Connecting the Dots

My bestie had found someone online who was helping to coach her and help her discover her life's purpose. She was given a series of assignments and write-ups to do as a way of self-discovery. One day, she came by, and we started talking about it because the issue of understanding and realizing our life's purpose has always been a serious one for most people and not the easiest in all honesty.

I can't count the number of books I'd read, meetings I'd attended, and workbooks I'd begun in an attempt to discover my life's purpose. I had asked God this question so many times because I did not want to miss it and waste the time I had been given. The journey of self discovery is not an easy one for most, and I won't lie, it wasn't the easiest for me either, so I understood my friend's frustrations as well as the process she was going through.

I read some of the things she had written and the answers she had given to most questions. While discussing the topic at hand, I began to share how I had recently answered a few questions like hers for a scholarship application I submitted a few weeks before our conversation because, sometime last year, I took a course in Health Safety and Education (HSE), NEBOSH, as it's something I have always been interested in. Following the exam, a friend of mine showed me a scholarship for a master's in HSE in Canada, which I decided to apply for.

The application seemed straightforward, but the questions were mind-boggling and something that needed great thought. While I tried to structure my answers, the questions seemed to help me rediscover myself as they seemed to take me down memory lane. It asked questions like, "Describe how you hope the program(s) will lay the foundation for your long-term goals and aspirations; and Tell us about a significant "course correction" you have made in your life."For example, this could be a change in your academic path, in how you approach challenging situations, or in how you work with or motivate others."

The more I answered, the more I saw how my ambitions and thoughts had changed over the years. I started out wanting to be a doctor, then moved on to biochemistry, then international social development, learning to sew, and now HSE, as well as wanting to do a Ph.D. In migration while also taking counseling and mediation courses. My life didn't seem to have any particular pattern, but while reading my heartfelt answers, I realized that in every ambition, course, or thing I had set out to do, at the bottom was the dire need to help humanity, my country, and its people. Although I kept trying to go about it in different ways, my goal and aim never changed, only the strategy. Whatever life presented to me, I always tried to find a way to see how I could use it to help someone (sort of like I hope my blog is doing right now).

Anyway, the moment I realized that, I felt so good as it finally seemed like I was solving my life's mystery and puzzle because, for a long time, everyone around me seemed worried at the haphazard pattern my life and ambitions were taking. It seemed like I was just jumping from place to place and field to field without much direction. While sharing this with my bestie, God reminded me of an event that happened when I was much younger which would help us both.

So believe it or not (for those of you looking at me with Agbero eye), as a child, I spent some of my early years in America, and there was a particular day when I was in second grade, they took all the second graders and had a special presentation done for us.

The school had invited this lady, who had a special gift. In my opinion, she could see things that the normal eye could not. She was able to 'bring dots to life!"

The lady asked for volunteers who would make dots on the whiteboard. The first kid went and did it. She looked at the board for a few minutes and then began to connect them. Before our very eyes, the scattered dots became an animal we knew or some item we could all name.

While everyone was amazed by this, the Nigerian within me thought there was some hanky-panky going on.  I assumed she was able to connect the dots because the kids were doing a ‘lousy job’ in scattering them. They were making it too easy for her in my opinion. I thought to myself, if the opportunity arises, I will go up there and show them what they were supposed to do, and let me see how this woman will be able to connect these dots into something meaningful without leaving any out (you thought I was going to be like the woman with the issue of blood and think some faith thing abi.smh@me). She had already done it twice, and everyone was amazed.

My long-awaited opportunity soon presented itself when they asked for the last volunteer, my hands shot up so quickly. I got to the board and created a super mess. My dots were in different places. Some are very far apart, while others are very close. I stood back and watched my ‘work of art’ before handing the marker over to the lady and going back to see what she would do.

I was sure I had her ‘checked out’ and just wanted to see how she would not be able to do much with mine.

The lady stepped back for a while without saying much but had a super-sweet smile. I sat in my seat, super proud of myself. All of a sudden, the lady moved to the board and began connecting the dots. I could not believe my small eyes (trust me, they are super small). She connected everything and drew a beautiful whale!

Goodness, the whole class, including myself, burst into applause because nobody honestly thought she would be able to make much out of the scattered things I had put up.

As I shared this story with my friend, I understood what God was telling me as well, as I'm sure most of you already know where I'm headed.

Many times, some of our lives look like they are a big mess and we can't seem to make sense of it, and there are just so many odd things that have happened or are happening at different times and places, but guess what? There is good news. If we simply give the right person the pen or marker of our life, they can produce a beautiful picture of our"seeming mess" or "unstructured lives!"

None of my teachers had the gift the lady had, and so assuming I had given any of them the marker, they would not have been able to do much, but in the guest's hand, she had eyes to see beyond the scattered dots and see beautiful images.

To date, I have no idea what you call what the lady could do, but honestly, her talent blew me away.

One of my favorite verses in the bible is Romans 8:28, which says, "For we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called by his name!" As I previously stated in other blogs, "all things" refers to everything, including the decisions we made correctly, our mistakes, and our regrets.

So before you get all jittery and anxious about not knowing if your life is making sense or if, as it seems, things are going haywire this 2023, just give God the marker and watch how he masterfully and creatively connects all the dots as well as uses every incident for your good and his glory. It will all make sense in the end. Trust him!