Going One Step Higher

What did you do this holiday? If you are like me you observed Children’s day and Democracy day. But most likely you just had 29^th off, if at all. To ensure it was a memorable holiday, I made sure I attended as many events as possible in my area. In that light, I was part of the live audience at the maiden edition of the Global Gospel Talent Show at the Foursquare Gospel church in my estate.

I enjoyed the two- day event, with the singing and sweating, contestants showing confidence or fear, forgetting lines or whole verses, or even holding the microphone and not remembering the song they had planned to sing! It was exciting connecting with them all. But someone I had to speak with at the end of the program was one of the judges. With her petite form and youthful look, I had to ask one of the organisers why she was a judge. Turns out Miss Joy Uviekugbere won the Foursquare district teens singing competition about four years ago.   And has kept at the music gig, working hard enough to become an authority in the music department.

According to her, “This is the first time I’m being a judge on a show. When I competed at the district level, I didn’t want to, because I was a shy person. But when I realised I didn’t want to be the loser, I decided to become serious. Even some of the challenges these contestants have, I had too. They kept asking me, ‘do you know this song, do you know that song?’ and I kept saying no, but I was challenged because so many people, even my sister, knew the songs, so after I won when I went back and I scored them.“

She had even considered entering for the current event when they called her up and asked that she be a judge, and from her analysis of the finalists and how they decided the winners, I’d say the organisers were right in their choice of judges.  

Sometimes you are called on to do something you have never done, on a level higher than you ever dreamed, would you start dwelling on all the reasons you are not qualified to handle the task, or will you, after arranging the facts, still go in this your might like Gideon in the bible? You might be thinking of a raise while God is orchestrating a promotion. When the offer to head a new department comes, after throwing up in the bathroom from nerves, do you say ‘nah, I’m sorry I can’t do this,’ or do you clean your face, look yourself in the mirror and say, ‘I can do this.’

 I love the spirit that says, ‘this is new to me, but let’s try it.’ Those are the people that beat all odds to become the quotable somebodies of this world. There’s room for us, so make that decision to join me!