Don’t drag your tray…wait your turn

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Sam Aka

The future starts now!

‘Don’t get swallowed up in a cup of water’

Do not create a storm in a tea cup’

Warning: This column may be hazardous to areas of mediocrity in your life!

A man was sent to the annual national convention of his professional body by his company. The convention was a congregation of about ten thousand (10,000) people.

During one of the days at the convention, it was time for lunch and people were being served. This man saw that, they were serving people beside him left and right but they were not serving him and the people on his row.

He shouted at the ladies serving and they told him to keep calm that there is enough food for everyone and that it will soon get to his turn.

He watched angrily as they passed the tray containing plates of meals before him again twice without serving him.

When he saw another lady carrying the tray, he stood up angrily and dragged the tray of food to take his food by force.

Chai, suddenly; the whole tray containing about six (6) plates of soup landed on his head as he dragged the tray from the lady’s hands.

His white cloth was stained, soiled and spoilt. Pepper got into his eyes and he was shouting, ‘my eyes ooo, somebody help me, my eyes oo, pepper in my eyes oo, ‘.

People around him had to drag him out as he could not open his eyes because of the pepper that was still in his eyes. It was a complete show of shame and a great reward for impatience.

Dear reader, many of us are like this man, we feel others are already ‘eating’ success, breakthroughs, fame, popularity, academic excellence, accomplishments and we are yet to be served our own ‘food’ and we are being tempted to ‘drag the tray’ and take our own food by force.

Friends, I know waiting period is not an easy period. A times we feel our friends have left us behind. Many that we started as single ladies together are now married with children and here we are; still single and no ray of proposal talk less of marriage.

For some of us, many of our friends that we got married the same year are through with child bearing and here we are, not even miscarriage! Talk less of giving birth, and we feel like ‘dragging the tray’.

At times, many of us feel that many of our friends that we started work together have left us behind as we see their career blossoming, we feel the only way we can also see our careers validated is to ‘drag the tray’.

Friends, be encouraged! The one serving this ‘food’ of marriage, success, promotion, career breakthrough is not a man. HE is GOD your Maker!

HE has your own plate of ‘food’ in HIS tray. At the appointed time, HE will serve you and when you will be eating your own food, those who have eaten before you will watch your mouth as you ‘eat’ with pleasure.

Don’t ‘drag the tray’. Don’t take short cuts. If you get the ‘miracle’ by ‘dragging the tray’ you will end up in ridicule as you will later be dragged out in shame as the ‘pepper’ in your eyes will make the end of your ‘miracle’ a show of shame.

If you are waiting for a man, you can but if you are waiting on GOD, your waiting period is never a wasting period!

Wait on GOD. Your ‘food’ is closer to you than you think.
*Don’t drag the tray!*
*Don’t drag the tray!!*
*Don’t drag the tray!!!*

Please kindly note this, there are no destiny mates,…but destiny helpers, destiny company, etc.

A RABBIT runs, jumps, moves faster and lives for only fifteen (15 ) years while a TORTOISE doesn’t even attempt any of such activities but lives for 150 years or more!

Life is not about rushing, comparison and doing what others are doing but rather keeping calm and doing what is right and what you are called to do.

They may live in the same forest and play together but have different life expectancy and destiny space.

We must remember that we will have age mates, class mates, school mates, office mates but there are no DESTINY MATES in life.

Be who you are called to be, love who you are and thank God for your special journey which may not look like others!! You have your own destiny SPACE and race!! JUST stick to your own track!!

Hebrews 12:1 KJV
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

This is the simplest way to succeed in life!!

The power of a seed is not in its size but in the quality of its product. May every small effort of yours always yield multiple results of blessings.

Life is not by grade but by grace; Not by Labour but by Favour. Not by merit but by mercy!

Ecclesiastes 9:11 KJV
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

An elephant and a dog became pregnant at the same time. Three months down the line the dog gave birth to six puppies

Six months later the dog was pregnant again, and nine months on, it gave birth to another dozen puppies. The pattern continued

On the eighteenth month the dog approached the elephant questioning, 

“Are you sure that you are pregnant? We became pregnant on the same date, I have given birth three times to a dozen puppies and they are now grown to become big dogs, yet you are still pregnant. What’s going on?” 

The elephant replied, 

“There is something I want you to understand. What I am carrying is not a puppy but an elephant. I only give birth to one in two years. When my baby hits the ground, the earth feels it.

When my baby crosses the road, human beings stop and watch in admiration, what I carry draws attention. So what I’m carrying is mighty and great.” 

Don’t lose faith when you see others receive answers to their prayers. Don’t be envious of others. If you haven’t received your own blessings, don’t despair. What you carry is being processed, prepared and packaged for a greater impact.  Say to yourself “My time is coming, and when it hits the surface of the earth, people shall yield in admiration.

May the Grace, Mercy and Favour of God locate you each step of the way in this great journey called LIFE in Jesus matchless and most powerful name

Please kindly examine this irony of life below and proffer your own candid observations.

Kanu met his friend Obinna, two (2) years after school and he was driving a sleek Mercedes Benz. He went home weeping and feeling awful for himself…

What Kanu didn’t know was that Obinna had been sent to run an errand with the car….hmmmm.

Nkechi nagged her husband always for not being romantic by not getting down to open the car door for her as Ngozi’s husband did when he dropped her at work. Nkechi didn’t know that Ngozi’s husband’s car was faulty and the door could only be opened from outside…

Life does not have a universal measuring tool, so create yours and use it…

Looking at people and comparing yourself with them will never make you happy, you’d continue to have pains of what’s not even real.

Be contented with what you have and in everything, give thanks to Almighty God!…

He was in his early 50s. He was deeply in debt. He couldn’t pay his children school fees. His landlord had given him quit notice. Six months’ salary is being owed him at the office.

Then he received a message that his old mum is very sick in the village. He was devastated and felt terrible about life. Nobody was willing to help him. Disappointments everywhere he turned.

He considered himself a failure. He had two options left playing on his mind: disappear and go underground or commit suicide.

Then he decided one more time to confide in one of his friends on how life has been dealing with him.
The friend encouraged him to keep hope alive.

Then a week later, the friend called him to join him somewhere and he drove him to a prison. 

They entered and saw the inmates.

He left there crying after seeing the prisoners’ plight. One of the prisoners told them he’s been there for five years for a crime he knows nothing about.
Then his friend drove him to an intensive care unit of a general hospital.

There…

He saw people who couldn’t breathe by themselves but paying heavily daily to breathe with the aid of machine…

He saw people who couldn’t urinate by themselves…He saw people who are in coma… 

He saw people who are on dialysis…He saw people whose body already peeling on their sick beds.

He rushed out of the hospital and started crying profusely. His friend ran after him and saw him broken and crying. His friend asked him why he’s crying. He told him how shortsighted and ungrateful he has been.

He said, 

“I’m 1000% better than those guys both in prison and at the hospital…I may not have money, I may be in debt, things may seem hard but I’m better…With life, freedom and hope, anything can change. Lord, I’m sorry…Thank you for keeping me alive.”

Dear friend,

Don’t wait until you’re driven to the mortuary before you start to appreciate God for all he has done for you from birth till now in spite of your challenges. Appreciation and Thanksgiving…is a lifestyle!

Be grateful to God because I see him doing more for you this season and beyond. By God’s grace, your testimony shall make noise. God is arranging things for you……..

There once was a man who had nothing for his family to eat. He had an old rifle and three bullets. So, he decided that he would go out hunting and kill some wild game for dinner.

As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit. He shot at the rabbit and missed it. The rabbit ran away.

Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel and missed it. The squirrel disappeared into a hole in a cottonwood tree.

As he went further, he saw a large wild turkey up in a tree, but he had only one bullet remaining. A voice spoke to him and said, 

“Pray first, aim high and stay focused.” 

However, at the same time, he saw a deer which would provide more meat than the turkey. He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer. But, then he saw a rattlesnake between his legs about to bite him as he aimed the gun high up in the tree, and shot the wild turkey. 

The bullet went into the turkey, deflected off a bone and hit the deer, killing it. When the gun fired, it knocked the man off balance, he stepped on the rattlesnake’s head which killed it and fell backwards into a pond. When he stood up to look around, he had fish in all his pockets, a deer and a turkey with which to feed his family. The snake was dead simply because the man listened to God.

Some key lessons from the story: 

Keep God first and everything else will follow (Matthew 6:33). Pray first before you do anything. Aim high in your goals, and stay focused on God. 

Never let people or things discourage you concerning your past. Do not look to man for your blessings, look unto God and God alone! Don’t be discouraged in the affairs of life. You can always start again, failure is not final……

At age 5 his father died. At age 16 he quit school. At age 17 he had already lost four jobs. At age 18 he got married. Between ages 18 and 22, he was a railroad conductor and failed. He joined the army and washed out there. He applied for law school, he was rejected. He became an insurance sales man and failed again.

At age 19 he became a father. At age 20 his wife left him and took their baby daughter. He became a cook and dishwasher in a small cafe. He failed in an attempt to kidnap his own daughter, and eventually he convinced his wife to return home. 

At age 65 he retired. On the 1st day of retirement he received a check from the Government for $105. He felt that the Government was saying that he couldn’t provide for himself. He decided to commit suicide, life wasn’t worth living anymore; he had failed so much.

He sat under a tree writing his will, but instead, he wrote what he would have accomplished with his life. He realized there was much more that he hadn’t yet done. There was one thing he could do better than anyone he knew. And that was how to cook.

So he borrowed $87 against his check and bought and fried up some chicken using his recipe, and went door to door to sell them to his neighbors in Kentucky.

Remember, at age 65 he was ready to commit suicide. But at age 88 Colonel Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) Empire was a billionaire. It’s never too late to start all over.

MOST IMPORTANLY, IT’S ALL ABOUT YOUR ATTITUDE. NEVER GIVE UP NO MATTER HOW HARD IT GETS.

You have what it takes to be successful. Go for it and make a difference. Don’t allow people’s opinion to define you or become your reality!…..

Please kindly note:
Don’t allow the negative opinions of men to rule you.
You shall never be the reality of disjointed opinions about you! Just examine these professional opinions of men and see how wrong they are:

After a morning walk, a group of doctors were standing on a road crossing and enjoying a cup of tea, when they saw a man limping towards them.

• One doctor said he has Left Knee Arthritis

• The second said he is Plantar Fasciitis’.

• The third said, just an Ankle Sprain.

• The fourth said, see that man cannot lift his knee, he looks like he has Lower Motor Neuron lesion

• But to me he seems to have Hemiplegia Scissors Gait, said the fifth.

But before the sixth could proclaim his diagnosis the man reached the group and asked, 

”Is there any cobbler nearby who can repair my slippers please?”

That’s exactly how people express opinions on your issue. So, don’t  bother about their opinions; face your God, be focused and be fervent in your prayers, Bible studies  fasting, healthy relationships, and He will answer you soon. 

Do good to others, let your life add value to others…sweeten their pains!…..

In England in 1920 there was a graduation ceremony for a batch of new doctors. It was attended by the British Prime Minister of that time. During the ceremony, the head doctor who was in charge of that batch, gave the necessary advice to these new graduates.

He told them the following incident which happened with him sometimes back: It was after midnight, and I heard a knock on my door. It was an old lady, and she said to me: ‘O my doctor, my child is sick and in a very serious condition, so please do something to save him.

I rushed out to follow her to her house without worrying what will happen.
Because it was a stormy night, and very cold. The rain was pouring down very heavily. I did not fear for my life.

Her house was on the outskirts of London, and after a difficult journey, we reached her house. She lived in a small room with her son.

When I entered the room, I saw her son at the corner of this room groaning and deeply in pain.

After I did my duty towards the sick child, the mother gave me a small bag with money.

I refused to take this bag and I told her gently that I can’t accept that payment, because I felt sorry for their situation. Then I promised her that I will take care of her child until he gets better.”

The head doctor continued in his speech by saying: 

“This is the true profession of medicine, and being a doctor is the closest profession to mercy and one of the closest to God”

As soon as the head doctor finished his speech, the Prime Minister jumped out of his seat and headed to the podium.

“Permit me Sir, to kiss your hand. For twenty years now and I am looking for you. I am the child you mentioned in your story just now.

Oh, my mother will be happy now and she will rest in peace. Her only wish was for me to find you and to reward you, for that goodness you did for us at the time we were living in poverty.”

That poor child who became the Prime Minister of England was Lloyd George!

Plant goodness wherever you go, even if it is not on your place. Because it will never get lost wherever you will plant it. It is even nicer if your goodness lasts longer.

Because no one shall harvest that goodness except the one who has planted it!

Doing good to others will always purify your heart, and it will fight any kind of evil which comes your way.

The owner of goodness does not fall, if he falls he will fall on a pillow to comfort and support him.
May God make us among the people who always do well to others. Don’t break the blessing cycle…..


When a newspaper reporter interviewed an award winning farmer whose award-winning corn came tops in the state fair each year. It was revealed that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbours.

Perplexed, the reporter asked, “How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbours when they are entering their corn in competition with yours each year?”

The farmer smiled knowingly and explained,

“The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbours grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbours grow good corn.”

So it is with our lives.

Those who want to live meaningfully and well must help enrich the lives of others.
For the value of a life, is measured by the lives it touches.

And those who choose to be happy must help others find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.
Call it power of collectivity.
Call it a principle of success.
Call it a law of life.

The fact remains, none of us truly wins, until we all win. In life, when you help the people around you to be good, you surely become the best.

Always bear in mind that, real happiness is helping others!……

Maxwell Morrison was well and truly screwed. He was standing in a courtroom in Bangkok, waiting for his sentence. The offence was drug trafficking, and if found guilty, the sentence would be life in one of the most horrific prisons in the world. 

The problem was that Maxwell was innocent. The drugs had been found stashed in a musical instrument he had agreed to carry through the checkpoint for a woman who had appeared to have her hands full with a baby, two young children and a whole lot of hand luggage. Of course, the moment the sniffer dogs singled him out for special attention, the woman and her children evaporated into thin air.

He had tried to explain this to the judge in his super-fast-track case, which had so far lasted less than 45 minutes, but the prosecution had countered by pointing out that it would take a very stupid person indeed to be suckered into carrying anything through a security checkpoint for a stranger; especially in this modern post-9/11 world. 

They had also pointed out that back home in Nottingham, Maxwell was a police officer. A security expert, who could never be as naïve as he was now pretending to be. Maxwell’s only counter-argument to that had been, 

“Appearances can be deceptive”. 

The Judge had given him the strangest look when he said that. No, things were certainly not going well for him in this case. His only witness had been a British passenger who had seemed a bit drunk during her testimony. 

She admitted she had seen the woman hand the instrument to Maxwell, but added that they appeared to be travelling together. Again, Maxwell’s defence was, 

“Appearances can be deceptive”.

He remembered with irony the first time he had actually heard the expression “Appearances can be deceptive”. It was in the eighties. He was a teenager going through a punk rock phase. He wore nothing but black, had multiple body piercings and was always playing with a scary-looking flip-knife. 

All the kids in school were afraid of him and steered well clear. One afternoon when he was enjoying some peace and quiet behind the boat shed, listening to Grateful Dead on his Walkman, he heard a commotion. Three kids were bullying a foreign student. They were about to throw the little kid into the river, and the poor boy kept crying, “Please! Please, I can’t swim!”

Maxwell intervened. At first, the three bullies wanted to fight it out, but Maxwell was a good three inches taller than the tallest of them. Plus, he had his knife, and he made them believe he was happy to use it. So they dropped the little foreign boy and went off to find a new victim.

Galatians 6:2 KJV
Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Maxwell asked the relieved kid if he was alright. The boy adjusted his glasses, looked at Maxwell for a long moment and said, 

“Appearances can be deceptive”.

“Why do you say that?” Maxwell asked.

“Well, everybody thinks you’re scary. Some kids even said you stabbed a teacher once. You’re the last person I’d have expected to come to my aid. But thank you for doing so. I would have drowned if you hadn’t. In Thailand where I come from, you owe the person who saves your life an eternal debt which you spend the rest of your life paying back. My name is Tran Pack, and I will never forget what you did for me[DSA1] ”. With that, he shook Maxwell’s hand and ran off.

Back in the Bangkok courtroom, Maxwell allowed himself a wry smile as he recalled that childhood episode. Thirty years after he saved a Thai kid’s life, he was now a 45-year old policeman, about to spend the rest of his own life in a Thai prison, all because appearances can be deceptive. He snapped out of his reflections as the judge banged his gavel three times. It was time for the verdict.

Judge Tran Pack could not believe his eyes when Maxwell Morrison walked into his courtroom. Thirty two years had not done much to change his appearance, so Tran recognized him at once. He listened patiently for 45 minutes and then banged his gavel three times before giving the verdict.
“Mr. Morrison, appearances can indeed be deceptive. Not guilty. You’re free to go.”

Galatians 6:7 KJV
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

As you live your lives, please take every opportunity to do something unforgettable for someone who can’t pay you back today. GOD will pay you back tomorrow with interest.

Galatians 6:9-10 KJV
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Kindness is not a debt you pay, but an investment you make. HAVE A GREAT LIFE AHEAD!

Prophetic Insight

UNEXPECTED THRONES OF CLEBRATION FOR YOU

“Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head… and said… the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?” 1 Samuel 10:1

In the chapter preceding our Scripture Reading, Saul was searching for his father’s lost asses when he ran into Prophet Samuel and ended in Kingship.

He was seeking something small, but he ended on the throne.

He was making efforts to recover what his father lost, and he gained what he never even had before.

Saul gained a throne and a crown whilst seeking a restoration of what was lost in his family.

Beloved, hear the word of the Lord: you may not have planned to gain a throne and a crown this year, you may be stuck with losses, pains and tears from the past year, you may just be looking for a way to get even considering your past misfortunes, but in this season, thrones and crowns you did not plan for or fight for are coming to you.

This year, without planning for it, you will be enthroned in places you did not plan to reign in.

You will rise in places where you never imagined.

You will get offers you didn’t fight for.

You shall have opportunities you did not even pray for.

You will be recommended for positions you never dreamt of occupying.

You will be ushered into high places and new realms you never planned to be in.

Saul went from searching for asses and stepped into his place on the throne.

He moved from searching for asses and began wearing a crown that no man had worn before.

Where you are at the moment may not be inspiring; what you are doing now may be nothing compared to a throne or crown, but as surely as the Lord lives, you will move to your throne and wear your crown.

God will shorten the journey to your thrones and crowns.

Get set for unexpected thrones and crowns that God has ordained for you this year.

Get set to be enthroned and crowned in places and realms you never bargained for.

In unexpected places, you shall be enthroned and crowned, in Jesus matchless and most powerful name.


Prophetic Utterances

Isaiah 54:15, 17 KJV
Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

[17] No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.

– I Pray, You shall see the impact of the hand of God in every area of your life.

– Blessings that stir the heart,
– Peace that suits the mind,
– Happiness that lifts the spirit,
– Glory that lasts forever,

Shall locate you and your entire family today and all through the remaining days of this year and beyond.

– The Mighty hand of the living God that has brought you to the light of a new day will order your steps through the path of righteousness.

– He will be your Great Shepherd  and  will lead you beside the still waters.
– No weapon of the wicked one will prevail over your life, and

– Every form of intimidation from the camp of the enemies against your life shall be aborted by the hand of the Lord of Hosts.

Today shall profit you  and you will enjoy every Blessings packaged for this day and beyond in Jesus Mighty, Matchless and most powerful Name.

– Today God will put an end to all forces that are wasting your efforts since the beginning of this year in Jesus name.

– Any person that is purposely denying you what you are entitled to, shall be removed from the position of authority he/she occupies.

– Anyone sitting on what rightfully belongs to you, the God of heaven shall displace the fellow.

– Your results will exceed your expectations in Jesus Mighty, Matchless and most powerful name.
THE MYSTERY OF DEATH

A man had a dream,  in that dream he saw  a lion which was chasing him. The man ran to a tree, climbed it and sat on one of the branches.
He looked down and saw that the lion was still there waiting for him.
The man then looked to his side where the branch he sat on was attached to the main tree and saw that two rats were circling around and eating the branch.

One rat was black and the other one was white. He observed that very soon the branch will fall on the ground; the man then looked below again with fear and discovered that a big black snake had come and settled directly under him. The snake opened its mouth right under the man so that he will fall into it.

The man then looked up to see if there was anything he could hold on to for him not to fall down. He then saw another branch with a honeycomb. Drops of honey were falling from it.

The man wanted to taste one of the drops. So, he pulls out his tongue to taste one of the falling drops of honey, he observed  that the honey was amazing in taste,. so he wanted to have more tastes and as a result, he got lost into the sweetness of the honey. He had forgotten about the two rats eating his branch away, the lion on the ground and the snake that was  lying right under him.

Suddenly when the branch broke he remembered all the dangers and woke up from his sleep. Since this was a unique dream, the man went to a man of God to know the meaning of his Dream.

The man of God, after prayer and meditation said;

The lion you saw is your Death. It always chases you and goes where ever you go.

The two rats, one black and one white, are the night and the day. Black one is the night and the white one is the day.
They circle around, coming one after another, to eat your time as they take you closer to Death.

The big black snake with a dark mouth is your grave. It’s there, just waiting for you to fall into it.

The honeycomb is this world and the sweet drops of honey are the luxuries of this  World.

We like to taste a little of the luxuries of this world and it’s very sweet. Then we want to taste little more and then more.

Meanwhile, we get lost into it and forget about our time, we forget about our Death and we forget about our Grave.

Beloved,  this is a clarion call to preach the gospel  before it’s too late,  time waits for no man,  you only have this second,  but not this minute,  not to talk of this day,  how are you sure that tomorrow is yours?
What excuse would you give not to preach the Gospel,  time is not on your side, that is no longer tenable, tell the world that the end time is near,  if you can’t go to the streets to preach, then use this medium,  use your data for the gospel and not on irrelevant issues.

Jesus said “if you are ashamed of me before men, I will be ashamed of you before my father in heaven and vise versa.

Good morning Psalms 30:5

#iamfreshfire #WeAreMissionaries

#LovingGOD
#LovingPEOPLE
#TouchingLIVES
#ServingOurGOD

About author

Sam Aka

Sam Aka is a prolific writer, Public Speaker and Author. A member of the American Society of Criminologists (1985 Batch) and World Association of Detectives (1986 batch). For comments (sms only): +2348033053006 or E-mail: pastorsamaka@ymail.com

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