CHIN UP

A SHORT STORY
(SIGHS)
"What a waste of time"
Zaron gushed as she flipped through the 3-page pamphlet that contained columns on how to discover your passion and be successful, the pamphlet was given to her and her schoolmates by a team of motivational speakers that visited her school today.
Brainfull secondary school located in the suburbs of Ibadan, has played host to many motivational speakers over the past month it was as if the school environ cried out for motivation and different motivational speaker heeded to it's cry. Zaron wasn't thrilled about these visits because instead of leaving her motivated they left her confused and insecure .

Zaron Ekubo  a 16yr old indigene of Abia state, born and bred in Ibadan by her parents who worked really hard to fund her education and that of her siblings, had a fairly sound religious background( if you considered going to church every Sunday and singing in the church's choir as sound), moral scruples, a mind that works pretty fast, a mindset shaped by her unending love for everything entertainment and loads of insecurities and uncertainty. So, every time one of these speakers spoke about "finding your passion" or " shaping the future" or "talent" her insecurities and fears were magnified in fact she dreaded these teachings because according to her they got her "fired-up for nothing" because they kept hammering on the connection between your talent, passion and your success and zaron didn't see herself as talented and she certainly wasn't passionate about the conventional things, for example she wasn't a business person cos she was too emotional, she loved music but not singing she loved listening, she loved helping people, she loved the glitz and glam of entertainment. These weren't on top of the list of conventional things to be passionate about. "How does a person get successful from listening to peoples songs" she sometimes asked herself.
So, she became more unsure of herself and her future, she somehow started seeing herself as less. She doubted her abilities and gradually she became complacent, taking things as they came not working to attain and even without knowing it she wrote herself off because she felt she had nothing useful to offer the world. Even though in a few years when she looked back at what she thought of herself she couldn't help but laugh because she had so much to offer the world, she was going to be a force to be reckoned with.
What changed you may ask!
Finally, there was a speaker who visited Brainfull secondary school right before Zaron's graduation, he was there to encourage every one of them to make an  impact in the world like his fellow motivational speakers, but he came with a different approach, to Zaron it was like being fed with plain beans all your life and suddenly someone gives you a plate of beans and plantain and all you can say is where have you been all my life. This speaker, started his talk by sharing his life experience and for all Zaron knew he might have just been sharing her own life experience. She sat glued to her chair, eyes fixed on him waiting impatiently to hear what he did and how he did it, what major step he took, how much work he put in, to get to the point he was, how many books he read etc.
But all she got was a huge smile from the speaker and the name JESUS.
Pause
What is he talking about she thought, I was expecting something epic!!! I know Jesus, I go to church, I pray and He answers (I think**), I don't exactly keep all the commandments because they are so draining and difficult but I make sure I ask for forgiveness. How is he going to help me make impact in the world? I am surrounded by Christians who have served God all their lives and have not even made the tiniest bit of positive impact on their children talk less of the world. So what is he talking about? Jesus is important but c'mon....
Zaron came back from her thought world just in time to hear the speaker talk about how Jesus died for ours sins (she has heard this more than a million times already) how by his death and resurrection we have been made free from sin and death. It still didn't add up until he said all we had to do was believe no need to try to keep all the plenty commandments. Jesus had taken all the punishment for our sins. So we where free to be who he made us to be. Zaron was tempted to ask who he made us to be? But she resisted the urge, this sounded to good to be true.
The speaker went on to emphasise God's love towards us in a way Zaron has never heard before and somehow she found herself wanting a taste of this love this speaker described. Was it even real?
Then he's words finally got to zaron when he said that everything God created is for a purpose, he didn't create anything without a purpose or significance, God isn't a waster,  he's to perfect to waste. "Maybe I am not useless after all" she whispered to herself. If what the speaker says is true then I was created for a purpose....