Gratitude Of A Broke-ass Nigga Who Has A Rich God

My name is Barnabas Akinrinola and I am going to be using this medium to express my gratitude.

Today is the last Sunday in 2018 and I am so grateful for the progress I have made. I’m older than I was this time last year. I’m wiser than I was. I’m richer than I was (even if by some kobos). I’m more famous than I was and it’s for the right reasons. I have impacted more lives than I did last year. I have moved closer than I was to God.

I am grateful that I’m no longer in the class I was last year. Although I have not been doing as well as I should in school, I’m grateful that I’ve not dropped out of school because of poor grades. I’m grateful to all my lecturers. This year, we’ve done more of group assignments than individual ones (or so it seems). I’m grateful to the members of every group I belonged to.

I’m grateful that I have done more concerning my writing. Undoubtedly, I have written more and better this year. This year, I entered for a number of writing contests (mostly essay and poetry contests) and, although I did not win many of those contests, I am surely better at writing because of them. Even though I have lost many, many times, I am still convinced that I’m a freaking good writer. Like someone I respect stated some time ago, I have lost too, many times but no, I have not lost too many times. I recorded a significant victory, among others this year. Glory to God!

Precisely on May 19 this year, I got a nudge to start a weekly writing series on my blog which you know as Alagba Barny this Sunday. It was going to be a weekly post that told a story from which I was to draw moral lessons, all the while using the tone of an elder who has seen it all.

At that time, I was so sure that, before long, I would either not be able to write a piece or be able to upload it every week. What if I ran out of what to write or I was too busy? Where would data subscription money come from, bearing in mind that I was a really broke-ass nigga? I think all of these doubts, joined with the fact that I would not want to start something I could not bring to a logical finish, delayed my first post. On July 8, however, I took a leap of faith with my very first Alagba Barny this Sunday post titled, Start (which I wrote to myself, by the way). Since then, I’m grateful for the testimonies and encouragements I have received concerning my weekly posts. They have been quite massive. I’m grateful that I am reaching lives in my own small way. I’m grateful to my rich God for always providing for me. I still cannot perfectly capture how. To those who faithfully read my posts weekly all over the world, thank you; Alagba Barny blesses you from his heart. Dearest readers, I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep up weekly, but I assure you that I’ll try.

I’m grateful for my public speaking career. This year, I have done little of debating. I have been able to train others who have gone ahead to carve themselves wonderful nichès. Most of my public speaking engagements has been as an MC (an event moderator). You probably already know this, but I never thought of compering as something I could do. My first attempt was not so good. So was my first attempt at debating. So was my first attempt at leading praise-and-worship in my fellowship. My first attempt at compering was in 2017. This year, however, I have found it really fun and have taken it more seriously (especially since May) and have gotten better at it. I think I’m going to do it for a long time because my rich God has been using it to pay my bills. I have anchored several programs ranging from worship concerts to public speaking contests to a dinner to Whatsapp conferences to hangouts to birthday parties. As an MC, God gave me Proverbs 13:2 and Proverbs 10:21-22 and I have been running with them both. I’m grateful for my growth that has been steady and has been without pressure or the need to compete with other people. Many thanks to everyone that has given me the platform to showcase my talking talent and has trusted me with their programs. I hope to do more profitable business with you.

Being an MC is much more than telling people what the next item on the program is and recognizing invited guests. It is a profession that ensures order and is about giving life to a program so that it can remain memorable in the minds of the attendees. It takes skill to be an efficient MC! I’m grateful to everyone I have learnt under, especially the ones that have no idea I’m following them.

I’m grateful for my literary & debating societies, Faculty of Law Literary & Debating Society and the Lord Tedder Hall Literary & Debating Society, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. I’m particularly grateful for Lord Tedder Hall LnD, an exco of which I am. I am grateful for the privilege of service. Lord Tedder Hall LnD has been, for me, more than a constituency I belong to, it has been my family! If you attend our meeting for the first time, you may be tempted to assume we are a playful bunch. Indeed, we are, because, if we are supposed to meet for 3 hours, I guarantee that at least 1 hour will be dedicated to jesting, dropping lame jokes and funny punchlines and back-and-forth arguments. There is no way you will leave our meeting without letting out a loud laugh or two. Tedder Hall LnD is where we allow you to be comfortable with yourself because we believe it is in an atmosphere of love and freedom that the best of ideas can be birthed and true growth can occur.

I’m grateful for the important and profitable relationships I have built and maintained. I am grateful for the people I met who understood me.

This year, I was blessed financially. My rich God was just making ways and opening doors for broke-ass me. People were just ‘dashing’ me money anyhow. For helping to push their car, a PG student in UI gave me a large sum of money. (I felt so unworthy of that sum that my spirit dinuh lemme rest till I gave it out.) Someone even gave me money for having catarrh!

I’m grateful that I did not lack God’s word. God’s word was not scarce in my life this year. I’m grateful for and to the Holy Spirit. To him be praise forever!

Guys, I have a lot of testimonies. I wish I could tell them all. There was a time I needed to get somewhere and I flagged down a particular commercial motorcyclist to take me there. Throughout our journey, he was telling me how his mother had died and how he was really broke (I wanted to say, ‘That makes the two of us,’ but I doubted he could understand English). He told me that his heart crazily desired that I gave him money before we parted ways. I remember him mentioning #1,000. I thought he was merely ‘whyning’ me for money; my guy was dead serious! He threatened to keep taking me farther than I was going until I was ready to give him money. I was alarmed but I tried keeping my cool. Now, thank God your boy is a public speaker! Comman see me giving him impromptu speech on how I was probably a more broke-ass nigga than he was. I wee nuh lie; I was scared. After a while in my speech, we got to my destination and he allowed me to alight and go. I was now thinking, what if the guy had gone violent and had taken his anger out on me? This thing we writers and movie enthusiasts have, called imagination can be a blessing and a curse. I was imagining a lotta scary stuff. Thank God for salvation.

I’m grateful to and for my parents and siblings. I cannot forget my older cousin, Bro Wale Richard, who God used many times to meet my needs when hunger was dealing me blows, when I needed shelter and when I sought counsel. Moments with you are always priceless, sir. God bless you!

Thank God for my fellowship, Baptist Students’ Fellowship, University of Ibadan. I’m particularly grateful for Prayer Unit to which I belong. Every moment spent with these wonderful people releasing burdens, calling forth things, worshipping and praying God’s will out was important to me. God bless Prayer Unit and BSFUI at large!

You, thanks for being with me this year. God bless you for me and me for you. Amen.