Tête-à-tête

Every once in a while we meet that one person who makes us feel like our souls shared bunk space in a world before this one.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll probably notice you have some certain relationships come to you in a certain season. Sometimes, this is true but we’ve just not paused long enough to notice.

You know those people that complete your sentences, the ones you can share private jokes with, the ones you can call by 11pm to help you out with stuff (this is ‘Riz for me), the ones you call “BFF”, “bestie”, your person, your sister/brother, your family, your safe space, your ‘guy’? Yay, those ones. They’re a priceless gift that you could lose out on.

Remember Jesus said we should pray “Our father”, everytime I pray I understand better how God is our father because he always sends my answer to prayers via conversations—friends, who become family, people I love, honor and treasure who build me with their words.

So, sometime in 2019, after the most defining moment in my life as at then happened, I met this amaaaazing human, B. I remember the day we met, I certainly wasn’t expecting to see the person I saw. Lol. And yet, B was everything I needed in that moment. The first thing I learnt from her was PDAs, that love is beautiful and should be loud. Definitely not a thing I did. But, hey, look who goes around giving hugs to random strangers two years later? Yay, me. Lol.

Then 2020 came and I met awesome people in my class, the ones God used to hold my hands through one of the most difficult moments of my schooling.

And 2021, where God blessed me with Bree. Bree taught me introspection and more than ever I began to appreciate this gift, the gift of conversations. So, I applied it to all my relationships and guess what? They deepened.

Cut to last week.

On Saturday, last week, I had a conversation with Nome about spontaneous worship, particularly by Jesus image and I know I’ve been drawn to House of Bethany (Worship team of Jesus image) for some weeks. Then she mentions listening to Michael Koulianos. I know I’ve never heard him speak, but, of course, I quickly search for some sermons and I find a podcast. I subscribed on Saturday, when we spoke and between then and today, I’ve listened to over ten messages. Every single one is a blessing; an immense blessing.

I remember having another conversation with VMo earlier that same week and how our 60+ minutes of conversation was what God used to answer the questions in my heart and strengthen my faith.

Earlier this year, God blessed me with another friend, Dr J. I feel I’ve shifted light years since I met him. He’s constantly challenging the way I think and helping me see with newer lens.

Then there’s Budu, one friend I love with all my heart, and I’ll pause here to say something else, you see, with Budu, for the first time God gave me a gift—the gift of love. It’s this unusual ability to love a person and not feel “butterflies”. It’s so pure, uncorrupted, and really priceless. It’s friendship at its best, with bants and all. I said this to reiterate that love doesn’t have to be transactional. When you find non-transactional love don’t allow your expectations corrupt that gift and try to label it in the way society does. Allow yourself to be loved, purely. It’s not a sin.

It’s easy to think we’re surrounded with a lot of transactional love until we pause, really pause; like I did in 2019. I don’t have too many per year, but every season God blesses me with these people. Just enough! Each life teaches a lesson. Each! And to think that we can find kinship, family and build bonds with people we share nothing but love with? I think that’s an immense blessing.

In 2021, conversations were my CPR and God placed Dr AJ, Dr F. and Ansah on my path. I remember walks, long walks, and long conversations that helped me unwind. I remember the random bible study lessons they shared that built me, and somethings they said that did not seem huge to them? They meant the world to me. God held me by those words.

I would love to write you an autobiography because this entry cannot contain everything about all the amazing people God has blessed me with and of course some names and experiences are so dear to my heart that I’d rather treasure them in silence than say them now (probably some other time, or not).

As far as endnotes go, dear ALian, here is one; conversations are priceless.

My greatest blessings have come from people sharing, not serendipity. I found Lumina because Dr Ayistar shared. I found VT, because Budu shared. I found Gretzginger because someone shared. And if you never remember anything else in this entry, I hope you remember when next you are blessed by something to share with someone else. Your sharing could be all they have waited years for…
I hope when next you sit with your friend, your person, your soul sister/brother, your family, your tribe, your bestie, your BFF, that you pause and be present in that moment because most times the answers to your questions are in the blessing of these people—the people who love you/you love.

It’s a blessing to have people who “get you 100%” (understand you totally) and as you leave this entry, I’d love for you to reach out to at least one of your ‘guys’ and say “thank you for this friendship /love/bond.”

I love you. 💜