I Will Never Lose my Praise...

If you are anything like me, you will agree that this is not out of space. I love to look myself in the mirror both consciously or otherwise. Even on the bank glasses or the lift. I like to look at the image I see on the mirror and tell the girl I see things. Sometimes I tell her she’s got what it takes and make her flip her hair self-assuredly when someone with an egocentric attitude tries to rubbish her off. Other times I just tell her how beautiful and pretty she rocks certain outfit or hairdo. I tell her dozens of things. Today though, I told her a different story. I told her that she is a strong woman than she could possibly imagine. I told her that I admired her strength. She didn’t seem to believe me though and when I said I mean it, she lost it.

At the office bathroom mirror, tears began to form in her beautiful eyes. She let them linger on for a few seconds but couldn’t hold back any longer. She has been too strong for others and no one has ever realized how feeble she is. I just let her cry. And she did. She needed support but not even this girl on the other side realized that. I told her that it’s going to be okay and that sometimes it’s okay not to be or feel okay. She lifted up her eyes and gave a quick and faint smile amidst the salty flow. She wasn’t sure of any words to utter in response. I understood her. I told her of the story of a man that I really love. Well, admire…love is a strong word that nowadays am very careful on the object I direct to. She listened while massaging the flat tummy. I wondered what raced through her mind while she did that. She sensed my thoughts but I shushed her lips with the tip of my finger…don’t I stopped her. But she didn’t. It was her way of easing her pain.

“He would always call me his pichouette , his magical chere’. It broke me when all that got lost.”

She loved him, he loved her but it wasn’t that simple.

This pichouette though surprised me and I thought I finally figured out why he chose to call her his pichouette. I was wrong. I didn’t know her very well but I knew the story of that man would help her.

So I began again. Chere’ this man is called Job; I read his story and it gives me magical strength. I told her of the Job in the Bible; A man who in Gods standard was blameless and walking uprightly. He lived right and absolutely no one will bet on their neck that he would be a candidate to suck kind of untold brokenness. In a span of 1 day, He lost all things that mattered. He lost His Position, People and Possession. “That is a huge loss in one sitting chere’ but his attitude is what keeps me going”

Instead of wallowing in pain, this, man whom I honestly resonate with shaved his head, tore his robe and began to worship God. Like who does that really?

Job 1:21-22

  At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship ²¹ and said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
    and naked I will depart.^[c]
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
    may the name of the Lord be praised.”

²² In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

This man was broken. A good man in God’s own account but in his most painful state, his lips did not lose Praise. Eventually, His unstoppable praise opened his breakthrough. In the end, God restored all that was lost, Position, People and Possession and Job’s latter day was better than the former.

 I told her she has not lost it all. Then Chere’ looked up from the mirror, her eyes misty with tears, this time of gratitude. She glanced at me, gave me a hard buddy punch and an invisible hug whispering on my ears.

I heard you, I will never lose my Praise Again!

I choose to call her as someone once said  “ A Ruth…she is a woman who has experienced great loss and pain yet has remained loyal and faithful. She has found her strength in God…