming, I thought it would be throughout the year under the harsh conditions of the weather. The sunny mornings when I ought to be in the office probably under the fan or supervising my subordinates and how I have suddenly become jobless as it were. So during the farming time I will just take a short break and reflect on the past two decades to be precise and after which this came. I chose not to bother myself but to just keep looking up from where my help comes and I was faithful to myself in carrying out my farm assignment. It was the first time in many years when I would try out farming.

On one of those mornings when others must have gone to work, I would just sneak out of the house in my rainboots and cutlass in arms. As I was about to begin the days work, my phone rang and a female voice on the other end asked:

Good morning, are you Mr Ishmael

I, answered in response:

Yes, how may I help you, please?

she smiled, I thought as said in response:

you may have to come to the office as you have been recommended for a job.

I was initially scared because I never applied for a job with such a high profile as such not until I checked my mail and saw that I had been sent an appointment letter to my mail before the call and I didn't bother to check because I wasn't expecting the mail. Two days later I went to the head office and met a heart melting offer. A job that does not require me to be at the office everyday. I had always desired to have enough time to do other things. This new job gave me the opportunity to spread my wings and I had to jump at it.

There were ups and downs during the course of the year. I see them as normal storms. And like the eagle, we do not run away from storms, I just rode in it.

I am particularly grateful to the God of all nations. Who has been my back up and my help in ages past. Men may be willing to help but men are limited to the kind of help they may render. This is why I return all glory to Him that lives forever more.

• Images are mine