“And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee?….”
— 2 Kings 6:27 (KJV)
I was full of expectation. He had promised to help me and he gave me an appointment.
I felt I had been useful to him in the past. I even slept in his palatial home at Ogudu GRA as a student. If anyone could help me get a job, then he was the person. Quite influential, he rubbed shoulders with political leaders and was on the board of a regional conglomerate.
My job search was about to come to an end.
So I set out early that Monday, 25 years ago. I got to Premier Hotel, Ibadan where he said I should meet him at 8 am. You can’t afford to be late when you’re searching for something desperately. I asked about him but was told he was being expected.
I sat in the lobby and waited. Till 5 pm. I couldn’t afford to buy any lunch. Not even water. By 5 pm, I left for my home. From the Premier Hotel Mokola, I trekked to Old Ife Road, taking Parliament Road via Governor’s Office and Yidi. I had no transport fare.
The next morning was Tuesday and I was back at the hotel. I waited till 5 pm. No show. Left. Came back on Wednesday. By then, all the staff at Premier Hotel knew my face. Sat down till 5 pm. No show. Repeated the same routine on Thursday. No show. I was despondent. Discouraged. Tired.
The promises of men may delay or fail, but the provision of God arrives exactly on time. Share on XI was back on Friday. I wasn’t willing to give up easily. If only I could see the man, my problems would be solved—or so I thought. Around 11 am, there was a flurry of activity. Someone whispered to me that he had arrived. My joy knew no bounds. My expectation was heightened.
My wait was worth it after all. He stepped into the hotel in his resplendent agbada. I caught up with him as he was entering the elevator. A security aide stopped me. I greeted the man even as the security aide pushed me away. The man didn’t even acknowledge my greeting.
I went back to the lobby and sat down. At least, I will see him on his way out and make another attempt. Around 3 pm, he sent for me. I took the elevator to the penthouse where he had a permanent suite then. As I entered his room, he was sprawled on the magnificent bed.
I prostrated like a proper Yoruba boy. He asked what he could do for me. I tried to explain that I’d been waiting since Monday. He had no time for such a long story. I told him I needed a job as I had just finished my National Youth Service.
He brought out his complimentary card and wrote a note to the Chairman of a quoted company. I was grateful. I thanked him from the depth of my heart. I left him and trekked home again. Maybe there was hope.
When doors remain closed and people forget you, remember: man is a tool, not the source. Help comes from above. Share on XThe following Monday, I borrowed money and left for Lagos with the complimentary card in my hand. I got to Oba Akran where the company is located. I told the security guard that I wanted to see the Chairman. He looked at me strangely. I showed him the complimentary card.
He laughed when he saw it. He told me I came on a wild goose chase. The Chairman didn’t have an office there. I left. Mission not accomplished. But with a renewed determination to focus on God and not expect too much from any man.
A few months later that same year, I got a job in a bank after writing a test and sitting for an interview. And strangely, this bank was part of the conglomerate on whose board this man sat.
On the day of the formal opening of our branch, the late Governor Lam Adesina was present for the commissioning. He went round the branch with this man in tow. As they passed my desk, I greeted the man. I still remember the look on his face when he saw me.
It was that of shock mixed with unbelief. He asked what I was doing there and I told him I worked there. He put his arm around me and introduced me to the Governor as his son. I chuckled. God must have a great sense of humour.
Never mistake connection for solution. When your hope shifts from people to God, you stop begging for what He can give freely. Share on XI’m grateful that God turned around my disappointments. My disappointments made me stronger and more focused on Him. Through them, I learnt to acknowledge God as the real Source and men as mere instruments that He uses as He pleases.
Just like the words of Henry David Thoreau, “If we will be quiet and ready enough, we shall find that there is compensation in every disappointment“. I know now that vain is the help of any man. No man can receive help except God helps him.