There’s this thing that we’re always saying in Nigeria, which is “Problem no dae finish.” This is because as one problem is coming to a close, just as you’re solving it, another one takes its place. They might not be big and life-changing problems, but they’re always present. They can’t be avoided. It’s basically impossible to live a life where you have absolutely nothing at all to worry about because there will always be something in the background, ready to pump you full of worry. Unless, of course, you’re a kid.
And this is not just wth problems; it’s basically with every area of our life and everything we have to do. The more we work on things, the more we have to work on them. Because the clock never stops ticking, we’re always in motion, and there’s always something that needs to be done.
On Sunday, my church ran a fundraising program. It’s something that’s normal because the church has some building projects to undergo, and as usual, the members have to make donations towards them. But while this was happening, I realized one startling truth: I’ve been in the church now for over 15 years, and through all that time, we’ve always been building something. We’ve always been making donations to one project or the other.
First, it was buying land, then we had to fence it, then we built the first church. That was torn down, and we built another. Then a security outpost, then a restroom, then a priest’s home. The security outpost was torn down and rebuilt. The restroom was destroyed and rebuilt. Then a home for the priest. Then we had to expand the main church building and renovate it. Next, we had to repaint all the buildings in the church… I could go on and on, and this has always been our reality. Always needing money to build something. It’s difficult to go for an entire month without making one donation or the other.
I’m not attacking this; I’m just bringing to light how most of the things that matter require constant work and care. You have to be vigilant with your car and constantly monitor it, or it’ll be destroyed. If you want your home to be in good condition for a long time, then you must be on your toes, making sure it stays that way. Because when you slack, nothing changes.
Everything that is worth having always requires serious work and sacrifice. And it never ends. Relationships, our bodies, properties, investments, goals… You never stop. You never slow down. You always have to keep turning up, always keep giving, because the day that you stop giving is the day that growth stops and nothing moves again.
We have to treat everything like a passion project, because if we don’t we’re going to end up losing the very thing that we hold dear. So, the problems will never stop, there will always be a reason to keep giving. That’s just how society was designed.
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