My Story by Olusola Osineye
Maybe this might inspire you? I am in a pensive mood this weekend.
I think one of the most scary thing in this life is to have nobody to turn to anytime you are down and about to drown. We all know that there will be several of such moments in our lives. Let me tell you today that it is the main reason the Church business is huge in Nigeria. All those people flock to God because HE is their only hope. Look around you in Nigeria; there's hopelessness everywhere. People losing jobs, poverty, inability to pay for healthcare and dying needlessly. May God never forget you in your times of need!
One of the reasons I left Nigeria years ago was because the only person I could ever turn to was my poor mother. Of course she had nothing, but her words of encouragement and prayers are more valuable than money. She worked her hands until her metacarpal bones almost became arthritic. I told myself that staying back in Nigeria would endanger her future. I wanted to be her backbone in her old age. Someone she can always turn to without fear.
I remember leaving medical school in the mid 90s. I just finished and I needed a place for housemanship. As usual there was nobody to turn to, except mother's words of encouragement. I sat at home feeling desolate and hopeless, knowing nobody who knows somebody. I applied everywhere and my name never showed up anywhere on any list. May God never forget you in your moment of desperation.
My kid sister came in one day after I got another rejection from Lagos State Hospital Management Board (LSHMB). She saw pains all over my face, and said:
"bros, my friend's father has a family friend who is a director at LSHMB, maybe I should ask if they can help us?"
I remember the friend she referred to. I thought to myself: "how can they help me? That family is so poor, there's no chance they can ever know anybody who can help me." But what is there to lose. I told her to go ahead.
The next day, the friend's father, an old man in his 60s, actually came to our house to tell us he is willing and ready to take me to the woman. I was shocked! May God send you help in your time of need!
I followed him. We took Molue from Onipanu bust-stop to the Lagos Island office of LSHMB. I was wondering if they will even allow us into the office of any director. We both looked wretched. I was just fresh from school and penniless. The civil servants looked at us with disdain. Who are these weird people looking for Dr. Williams. They actually forgot us in the waiting room. I was beginning to think it was going to be a wasted journey. We were in the waiting room from around 9am till 12pm. May God remember you in your time of desperation.
Someone came out later to tell us that "Oga cannot see anybody again today, she has a meeting in the mainland and will be rushing out." I lost hope and asked the old man that we should leave. As we got up to leave, Dr. Williams came out of the office on her way t the meeting. She saw the old man and said: "ah, daddy, when have you been waiting here? What is the problem? Please come inside."
May God send you help when all hope is totally lost.
We went back inside with her. The old man explained that we are neighbours and I needed help with my housemanship at one of the General Hospitals in Lagos. She explained that they just collated another list of application and there are far more applicants than available spaces. My heart sank. God why? Please help me, I have lost a year already just waiting and hoping. She promised to look into it. I left all my certificates with her.
Few days later, I heard that another list is out. I rushed to Lagos Island. I looked through list quickly. I didn't see my name. I was devastated. I was about to go home, I decided to check my name again. I checked the names one by one. I got to the last name on the list, it was the only name written in pen. It was not typed. It was obviously added to the list. It was my name. I started sobbing!
Life is tough. It is usually made easier if we have someone we can turn to for help when we are desperate, but not many of us have such people. Our only hope in such circumstances is God. My prayer is that in your times of need, may the soothing hands of God be near you.
Happy Sunday!
I think one of the most scary thing in this life is to have nobody to turn to anytime you are down and about to drown. We all know that there will be several of such moments in our lives. Let me tell you today that it is the main reason the Church business is huge in Nigeria. All those people flock to God because HE is their only hope. Look around you in Nigeria; there's hopelessness everywhere. People losing jobs, poverty, inability to pay for healthcare and dying needlessly. May God never forget you in your times of need!
One of the reasons I left Nigeria years ago was because the only person I could ever turn to was my poor mother. Of course she had nothing, but her words of encouragement and prayers are more valuable than money. She worked her hands until her metacarpal bones almost became arthritic. I told myself that staying back in Nigeria would endanger her future. I wanted to be her backbone in her old age. Someone she can always turn to without fear.
I remember leaving medical school in the mid 90s. I just finished and I needed a place for housemanship. As usual there was nobody to turn to, except mother's words of encouragement. I sat at home feeling desolate and hopeless, knowing nobody who knows somebody. I applied everywhere and my name never showed up anywhere on any list. May God never forget you in your moment of desperation.
My kid sister came in one day after I got another rejection from Lagos State Hospital Management Board (LSHMB). She saw pains all over my face, and said:
"bros, my friend's father has a family friend who is a director at LSHMB, maybe I should ask if they can help us?"
I remember the friend she referred to. I thought to myself: "how can they help me? That family is so poor, there's no chance they can ever know anybody who can help me." But what is there to lose. I told her to go ahead.
The next day, the friend's father, an old man in his 60s, actually came to our house to tell us he is willing and ready to take me to the woman. I was shocked! May God send you help in your time of need!
I followed him. We took Molue from Onipanu bust-stop to the Lagos Island office of LSHMB. I was wondering if they will even allow us into the office of any director. We both looked wretched. I was just fresh from school and penniless. The civil servants looked at us with disdain. Who are these weird people looking for Dr. Williams. They actually forgot us in the waiting room. I was beginning to think it was going to be a wasted journey. We were in the waiting room from around 9am till 12pm. May God remember you in your time of desperation.
Someone came out later to tell us that "Oga cannot see anybody again today, she has a meeting in the mainland and will be rushing out." I lost hope and asked the old man that we should leave. As we got up to leave, Dr. Williams came out of the office on her way t the meeting. She saw the old man and said: "ah, daddy, when have you been waiting here? What is the problem? Please come inside."
May God send you help when all hope is totally lost.
We went back inside with her. The old man explained that we are neighbours and I needed help with my housemanship at one of the General Hospitals in Lagos. She explained that they just collated another list of application and there are far more applicants than available spaces. My heart sank. God why? Please help me, I have lost a year already just waiting and hoping. She promised to look into it. I left all my certificates with her.
Few days later, I heard that another list is out. I rushed to Lagos Island. I looked through list quickly. I didn't see my name. I was devastated. I was about to go home, I decided to check my name again. I checked the names one by one. I got to the last name on the list, it was the only name written in pen. It was not typed. It was obviously added to the list. It was my name. I started sobbing!
Life is tough. It is usually made easier if we have someone we can turn to for help when we are desperate, but not many of us have such people. Our only hope in such circumstances is God. My prayer is that in your times of need, may the soothing hands of God be near you.
Happy Sunday!
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