S3 Ep. 217 Exploring the Dance of Randomness and Purpose

Speaker 1: Oh, yep, hello, there I'm at it again. I know, all right, if I do anything, I need to say those words Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, good, everything. Wherever you are on the surface of the earth, this very instant , listening to me and seeing me, how are you? I'm asking that question not rhetorically. I'm asking that question because it means a lot to me. Yep, how are you? How are you? I'm fine, where I am. You know, each time I come into this space, I always remember that it is an amazing moment, because we're going to listen, we're going to share, we're going to hear and, uh, it will change our lives. Yes, it will. I decided to do this again today . Yes, because this is the World Cafe Live show. So I came in with my coffee. I've told you a lot about coffee and someone said once are you a coffee addict? I said no, I'm not. I'm a coffee enthusiast. There's something about coffee and one of these days I'm going to tell you about coffee. I'm going to tell you the therapeutic, medical and whatever. But that's not why we're here today. Just give me a few seconds. Let me sip this. You can never go wrong with a cup of, a good cup of coffee, that is when it's well brewed, you know you have the right temperature and all of that. I'm not talking about coffee today, don't mind me. I'm just getting you into the mood. So give me a second again. Yes, so what exactly are we going to be doing today? Just permit me, let me carry my laptop. So recently, this is 2025, when a new year and uh a and a lot is going on, and what have you? A lot of people changing from one what do you call it now goal to the other, and all of that. But this came to me recently Not recently, anyway, it came to me some time ago and I brewed on it for a while and I said I think I need to share it with you the randomness of life. Is life really random? Is life really random? You know, sometimes you hear people say randomly and I ask myself that question is life really random? Or for the lack of better expression when things happen for us to understand that or put it in perspective, as it were, as humans, we, we come up with definitions and all of that and we say it happened randomly. That is life really random. So I'm going to read this from my book a cocktail of words. I encourage you to go get my book. If you've not, yeah, go get my book. If you've not, yeah, go get my book. It's on Amazon, it's everywhere . That's the truth. You can even reach out to the studio and we'll make it available. So I'm going to read a piece from that book and we're going to pick it up from there. Paths Crossing, paths crossing. It was a lovely afternoon on campus. The date has eluded me now, but the event ever green to me because it was imprinted within my subconscious. I came across him within a week for like three times, coming out of the cafeteria and he is going in. I am going into the cafeteria and he is coming out Upon the third crossing. He couldn't endure the experience anymore, but had to call my attention to what he had noticed and said come, is this a coincidence or what? And I said what coincidence? He replied our meeting, the way we have been for almost the whole week. And I said to him there's a slim line between fate and coincidence. This could be a way of building an enduring friendship. In cause of our exchange, we both came to see that we have had some couple of same I mean we have read some couple of same books, seen movies and somehow thinking some similar thoughts. Today, after like 15 years that's when I wrote the book we are still in touch, you know, in each other's circle of influence. Now tell me, is it faith or coincidence? Never take for granted the crushing of paths, only be sensitive. The answer is always in the encounter. Each time I come across this, I just smile to myself. Yes, I had to drop the laptop so you can see my face properly now. This is a true life story. It happened to me when I was on campus and the person in that story I hope he wouldn't mind is Chidi. We call him Okoso, and then that's brilliant chap, an amazing mind, as in. He was in physics, I was in biochemistry, so this happened and it inspired me to write that . So the question is what we call coincidence. Is it really coincidence? Or because maybe it's above our understanding and we try to bring it into that frame, the human frame, as I call it, and say coincidence. But is it really coincidence? Or a pattern, or God nudging you in a direction, moving you? So we are, like I said, in the new year and everybody is doing all what not? And sometimes you feel overwhelmed and you ask yourself when do I go from here? If you quieten your spirit, if you quieten, you would see the paths crossing. They are just there. Whenever God wants to do things in your life, in our lives, from my experience I come to see that he sends people. The enemy wants to also do his dirty works. Same thing, people, people. So sometimes you feel this anger towards people. You see, here people make general statements like human beings Ha men, ha women, ha boys . But I ask this question who gave you that helping hand the other day? Obviously it wasn't an angel. Even if it's an angel, it's going to take a human form. Yes, so looking above the frailty, looking beyond the weakness, imperfections of men will help you receive, because anytime you sit down to draw up a plan and you are disciplined enough, renewing your mind, to walk that plan or to walk that path or to walk, you know through, be ready for people, be ready for paths to cross. So I remember something happened when we were in school a lot, yes, a lot. So now we were having this program and I was involved with logistics. I've been involved with logistics from the very beginning. You know organizing and all of that. So it was my responsibility to ensure that we'll have good bed spaces where people will sleep and all of that have good bed spaces where people will sleep and all of that. If you are used to campuses in Nigeria, when we're having such programs, people come from everywhere, so it's like a camp, not like it is a camp. So you're not looking for anything befitting in terms of like five star and all of that, but you're just like where to throw your mattress or whatever, and you, as we call it, you crash for the night. So it was my responsibility to ensure that people crash and crash. Well, so we're looking for mattresses somewhere in Port Hackett, if you know Port Hackett so well. I ran. I came across a minister of the gospel who was into missions also and he had this, what I call it supplies in his house. He uses them during missions and we got in touch. He said, okay, I was to move almost 300 pieces of mattresses. Yes, don't even think about it, I need a truck to do that. So somewhere around Rumibu Rumokoro axis of Pothakot, where you have the Federal Government College, I came out. I didn't know what to do and I was like Lord, I need out. I didn't know what to do and I was like, lord, I need help. I need help, how do I move 300? And I said a simple prayer Lord , send your angels to help me, childish as it might sound. So I took some few steps forward at the Rumokoro roundabout it's a roundabout, if you know that place on your way to the airport and all that, I saw this group of young boys, within my age bracket that is. So I approached them and I said I explained to them the predicament I was in at that time and I needed help. And they just looked at me like with this expectation, like who help? And boom, they came. I didn't promise them anything, I just asked for help and they moved 300. That's not it all. Now I needed a helping hand that would help me carry those things. I also needed a vehicle and as I was standing there talking to them, I saw a truck and I flagged the truck, the driver, and he stopped and I negotiated. He said, yes, he will carry them for a fee. And boom, we went in, carried everything and we moved. Now this is the catch After the event, we needed to take back as in, take the mattresses back to where we took them from. The thought came back to me again how do I do this? Who will help me? Who will help me? Who will help me? Do you know what happened? I negotiated with the driver. He came. Yes, my friends on campus helped me. We put everything back into the vehicle and we moved. As I was approaching my destination, where I'm going to offload and unpack and arrange and all that guess who? I saw, because on my way I was just praying, I saw those group of boys again and they waved at me and I said my angels, they came, they helped me, we arranged it, but you know the amazing thing, after that I didn't see them again. Paths crossing. So you see, on your journey of success and all of that, don't forget paths do cross. You have to be conscientious now. You have to be aware, you have to be, you just have to be. So the other day I was discussing with my wife she's my buddy when it comes to thoughts and all of that A lot of us desire. We always look to this. Lord, bless me. Lord, bless me when I see some of us pray, when I see some of us desire and all that, when I see some of us pray, when I see some of us desire and all that. And I said to her do you know that a good number of us, maybe why the blessing we've been crying for is not coming, is because we have not built responsibility, the attitude to be responsible. Do you know that to be blessed means to be responsible? It is not about the bling bling , it is not about the flashy things, it's not about driving the good cars and all of that. No, it is about being responsible enough for divinity to release to you the resources of heaven for you to like administer it on earth is a huge responsibility. And she looked at me and said you're right, you know. So sometimes, when you kneel down not sometimes all the time when you kneel down to pray, when you fellowship, have it at the back of your mind, can I be responsible for this? Can I handle it not mismanage it, not throw it away? Can I, because god looks for people, that he would, would, I say, trust. He would literally trust, just like he said you know, somewhere in, I think, genesis, when he met Abraham, he said I know Abraham, for he will teach his children after me. That is huge responsibility after me. That is huge responsibility when you know that on your shoulders lies the destiny of another man, another woman that your path would cross someday. You would wake up. You really like wake up. So, when you are responsible, when you know that my path crossing with another hugely depends on how responsible I am, what do you think you're going to do? Logically, I think it is to build capacity. So this scripture came to my mind and, yes, we always desire, want to stand before the high and mighty of the earth. By the way, I will say this, I didn't plan to say this, but I'm going to say it. Pastor Nathaniel, he's a Nigerian and I'm proud of him. Very Recently, during the Trump inauguration, he was called to be part of the breakfast lunch. I felt so good. But one thing came to my mind Responsibility. So the scripture tells me that, seest thou, a man who is diligent in his business, he shall stand before kings and not mere men. I took my time to look, look into that scripture. I've heard us quote it over and over again. See, is that a man who is diligent in his business, who is responsible, who opens up himself to take on heaven's quote, unquote pressure, he will stand before kings and not mere men. That's to tell me that he has built capacity, the discipline of the blessing which comes to shape him, knowing that his path will cross with other people. Somebody puts him in that position. He walks on himself, he builds capacity. It is not enough to be talented , it is not enough to be skillful, but it is more than enough to be responsible. So you see this 2025 going forward this year, let's think about responsibility. No, no, no. Don't take responsibility for others, yourself, your actions, because your path will cross with somebody's one day, sooner than you think. This is the space where we come in to lean on one another's experience to forge a positive path. I'll end with this A lot of us, when it comes to responsibility , it it scares us, it gives us the creeps, but I, I got the scripture early in life and it has been with me. I always, when I'm at a crossroad, I just mortar it. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways. Acknowledge him this is how I end it and he, god, shall direct your path. God is the master when it comes to paths, creating paths, allowing them crisscross, allowing them meet. So when you trust on him, he will guide you. Well, this is what I came to do today. So, walk into 2025 with a mind of responsibility, mm-hmm. Build yourself capacity. Read books, train, build your mental muscles, because your path is about to cross with another. Well, yes, don't forget to follow us. I will do this before I go. Don't forget to follow us on all our social media handles. We're on Instagram, tiktok, facebook, linkedin. Yes, do subscribe to our YouTube channel. We have wholesome content for you. Well, till I come your way again, my name is Amakri Amakri Sobue. Bye for now.