https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlIdPNafbMM

You reap what you sow

We like to pray a lot, so I applied it in Engineering. Some years ago,

I was a field Engineer at some locations in Niger delta. We were installing some wireless measuring devices. The central equipment had to be mounted on a telecom mast and a software setting needs to be done on it. Unfortunately, the final 1% of the software setting must be done while the equipment was already mounted on the mast. This was where I had problem. Those days we used a small HP mobile device called PDA. I was supposed to climb the mast with this PDA and complete the setting. With the job almost finished and going back to Lagos in my mind, I climbed the mast with my PDA to complete the software setting. It did not work. I was surprised. It worked the previous site I just finished. Also, we did our due diligence by testing these devices back in the office before going for the job. So, I tried the setting some more times. It all failed.

Whenever my PDA failed to complete the software setting on this central equipment after some trials, I must come down from the telecom mast to get another set of software setting from the laptop. I climbed up and down the mast for more than five times and yet no show. To avoid the customer seeing me as incompetent, I decided to take my time to investigate before climbing the mast again. I was sure I was doing the right thing and I had played with this equipment for more than a year in the office even before we got a job for it. I was not only the most experienced in my office for this equipment, but probably across the country. The technology was new. My only option was to contact the manufacturer. This means an email needs to be sent and then waiting for reply. I did not like this idea. Staying longer was not an option for me. So, I tried something different. I prayed.

I believed my prayer was answered and with faith, I climbed the mast again. It still did not work. I came down disappointed, wondering if God really answers this kind of prayer. I tried some more time, each with failure but at the end of the day, I got some hints of what might have been the problem. Fast forward to the end of the project, we did not achieve the initial plan because of this limitation which I discovered, but we adjusted it to what worked, which the customer accepted. I came to realize that God did answer my prayer. Not by making it to work, but showing me why it will not work. I also found out that I was trying to reap rice where I sowed beans. We did self-training in the office for a long period of time, but we did not attend the manufacturer's training. This was why we missed the limitation of this first version of the equipment during real-life field installation.

I have come to realize that prayer does not miraculously change what you reap. Rather, it gives you more harvest of what you sow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghqSrZuPjqg

Leave vengeance to God

In this animated video, Tortoise had not forgotten how Squirrel double-crossed them, resulting to his falling down from the rope and breaking his shell. He was still full of animosity and craved for vengeance. Since he cannot achieve that himself being clumsy, he decided to push Lion into fulfilling his desire. It turned out sour.

Many like Lion have fallen into serious problems in their quest for revenge. It is however not easy to forgive and forget especially when the harm done by someone affects and stares at you every day of your life. On the other hand, when someone is unable to revenge, but still harbors the hurt, he may end up bearing grudges in his heart for the rest of his life. As for me, I often struggle but finally with time, I do overcome the desire for vengeance. After which, I try everything possible to avoid any second hurt from same perpetrator. Like the mouse avoids a cat! What about you?

At the end, our prayers and wishes would be to leave vengeance to God, who will repay every man and woman according to his or her work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsUKO7iO_5w

Even the deaf can hear the sound of war - African proverb.

Watch and learn - sometimes you need to run for your life.